LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 20/2019

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 16/24-28: “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life? ‘For the Son of Man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay everyone for what has been done. Truly I tell you, there are some standing here who will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 19-20/2019
St. Joseph's Day
UN Chief: Hezbollah Weapons Threaten Stability
Lebanon: Hariri-Rifi Rapprochement Paves Way for Political, Electoral Cooperation
Lebanese Cabinet Tackles 54 Items on Agenda Thursday
Bassil Reportedly Only Minister to Accompany Aoun to Moscow
Hariri: Settlement with Aoun a 'Maronite Marriage' despite Political Bickering
Mustaqbal Slams 'Threats' against Donors, 'Intimidation' of Lebanese
Strong Lebanon Bloc: Our Principles More Important than Any Understanding
Report: Arab Diplomats 'Advise' Lebanon to Maintain Stability
Lebanese-Canadain Arrested for Spying for Israel

Litles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on March 19-20/2019
Nigerian Christians Under Siege: Attacks Claim 120 Lives Since February
UN Envoy Discuss Detainee File with Syrian Opposition in Damascus
Assad Praises Russia's Role in Syria Conflict
Italian Killed Fighting IS in Syria
Syria's Kurds Criticise Damascus 'Threats'
US to Keep More Troops in Syria If Talks With Ankara Do Not See Progress
Jordan: MPs Call For Expelling Israeli Ambassador Over Aqsa Aggressions
Fatah Accuses Hamas of Attempting to Assassinate its Spokesman
Israel Resumes Talks With Hamas On Truce Agreement
Iraq: Salih Receives Jeffrey In Sulaymaniyah
High Council of State Calls on Russia to Respect Arms Embargo in Libya
Iran: FM Informs Qom Religious References About FATF
New Algerian Opposition Group Urges Army against Interfering in Protests
Algeria's Bouteflika Confirms to Stay President after Term Ends
Erdogan Campaign Use of Mosque Shooter Video Draws NZ Ire

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 19-20/2019
St. Joseph's Day/Elias Bejjani/March 19/19
UN Chief: Hezbollah Weapons Threaten Stability/Ali Barada/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19
Nigerian Christians Under Siege: Attacks Claim 120 Lives Since February
CBNNews.com/Posted on March 19/19
The New Zealand Massacre and the Breakdown of Society/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19
Syria’s Civil War Is Now 3 Civil Wars/ Jonathan Spyer/Forign Policy/March 18/19
The New Zealand Wolf… and ours/Hazem El Amine/Daraj web site/March 19/19
Britain's War on Christianity: Part I/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/March 19/19
Turkey: Putin's Ally in NATO?/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/March 19/19
The New Palestinian Prime Minister Will Face Steep Internal Challenges/Ghaith al-Omari/The Washington Institute/March 19/19
Are Israeli Politics Dooming Kushner's Peace Push?/David Makovsky/Politico/The Washington Institute/March 19, 2019

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on March 18-19/2019
St. Joseph's Day/عيد ما يوسف البتول
Elias Bejjani/March 19/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73094/elias-bejjani-saint-annual-josephs-day/
The feast day of St. Joseph is celebrated annually on March 19.
Joseph, husband of the Virgin Mary and foster-father of Jesus, has been honored as a saint since the earliest days of the Christian Church. But very little is known about his life, or even the exact date of his death, which is believed to have occurred when Jesus Christ was eighteen.
The basis of saint day remembrances-for St. Joseph as well as other saints-is found in ancient Roman tradition. On the anniversary of a death, families would share a ritual meal at the grave site of an ancestor. This practice was adopted by Christians who began observing a ritual meal on the death anniversary of ancestors in the faith, especially martyrs. As a result, most Christian saint days are associated with the death of the saint. There are three important exceptions. John the Baptist, the Virgin Mary, and Jesus are honored on their nativities (birthdays). Many who suffered martyrdom are remembered on saint days in the calendars of several Orthodox, Catholic, and Protestant sects.
By the thirteenth century, the Roman Catholic Church had instituted canonization, the process of making a person a saint. Before that, Christians venerated people they considered saints. In 1870 Pope Pius IX formally proclaimed Joseph the patron of the universal church.
It is worth mentioning that St. Joseph’s Day is a Maronite and Roman Catholic feast day that commemorates the life of St. Joseph, the step-father of Jesus and husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary. People with very strong religious convictions among which are the Lebanese Maronites celebrate St. Joseph’s Day on March 19 and believe that this day is St. Joseph’s birthday too. Back home, in Lebanon St. Joseph is considered the Family Saint and looked upon as a family and hardworking father role model because of the great role that Almighty God had assigned him to carry.
His duty was to raise Jesus Christ and take care of Virgin Mary. God has chose him to look after His begotten son and Virgin Marry. He fulfilled his Godly assignment with love, passion and devotion. May Al Mighty God bless all those that carry this blessed name.
N.B: Our Bejjani family has proudly carried this name generation after generation for centuries and still do. May God and His angles safeguard our caring and loving son Youssef, and our grandson Joseph, who both carry this blessed name.

UN Chief: Hezbollah Weapons Threaten Stability
 Ali Barada/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73117/un-chief-hezbollah-weapons-threaten-stability-%d8%aa%d9%82%d8%b1%d9%8a%d8%b1-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%85%d9%8a%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b9%d8%a7%d9%85-%d9%84%d9%84%d8%a3%d9%85%d9%85-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%85/
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed “grave concern” that Hezbollah’s weapons would “endanger the stability of Lebanon and the region.”In an implicit reference to Iran, Guterres called on member states to “carry out their duties” in terms of not supplying arms and military equipment to entities and individuals in Lebanon. He also urged the Lebanese government to take “all necessary measures” to disarm the militias in accordance with the Taif Agreement and international resolutions. The new Lebanese government is encouraged to abide by the policy of dissociation, in line with the Baabda Declaration of 2012, said the secretary-general in his latest report on the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 1701. He also emphasized that all Lebanese powers must “stop interfering in the Syrian war and other conflicts in the region,” denouncing the “alleged movement of fighters and military equipment across the Lebanese-Syrian border.”Turning to the Lebanese-Israeli border, Guterres voiced “deep concern” over the presence of tunnels along the Blue Line and urged the Lebanese army to conduct all necessary investigations to ensure that the border tunnels were no longer a security threat. He strongly encouraged Lebanon and Israel to reach an agreement on resolving the points of contention along the Blue Line, stressing that unilateral actions in these areas would escalate tensions and must be avoided. He expressed the readiness of UN Special Coordinator in Lebanon Jan Kubis and UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Commander General Stefano Del Cole to assist in this regard. The top UN official said he was deeply concerned about the continuation of Israeli air breaches, saying that they constituted a violation of resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty. He also rejected the continued occupation of the northern part of the town of Ghajar and the adjacent area north of the Blue Line, condemning “all violations of Lebanese sovereignty.”His remarks were made days before US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is expected to arrive in Beirut, which is hoping for Washington’s support to return Syrian refugees back to their homeland.

Lebanon: Hariri-Rifi Rapprochement Paves Way for Political, Electoral Cooperation
Beirut - Youssef Diab/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19/The relationship between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and former Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi is quickly recovering, particularly after a meeting they held last week at former Prime Minister Fouad Siniora’s residence and which helped close the chapter on three years of political disputes. The meeting was crowned by a visit by Dima Jamali, the Mustaqbal Movement candidate in the by-elections in the northern city of Tripoli, to Rifi’s residence to thank him for backing her electoral bid. The parliamentary by-elections are scheduled in Tripoli next month to fill the vacant Sunni legislative seat after the Constitutional Council annulled last month Jamali’s membership following an appeal submitted by the Association of Islamic Charitable Projects (AICP), known as al-Ahbash, which is close to Hezbollah and the Syrian regime. Observers believe that the Hariri-Rifi rapprochement would not only pave the way for Jamali’s victory, but it would surely build for a phase of positive cooperation between the two officials in the future. Their meeting “closed the chapter on past disputes and restored their relationship to the way it was before Rifi resigned from Tammam Salam’s government, Hariri’s advisor Ammar Houri told Asharq Al-Awsat. He said the two men are now engaged in a new phase built on understanding, positivity and cooperation. The Hariri-Rifi rift took place when the latter surprisingly resigned from the Salam government in 2016 without coordinating his decision with Hariri, who had named him justice minister. The rift reached its peak when Rifi fielded a list of candidate against Hariri during municipal elections in Tripoli. The former minister scored a sweeping victory in those polls, but could not secure a similar win in last year’s parliamentary elections. Former minister Rashid Derbas, the sponsor of the Hariri-Rifi reconciliation, told Asharq Al-Awsat that disputes were resolved between the two men, particularly after Jamali thanked Rifi for his decision not to run against her in the by-elections.

Lebanon Awaits Pompeo’s Visit, Aoun’s Moscow Trip, Arab Summit
Beirut - Khalil Fleihan/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19/Lebanese officials are counting on three important events during the upcoming days: the first in Beirut on March 22, where they will meet with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the second in Moscow during a Lebanese-Russian summit on March 26, and the Arab summit at the end of the month. Well-informed sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the refugees' issue will top the priorities of President Michel Aoun, who will try to convince Pompeo of the importance of US support for Lebanon’s official position on the need to guarantee the return of a large number of displaced Syrians to their country, according to a systematic program and a timetable with the identification of means of transport. The sources added that Aoun’s talks would be easier with President Vladimir Putin, “who understands Lebanon’s sufferings and also believes that the continued presence of Syrian refugees in huge numbers in Lebanon and other neighboring countries would mean dividing Syria. This is rejected by Moscow.”Aoun and Putin will discuss means to boost Lebanon’s initiative, the sources emphasized, adding that the Lebanese president was hoping to find more practical measures to repatriate the displaced. At the Arab Summit on March 30, Aoun will deliver Lebanon’s message on the need for major and influential countries to assume their responsibilities and support Lebanon in setting up a practical plan to guarantee a quick return of Syrian refugees to their homeland, without awaiting a political solution to the Syrian crisis. The president will also stress that his country could no longer bear the burdens resulting from the massive presence of refugees at the financial, economic, educational, health and demographic levels, according to the sources who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat. The US Secretary of State will arrive in Beirut on Thursday and will meet with Lebanese officials the following day. The visit ends with a dinner hosted by former minister and MP Nayla Mouawad and her son Michel.

Lebanese Cabinet Tackles 54 Items on Agenda Thursday
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 19/19/The Council of Ministers will hold a regular meeting to be chaired by President Michel Aoun on Thursday at the Baabda Palace, the National News Agency reported on Tuesday. The Cabinet is set to tackle 54 items on its agenda including appointments to the military council and the General Secretariat of the Supreme Defense Council. According to ministerial sources, the names proposed for the appointments are still the same as those on the agenda of the previous cabinet meeting. It includes the appointment of Brigadier General Mohamed Asmar as Secretary of the Military Council and Secretary General of the Supreme Council for Defense, the appointment of Brigadier General Milad Ishaq as the army's general inspector. The proposal also includes appointing Brigadier General Amin al-Aram as Chief of Staff and Brigadier General Elias Shamia as a full-time member of the military council.

Bassil Reportedly Only Minister to Accompany Aoun to Moscow
Naharnet/March 19/19/President Michel Aoun has agreed with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil that he would be the only minister to accompany him on his first official visit to Russia on March 26, a media report said. “Aoun's picking of Bassil exclusively and the decision not to form a delegation as per custom might be linked to the intention of the president and the foreign minister to keep their discussions with the Russian officials under wraps,” MTV reported on Tuesday. Speaking to MTV, unnamed sources did not rule out that the visit could be linked to “the calculations of the presidential race, in which Moscow will certainly be a key player.”“Accordingly, the visit might represent an opportunity to strengthen Bassil's relation with the Russian leadership,” the sources added.

Hariri: Settlement with Aoun a 'Maronite Marriage' despite Political Bickering
Naharnet/March 19/19/Prime Minister Saad Hariri reassured Tuesday on the fate of the political settlement with President Michel Aoun following a war of words between their two parties. Speaking to a delegation from the Press Order that visited him at the Grand Serail, Hariri stressed that his decision is to “work for the sake of citizens, the economy and Lebanon” and not to waste time on “futile political bickering.”“None of the political parties wants to stop the government's work,” Hariri added, noting that electricity plan “will be finalized soon” and that preparations are ongoing to pass a state budget as soon as possible. As for the political settlement that led to Aoun's election and his appointment as premier, the prime minister said “this settlement is like a Maronite marriage,” in which there is no divorce. “The only reason is related to Lebanon's interest and the president and I have taken a decision and despite all political bickering, communication will continue,” he added. “I reassure you that no dispute can bring the work to a halt, neither with the Free Patriotic Movement nor with the AMAL Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party, the Lebanese Forces or the Marada Movement. And even despite the known and public disputes with Hizbullah, there is a decision by us and them to prevent the disputes from halting the government's work,” Hariri pointed out. Turning to the thorny issue of Syrian refugees, the premier said all political parties want them to return home “but the question is how to achieve this issue.”“The refugee problem is a problem for all Lebanese, not for a party without the other... As for the talk about normalization with the (Syrian) regime, Lebanon has adopted the dissociation policy and it abides by the Arab League's stance and resolutions on the Syrian regime,” Hariri added. “Where is Lebanon's interest in pitting it in a confrontation with the Arab League and the international community?” he asked. Hariri also reassured that “no one, whether directly or indirectly, has expressed an open or a veiled intention to naturalize refugees in Lebanon” at “all the international conferences” that he has taken part in, such as CEDRE and Brussels. “This is not on the table and will not happen. Our constitution categorically rejects it and there is Lebanese unanimity on this,” he went on to say.

Mustaqbal Slams 'Threats' against Donors, 'Intimidation' of Lebanese
Naharnet/March 19/19/Al-Mustaqbal parliamentary bloc on Tuesday condemned what it described as recent “threats” against the international donors who took part in the Brussels conference on refugees, in an apparent jab at Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil. “The escalation of political stances will not contribute to addressing the current economic, social and financial problems,” the bloc said in a statement issued after its weekly meeting. “To the contrary, it represents a blatant obstruction of the (political) settlement, stability and political and ministerial solidarity,” Mustaqbal added. Turning to the controversy over the latest international conference on refugees, the bloc said “the Brussels III conference was the best and most successful conference of the past three years, whether in terms of the intended aid or the funds that were earmarked to cope with the burden of the Syrian refugee presence in the neighboring countries, especially in Jordan, Lebanon and Syria itself.”And hailing the “special effort” of the Lebanese delegation led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Mustaqbal underlined that “Lebanon's commitment to its pledges towards the international community and its respect of the requirements of the relations with friendly countries cannot be the subject of defiance, interpretation and media sensationalism.”Accordingly, the bloc called for keeping the government's reform program and the results of the CEDRE conference away from “questioning, bickering and some tense stances,” slamming parties who have “threatened Lebanon's friends to reject the earmarked aid under the excuse of rejecting economic and financial tutelage.”Bassil had on Friday announced that no one can “tempt” Lebanon with financial aid. “To us, CEDRE is a parcel of reforms that are necessary to implement for the sake of our country, and the day someone uses them as loans in return for refugee settlement we will tell them: we don't want your loans or your refugee presence. Lebanon and its land, identity and message are more precious than all your money,” Bassil said.

Strong Lebanon Bloc: Our Principles More Important than Any Understanding
Naharnet/March 19/19/The Free Patriotic Movement-led Strong Lebanon bloc stressed Tuesday that its “stances and principles” are more important than any understanding with any political party. “The presidential settlement and all our understandings are for production, not bickering,” Strong Lebanon secretary MP Ibrahim Kanaan said after the bloc's weekly meeting. “We are the keenest on the government's productivity, but this does not mean that we should not express our opinion and voice the necessary motivation for everyone, including us,” Kanaan added. “Urging the government to boost its productivity is not targeted against anyone,” he emphasized, after recent remarks by FPM chief MP Jebran Bassil sparked a war of words with Prime Minister Saad Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement. “The political relation with al-Mustaqbal Movement, on which the presidential settlement was based, is not linked to the stances we are voicing, and the principles that we carry are more important than any understanding,” Kanaan went on to say. Tensions had surged between the FPM and al-Mustaqbal in recent days after Bassil threatened to topple the government if it does not address the issues of refugees, electricity and corruption in a swift manner, and after he lashed out at the Brussels conference on refugees.

Report: Arab Diplomats 'Advise' Lebanon to Maintain Stability
Naharnet/March 19/19/As concerns mount over tensions surging between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Arab diplomats urged Lebanese officials to maintain internal stability in light of the recent regional developments, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Tuesday. Arab diplomatic bodies described as "neutral" urged Lebanese officials to maintain internal stability and distance Lebanon from any tension, the daily quoted sources as saying. “We advise the Lebanese to avoid internal imbalance in light of the developments in the region. Lebanon must take rapid steps towards economic recovery. Any befall in Lebanon not only affects it, but also affects all Arabs, especially those who are keen on it,” said the sources.Tensions had surged between the FPM and Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement in recent days after Bassil threatened to topple the government if it does not address the issues of refugees, electricity and corruption in a swift manner, and after he lashed out at the Brussels conference on refugees.

Lebanese-Canadain Arrested for Spying for Israel
Naharnet/March 19/19/The General Security Directorate arrested a Lebanese-Canadian on charges of spying for Israel, the Directorate said in a statement on Tuesday. During interrogation the suspect, identified by his initials as F.G., admitted that in 2013 he was recruited via a Lebanese spy --wanted in Lebanon on spy counts-- who heads Israeli intelligence unit 504, added the statement. He admitted that he was assigned to recruit Lebanese individuals to infiltrate Hizbullah’s environment, gather security information for the Israeli army and obtain information about Israeli pilot Ron Arad, as well as preparing to enter occupied Palestinian territory, the General Security said. He was referred to the related judiciary. Efforts continue to arrest other individuals involved.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on March 19-20/2019
Nigerian Christians Under Siege: Attacks Claim 120 Lives Since February
CBNNews.com/Posted on March 17/19
https://www1.cbn.com/cbnnews/cwn/2019/march/nigerian-christians-under-siege-attacks-claim-120-lives-since-february-nbsp
/At least 120 people have been killed in a series of alleged attacks by the Fulani militia on Christian communities in the Adara chiefdom of southern Kaduna in Nigeria since February, according to the nonprofit group Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW). The organization reported 52 people were killed and 100 homes were destroyed last Monday in the latest attacks on Inkirimi and Dogonnoma villages in Maro, Kajuru Local Government Area (LGA). The victims included women and children. Survivors of the attack told CSW that their assailants divided into three groups. One group shot and killed people, another set fire to homes as people ran away, and the third waited in the bush to intercept fleeing villagers. Later that same day, dozens of people were injured and 43 houses were destroyed in another attack by militant Fulani herdsmen on another village. The Fulani herdsmen, also known as the Fulani militia, are a semi-nomadic group herding cattle over vast areas, living in the central regions of Nigeria. The majority of the herdsmen are Muslim and have fought with Christian farmers over grazing land for centuries.  Disagreements between herders and local farmers over land, grazing areas, and water are said to be the major source of the ongoing conflict between the two groups, according to the BBC. Thousands of people have left their homes as a result of the recent violence. The governor of Kaduna state, Nasir el Rufai, ordered a dawn to dusk curfew. CSW's Chief Executive Mervyn Thomas appealed to both Nigeria's state and federal governments to bring a quick end to the violence. "The relentless death and destruction is a sad indictment of the continuing failure by both levels of government to fulfill the primary mandate of protecting all its citizens impartially," he said in a statement.
Militant Fulani herdsmen killed thousands of Christians last year, The Christian Post reports.
Nigeria ranks as the 12th worst country in the world for Christian persecution, according to the Open Doors USA's 2019 World Watch List.

UN Envoy Discuss Detainee File with Syrian Opposition in Damascus
Damascus, London – Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/UN envoy to Syria Geir Pedersen held talks in Damascus on Tuesday with National Coordination Committee for Democratic Change chief Hassan Abdel Azim.Discussions focused on the work plan that Pedersen and his team were forming to overcome the obstacles that are impeding the negotiations over the political process, said a statement by the committee. As part of confidence-building efforts, the gatherers stressed the need to release all detainees and abducted people. The fate of missing people must also be revealed, such as Raja Nasser, Abdulaziz al-Kheir, Iyas Ayyash and Maher al-Tahhan, who were arrested by the regime for demanding a political solution to the crisis. Pedersen had arrived in the Syrian capital on Sunday where he held talks with Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem. Speaking to reporters from the Foreign Ministry, he vowed to continue to exert efforts to see the implementation of UN Security Council resolution 2254 that calls for a ceasefire and political settlement to Syria’s crisis. Last month the envoy said in Geneva that he saw a constitutional committee as "the potential door-opener for the political process". The committee would be tasked with drawing up a post-war constitution. Pedersen faces the same difficulties as his predecessor, Staffan de Mistura, in reviving negotiations to resolve the crisis. Before departing his post last year, de Mistura focused his efforts on forming the Constitutional Committee that was proposed by Damascus’ allies, Russia and Iran, and opposition-backer Turkey. The 150-member committee is intended to represent the regime, the opposition and civil society and is seen by the UN as key to holding free elections and ending the war in Syria, which entered its ninth year this week. Objections over the potential candidates submitted by concerned powers have, however, stalled its formation. Damascus has been particularly vocal over the latest list of candidates presented by the UN.

Assad Praises Russia's Role in Syria Conflict
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 19/19/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad met with Russia's defense minister Tuesday, stressing the importance of coordination between the two countries in the fight against "terrorism", state media said. The meeting came one day after the military chiefs of staff of Syria, Iraq and Iran met in Damascus to discuss coordination between their forces. It also came as U.S.-backed forces in eastern Syria cornered holdout Islamic State group fighters in a tiny patch of land near the Euphrates River in the village of Baghouz. During the meeting, Assad said coordination between Moscow and Damascus was a key factor behind victories over IS and al-Qaida-linked groups, the official SANA news agency reported. For his part, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said his country would continue to support efforts to regain the Syrian government's control of all the country, SANA added. Russia has been a key player in the Syrian conflict since launching a military intervention in 2015 in support of Assad's regime. Eight years into a war that has killed more than 370,000 people and displaced millions, Syrian government forces control almost two-thirds of the country. Just two areas remain beyond their control: the jihadist-held northwestern region of Idlib, and the third of the country under the control of the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces. Assad and Shoigu discussed the situation in areas east of the Euphrates River, where the SDF is battling IS, as well as Idlib, the news agency said. They agreed on the need to restore stability and counter foreign influence in the two areas, it added. Earlier on Monday, Syrian Defense Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub said both Idlib and areas controlled by the SDF would be recaptured by the government. The Idlib region borders Turkey and is dominated by an alliance led by Syria's former al-Qaida affiliate, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham. It has been protected from a massive regime offensive since September, thanks to a buffer zone deal agreed by Damascus's ally Russia and rebel-backer Turkey. But it has been hit by sporadic government shelling.Syria's regime has insisted the buffer zone deal is temporary and that Idlib will eventually revert to government control.

Italian Killed Fighting IS in Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 19/19/An Italian fighting alongside a Kurdish-led force to expel the Islamic State group from its last pocket of territory in eastern Syria has been killed, the force said Tuesday. Lorenzo Orsetti, 33, was killed in battle on Sunday as he fought diehard jihadists in the village of Baghouz, a spokesman for the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces said. "Two days ago... he was at the forefront of the fighting and he died in battle," Mustefa Bali told AFP. "He was a frontline fighter in the ranks of the People's Protection Units" or YPG, a Kurdish force spearheading the SDF, he said. "He participated in more than one battle and more than one SDF campaign" against IS, Bali said. Orsetti even fought to defend the Kurdish enclave of Afrin in northwest Syria, before it was overrun by Turkish-backed Syrian rebels a year ago, he said. IS published a photograph of the slain fighter and a snapshot of his healthcare card on its social media channels Monday, claiming to have killed him in Baghouz. The YPG on Tuesday released a video of Orsetti, in which the Italian said he joined the Kurdish force of his own free will, knew the risks involved, and had no regrets. Dressed in military uniform and with a weapon in his hand, he said he was in Syria mainly "because I believe in freedom -- I'm an Anarchist -- and I was tired of my life in... Western society."
'I love you all'
"If you see this message, probably something's going... you know," he said, a yellow triangular-shaped YPG flag on the wall behind him. "I love you all, all of you -- all of you (who) passed through my life: my friends, my family -- my dog," he said. "Long live Kurdistan, long live the YPG and the YPJ," its female fighter units, he added in Kurdish. Orsetti's father told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera he and his wife were "very proud" of their son. A former waiter and chef from Florence, Orsetti had initially traveled to Syria in September 2017 as an observer but felt "increasingly involved," his father said.
His body "is apparently still in a combat zone. We hope to be able to recover it as quickly as possible," he said. "Lorenzo once told us he'd love to be buried in Syria. We don't know what we'll do yet, but I think we'll respect his wishes."Orsetti had left a "last testament" cited by La Stampa daily and other media. "I have no regrets. I died doing what I believed was right, defending the weak," it read. According to the Corriere della Sera, some 25 Italians have traveled to Syria since 2015 to fight alongside Kurdish forces. Three men and two women are still there, it said.

Syria's Kurds Criticise Damascus 'Threats'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 19/19/Syria's Kurds have criticised the "threatening language" of the Damascus regime after it pledged to retake northeastern areas they control by reconciliation or by force. The minority have largely stayed out of Syria's war, instead carving out a de-facto autonomous region across a large swathe of northern and northeastern Syria. That region is held by the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces who have been battling the Islamic State group with backing from a US-led coalition. Syrian Defence Minister Ali Abdullah Ayoub on Monday said his government would recapture all areas held by the SDF "in one of two ways: a reconciliation agreement or... by force". In a statement late Monday, the semi-autonomous administration slammed his comments. "The Syrian defence minister's statement regarding the SDF... reflects the continuation of the racist and sterile policy that has led Syria to this disastrous situation," it said in a statement. "The use of threatening language against the SDF who have liberated and protected the north and east of Syria from terrorists only serves those forces working to divide Syria," it said. US President Donald Trump's announcement in December of a pullout of all American forces from Syria shocked the Kurds and sent them grappling to mend fences with Damascus. Dialogue between both sides has been ongoing, but has failed to bear fruit. Damascus rejects Kurdish self-rule and wants a return of government institutions to oil-rich SDF-held areas. The Kurds want protection from a long-threatened Turkish offensive, but seek some form of decentralisation from Damascus. "The autonomous administration... stands by its position of the need for a solution and dialogue within the Syrian framework for all pending issues," the Kurdish authorities said. "But we want all sides to know that we, while choosing the political solution, we will spare no effort in the legitimate defence of our rights if necessary," he said. Eight years into a war that has killed more than 370,000 people, the Damascus regime controls almost two-thirds of the country after a series of victories against rebels and jihadists. But the SDF-held region, a northwestern jihadist bastion and border areas held by Turkey's Syrian proxies remain beyond its control.

US to Keep More Troops in Syria If Talks With Ankara Do Not See Progress
Washington - Elie Yousef/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19/The United States could increase the number of troops it intends to keep in Syria if no progress was achieved in talks with Turkey on the security zone, US sources told Asharq Al-Awsat. The sources' statement came after Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford denied what the Wall Street Journal said in its report on keeping 1,000 US troops in Syria instead of 400.  Earlier, the Journal said US military is crafting plans to “keep nearly 1,000 forces in Syria, US officials said, a shift that comes three months after President Trump ordered a complete withdrawal and is far more than the White House originally intended.”Protracted administration talks with Turkey, European allies and US-backed Kurdish fighters have so far failed to secure an agreement to create a safe zone in northeastern Syria, part of Trump’s plan for leaving Syria, indicated the newspaper, adding that Washington decided to continue working with Kurdish fighters in the country. In response, Dunford said: “A claim reported this evening by a major US newspaper that the US military is developing plans to keep nearly 1,000 US troops in Syria is factually incorrect. There has been no change to the plan announced in February and we continue to implement the President's direction to draw down US forces to a residual presence.” However, according to the sources, reaching a dead end on the talks with Turkey, necessitated the decision to increase the number of soldiers.The increase comes in response to pressure exerted by allied countries, which demanded raising the number so that those countries can also announce maintaining sufficient number of forces in Syria alongside Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). France and Britain have stipulated an increase in the number of US forces, especially that Turkey, which insists on taking over the security of the proposed zone in northern Syria, is still planning to carry out an attack on Kurdish forces, and has doubled its coordination with Iran and Iraq against the Kurds.

Jordan: MPs Call For Expelling Israeli Ambassador Over Aqsa Aggressions
Amman - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/The Jordanian Parliament on Monday issued a recommendation to expel the Israeli ambassador from the country in response to “ongoing Israel aggression” at holy sites in Jerusalem. “The parliament recommended the government to recall the Jordanian ambassador from Israel and expel the Israeli ambassador from Amman to confront the ongoing Israeli aggression at holy sites in occupied Jerusalem,” the official Petra news agency reported. The deputies also urged the Jordanian government to address the UN Security Council about “stopping Israeli violations and protecting the Palestinian people.”The session, chaired by Speaker Atef Tarawneh, and attended by Prime Minister Omar al-Razzaz, witnessed verbal quarrels and disputes. The lawmakers also asked the government to announce the details of the so-called “Deal of the Century” and the measures taken in this regard, referring to a peace plan promised by US President Donald Trump to resolve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said that Jerusalem was “above sovereignty and above differences,” adding that undermining the city’s historical and legal status would never be tolerated.
Al-Aqsa Mosque is located in the Old City of East Jerusalem, occupied by Israel in 1967 and which, like other West Bank cities, was under Jordanian sovereignty before its occupation. Israel acknowledges a peace treaty signed with Jordan in 1994, which put the Islamic sanctities in the city under the supervision of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. While Israel considers the entire city, including its eastern part, as its “united and eternal” capital, the Palestinians want to make East Jerusalem the capital of the state they aspire to establish.

Fatah Accuses Hamas of Attempting to Assassinate its Spokesman
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/Fatah movement accused Hamas of attempting to assassinate its official in the Gaza Strip, Atef Abu Seif, who is reported to be in serious condition after being attacked by unidentified gunmen. Abu Seif was reportedly kidnapped near his home in Bet Lahia on Monday afternoon, Fatah officials said, adding that the gunmen who kidnapped the spokesman broke his arms and legs. Fatah strongly condemned the assault on Abu Seif and Hamas’s repressive measures against the protesters against economic hardship. The statement accused Hamas policemen of being behind the “assassination attempt” targeting the Fatah spokesman. Adviser to Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Maamoun Sweidan indicated that Abu Seif is in serious condition and undergoing various medical testing and imaging to ensure no permanent injury had damaged his brain or the rest of his body. Sweidan held Hamas responsible for the assault, accusing Hamas of “tampering with the social fabric in the Gaza Strip and the future of national unity.”Hamas denied the accusation and pledged to investigate the attack. Hamas militia seized Abu Seif’s vehicle and cellular devices, Wafa news agency quoted eye witnesses. Media official in Fatah Mounir al-Jagoub asserted that his movement will respond to Hamas’ aggression, adding that Hamas must know that harming children, women, the elderly and infants and the policy of cracking down on the Palestinians is an Israeli policy. Abu Seif was born in Jabalya refugee camp in 1973 to a family that migrated from Jaffa. He received a BA from Birzeit University, a Masters from Bradford University in England and a PhD from the University of Florence in Italy. He is a writer and novelist who has won several awards in literature.

Israel Resumes Talks With Hamas On Truce Agreement
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told cabinet ministers that he had resumed negotiations with Hamas to reach understandings to calm the situation in the Gaza Strip. Israel’s Channel 13 quoted two ministers who participated in the cabinet meeting as saying that Netanyahu informed the ministers of resuming negotiations with Hamas through international mediators. According to the sources, negotiations with Hamas via the Egyptian mediator will focus on three axes that Israel has refrained from implementing since the announcement of the truce understandings at the end of 2018. Those include enlarging Gaza’s fishing area, easing Israeli restrictions on exports of agricultural products from the sector, and increasing the amount of the Qatari grant to poor families in Gaza. The two ministers stressed that this comes in an attempt to avoid a security escalation ahead of the upcoming Knesset elections scheduled for April 9. Netanyahu told the members of the security cabinet that negotiations would only proceed if calm continued along the eastern border of the besieged strip, with the Palestinians preparing to commemorate the first anniversary of the launching of the “Great Marches of Return”, which falls on March 30. Although some ministers objected to decision by Netanyahu and the security services, none of them asked for a vote on the resolution, the sources said. The channel quoted one of the ministers as saying that the Israeli premier and the leaders of the security services expressed satisfaction with what he called the Israeli response to the launch of missiles on Tel Aviv with 100 raids on Gaza, and the need to maintain the policy adopted by current government in this regard.

Iraq: Salih Receives Jeffrey In Sulaymaniyah
Baghdad - Hamza Mustafa/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/Amid conflicting stances over the nature of the US military presence in Iraq, President Barham Salih renewed his country’s keenness to expand the horizons of joint cooperation with the United States.
In a presidential statement released Monday, Salih praised the US-led coalition support to Iraq during his meeting with James Jeffrey, the US special envoy for anti-terrorism coalition, and his accompanying delegation in Iraq's northern city of Sulaimaniyah. Salih lauded the US support provided for Iraq in various fields, and he stressed the importance of promoting coordination between the two sides at the security and political levels. For his part, Jeffrey renewed his country’s determination to continue its support for Iraq and help it achieve progress in all arenas and restore its leading role in the region. Meanwhile, Badir al-Ziyadi, an MP from Sairoon Alliance said Monday that a committee established by Sairoon, led by Muqtada Sadr, and Fatah Alliance, led by Hadi al-Amiri, should continue to prepare its final report concerning the presence of foreign forces in Iraq. He said the report should be presented to Parliament’s presidency in the next session, adding that it “includes an article demanding that no foreign ground forces shall remain on Iraqi territories.”National security professor at the Nahrain University Dr. Hussein Allawi told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday, “There are no US military bases in Iraq, but rather security liaison centers between the joint Iraqi forces and US advisory forces”. Allawi explained that the presence of training and rehabilitation programs between the US and Iraqi forces, in addition to the exchange of intelligence information helped achieve important results for the Iraqi air forces and the Coalition in attacking high-sensitive targets representing ISIS in Iraq.

High Council of State Calls on Russia to Respect Arms Embargo in Libya
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/Head of the High Council of State Khaled al-Mishri urged on Monday Russia to respect the arms embargo imposed on Libya. His remarks, made during a visit to Moscow, were an indirect reference to Russia’s armament of the Libyan National Army (LNA), commander by Khalifa Haftar. During talks with deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov, he stressed the need to “end dealings with parallel entities” in his country. Moreover, he underlined the importance of implementing United Nations Security Council resolutions on barring arms sales to Libya. For his part, Bogdanov stressed that Moscow supports the UN mission to support Libya, saying that it “does not back one side without the other.”The political solution is the only way to achieve stability in the North African country, he added. Mishri had landed in Russia on Sunday to discuss efforts to resolve the Libyan crisis. In Libya’s coastal city of Sirte, forces loyal to Fayez al-Sarraj’s Government of National Accord (GNA) continued their military preparations to confront any potential attack by the LNA. Spokesman for the al-Bunyan al-Marsous forces, Mohammed al-Ghosri said that the state of alert in the city was a precaution against any “movements by hostile forces.”“There are no justifications for eastern forces to advance on the city,” he added. Separately, UN envoy to Libya Ghassan Salame held talks in Tripoli with French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on latest developments in the UN-facilitated political process in Libya and preparations to hold the National Conference.

Iran: FM Informs Qom Religious References About FATF
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/The Iranian government is attempting to convince conservatives to approve the bill to join the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) agreement. For that, Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif went to Qom, the stronghold of conservatives, and briefed officials on the government's plan, three months before the group's deadline for Iran. FATF is an inter-governmental body that sets standards and promotes effective implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other related threats to the integrity of the international financial system. Zarif downplayed the importance of media leaks that preceded his visit, which claimed that the government resorted to religious references on FATF following the growing differences between the government and parliament on the one hand, and the councils of Guidance and Expediency Discernment on the other. “Two committees in the Expediency Council are studying the FATF plan and the decision will be taken in accordance with the best interests of the country,” he said. State-owned television reported that Zarif met seven Religious References in Qom, in addition to Javad Shahrestani, representative of the Iraqi religious leader Ali Sistani. The government has made no significant progress since the implementation of the nuclear agreement on commitments and compliance with the Paris-based FATF Group.Last year, the Iranian government submitted four regulations to join FATF and the parliament approved the draft regulations to join the Terrorist Financing Convention and the Palermo Convention against Transnational Organized Crime. The approval stumbled at the Guardian Council, which oversees parliament's legislation.
Over a month ago, lawmakers asked the Expediency Council to interfere, but failed to reach a consensus on the government's draft. Iranian parties fear the impact of Iran's accession to international conventions on the activities of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and its foreign arm, Al-Quds Force, and other Tehran-backed armed groups. Iranian television quoted Religious Authority Safi Golpaygani as calling on the government to dispel Iranian fears over the economy and resolve internal differences.Golpaygani warned that differences between officials would allow enemies to infiltrate and achieve their goal. He described the current economic situation as “sad”, saying problems can be solved by good and useful policies. He reiterated the importance of maintaining constructive and good relations with neighbors and the world, urging Zarif to continue his regional visits and improve relations with countries, such as Egypt, Morocco and Jordan. Meanwhile, Religious Authority Wahid Khorasani told Zarif that he calls on President Hassan Rouhani to think of the people and their living conditions and “speak softly with the world,” according to Shafaqna news agency. The Foreign Ministry announced the appointment of a representative in Qom, which Zarif explained was due to the important role the city plays in politics. He added that crucial matters in the world are no longer in the hands of the West, but the “situation has changed and today the world is going through a post-Western phase.”Zarif stressed the West “is no longer the center of the world and the center of all decisions in the world.”Reference Makarem Shirazi, the most prominent references supporting policies of the supreme leader Ali Khamenei, voiced other religious references’ concerns. He warned that some traders claim the increased currency exchange rate is the reason for the rise in prices, but they refuse to lower prices, noting that goods are sold at triple their actual price. He attributed the recession and increased unemployment rate to the growing phenomenon of brokering and lack of capital in the country, calling on the media to raise awareness on the issue. Shirazi also criticized some figures for causing frustration among people for political purposes. He called on a Rouhani’s government to be active, plan and strengthen its ranks. Addressing the spike in corruption, he said that the weakness of the regulatory and security bodies caused embezzlement.

New Algerian Opposition Group Urges Army against Interfering in Protests
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 19 March, 2019/A new group of activists and opposition figures emerged in Algeria late on Monday to urge the army against interfering in ongoing protests against President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. In the first direct message to the army from leaders emerging from nearly a month of mass protests, the National Coordination for Change said the military should “play its constitutional role without interfering in the people’s choice”. So far, soldiers have stayed in their barracks during the protests. But on Monday, Chief of Staff Lieutenant-General Ahmed Gaed Salah hinted at a more active role, saying the army should take responsibility for finding a quick solution to the crisis.Bouteflika, who has ruled for 20 years, bowed to the protesters last week by announcing he would not stand for another term. But he stopped short of stepping down immediately and said he would stay in office until a new constitution is adopted, effectively extending his present term. His moves have done nothing to halt demonstrations, which peaked on Friday with hundreds of thousands of protesters on the streets of Algiers and have continued into this week. “We will not stop our pressure until he (Bouteflika) goes,” said student Ali Adjimi, 23. “The people want you to leave”, read a banner. Thousands of students, university professors and health workers rallied in Algiers on Tuesday. One of the demonstrators, Djilali Bahi said: “We are fed up with this system. It must disappear forever”. The 82-year-old president has rarely been seen in public since suffering a stroke in 2013. The protesters say he is in no fit health to rule.  The protest leaders issued their statement titled “Platform of Change” late on Monday, demanding that Bouteflika step down before the end of his term on April 28 and the government resign immediately. Prominent members of the new group include lawyer and activist Mustapha Bouchachi, opposition leader Karim Tabou and former treasury minister Ali Benouari, as well as Mourad Dhina and Kamel Guemazi. “Bouteflika just trampled on the constitution after he decided to extend his fourth term,” said the National Coordination for Change.
Bouteflika’s newly appointed deputy prime minister, Ramtane Lamamra, has launched a tour of allied countries seeking support. On Tuesday he visited Moscow, long a close military ally of Algeria. Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia was concerned by protests in Algeria and saw attempts underway to destabilize the situation. Lamamra defended the government’s reform proposals. Bouteflika has agreed to hand over power to an elected president, and the opposition will be allowed to take part in the cabinet that will oversee elections, he said at a joint press conference with Lavrov, adding that the government had responded to the legitimate demands of the Algerian people.

Algeria's Bouteflika Confirms to Stay President after Term Ends
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 19/19/Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika on Monday confirmed he will stay in power beyond his term expiring next month, despite tens of thousands of people demonstrating against his rule. Bouteflika announced on March 11 he was withdrawing from his bid for a fifth term, initially sparking elation among protesters before they realised he would be remain in office beyond his term. The ailing 82-year-old also scrapped the election set for April 18 and announced he was rolling out reforms through a "national conference". Rarely seen in public since a 2013 stroke, Bouteflika issued a statement on Monday which confirmed his new plan would see him stay in power for months beyond the expiry of his term on April 28. "(I hope) that Algeria experiences, in the near future, a harmonious transition and assists handing over the reins to a new generation," he said in the statement carried by state media. "This is the ultimate goal that I have committed to making a reality before the end of my presidential journey, at your side and at your service," added Bouteflika, who has ruled Algeria for 20 years.While Bouteflika has given no timetable for his national conference, he said the shake-up of Algeria's "political, economic and social systems" would start "in the very near future". A constitutional review would be put before a referendum, he said, which would be "a prelude to a new electoral process that will see the election of a new president."Protests initially erupted last month after Bouteflika announced his intention to stand for another term, bringing tens of thousands to the streets in the capital Algiers and across the country.
'External dangers'
Despite the president's reform pledges, Algerians have continued marching in huge numbers, many clutching humorous banners and waving their country's flags amid a festival atmosphere. The demonstrations have been largely peaceful, with occasional clashes between a minority of stone-throwing young people and police on the sidelines. In his latest message, Bouteflika appealed to Algerians to "offer your support to your army to protest Algeria from external dangers."The president's comments followed Algeria's army chief promising the military would remain "the bastion of the people and the nation."
"Everyone must show responsibility to find solutions as soon as possible," Ahmed Gaid Salah said on Monday during a visit to the southwest of the country. Part of the president's inner circle, he said Algerians "have the abilities necessary to prevent their country from any situation (in which) it could be exploited by hostile foreign parties."Authorities have previously warned that the protests risk dragging Algeria into instability, comparing the rallies to those that sparked Syria's ongoing war. Lakhdar Brahimi, a veteran Algerian diplomat and former UN envoy for Syria, on Monday denied references to turmoil in other countries was intended to scare protesters. "We must be aware of the dangers that exist. Talking about Iraq or Syria is not an attempt to tell the population to hold still... we tell them to go ahead with their open eyes," he said in a national radio interview. Brahimi called for structured and organised dialogue to take place as soon as possible. At the moment, he said, "there's a blockage, I hope that it's not a deadlock."

Erdogan Campaign Use of Mosque Shooter Video Draws NZ Ire
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 19/19/Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan drew a sharp rebuke from New Zealand Monday for using controversial video shot by the Christchurch mosque gunman as an election campaign prop. Erdogan, campaigning for local elections this month, has presented the attack as part of an assault on Turkey and Islam more broadly and projected the video of the killings at his rallies over the weekend. Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters protested on Monday that such politicisation of the massacre "imperils the future and safety of the New Zealand people and our people abroad, and it's totally unfair". Peters announced on Tuesday that he would be travelling to Turkey this week at Istanbul's request to attend a special meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. Three Turkish nationals were wounded in the rampage, that killed 50 worshippers at two mosques in the southern New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday. The accused gunman, a self-avowed white supremacist from Australia, livestreamed video of much of the attack and spread a 72-page manifesto on social media claiming it was a strike against Muslim "invaders". The manifesto references Turkey and the minarets of Istanbul's famed Hagia Sophia, now a museum, that was once a church before becoming a mosque during the Ottoman empire. New Zealand authorities moved quickly to try and stop the spread of the shooter's video, warning that anyone sharing the footage faced prosecution, and Facebook removed the images from hundreds of thousands of its pages.But at weekend campaign events, Erdogan projected the video and repeatedly referenced the attack, which he portrayed as a sign of rising Islamophobia that the West has ignored. "This is not an isolated event, it is something more organised," he said during a campaign event on Monday in Canakkale in western Turkey. "They are testing us with the message they are sending us from New Zealand, 16,500 km (10,250 miles) from here."Erdogan did not project the video at the Monday event. Peters said he had complained directly to visiting Turkish Vice-President Fuat Oktay and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu. "We made it very clear that we oppose terrorism in whatever shape and form it might be and that we are for a free and open society," Peters said he told the Turkish officials. "We had a long dialogue on the need for any other country, or Turkey for that matter, to ensure that our country, New Zealand, was not misrepresented," he told a press conference. "We did not start or bring about this disaster and they clearly understood that," he said. Speaking Tuesday of the upcoming OIC meeting in Istanbul, Peters said: "This important event will allow New Zealand to join with our partners in standing against terrorism and speaking up for values such as understanding and religious tolerance.""We are very clear that the terrorist attack in Christchurch, committed by a person who is not a New Zealander, is utterly contrary to our core beliefs,” he said.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on March 19-20/2019
The New Zealand Massacre and the Breakdown of Society
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/March,19/19
All that the civilized world needs today is a little enticement through stirring up conflicts, reviving historical vendettas and twisting religious texts, to become governed by the law of the jungle.
Facebook declared that it had deleted more than 1.5 million messages and videos related to Friday’s shootings at two mosques in New Zealand, while merchants of politics rushed in to exploit the opportunity. They include an Australian senator who had an egg smashed on his head by a young man as an indictment of his agitation and justification of the crime, and Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who is campaigning ahead of local elections.
The latter, trying to milk the opportunity, screened at a rally the video of the crime, which was banned by Facebook, in an attempt to win the votes of angry people. Let us not forget that Erdogan abandoned the people of Syria’s Idlib province and allowed the Iranians and the Russians to slaughter thousands as his army watched.
The 28-year-old terrorist who murdered 50 unarmed worshippers in New Zealand is a by-product of the networks of the new society that was born in the bosom of social media. A great dam of moral values, ethics, and laws were broken down by a raging torrent of hatred on social media as responsibility was scattered between the author, transmitter, receiver, and legal and political authorities.
Should we blame those who taught the murderer lessons of hatred from history books and pages from holy books, rap lyrics that promote violence, pictures of cadavers, or messages of encouragement on WhatsApp groups? Or should we blame idols who had already been killed while committing terrorist and racist crimes?
Do we hold responsible platforms such as Facebook, which has become an alternative tutor to schools and families? Or those who use such platforms to transmit hateful messages from religious, racist, fascist and extremist groups? Or the individual who carries a gun and heads to the nearest mosque, church or school, or drives a vehicle and runs over pedestrians and kills as many as he can?
Terrorism and hatred have always been present, so what is the difference between the terrorists of the past and those of today? In the past, a terrorist organization had had an address, name, and hierarchy that could be breached to get to its highest echelons and destroy it.
But today, potential terrorists live amid wider societies, in chaos, without names or addresses, supported by a broad network and nurtured by ideas, motives, and applauders. The network leads them to sources of weapons and ways to use them and lists their names among those awaiting glory.
There is no way to stop mass murderers while preparing their crimes except by shutting down Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and other platforms, which is as impossible as cutting off electricity in any city.
Given this difficult challenge, all that civilized societies can do is clean crime scenes of spilled blood, issue statements of condemnation, and banish videos considered heroic by racists and terrorists. However, deleting millions of videos and a few accounts belonging to instigators will not stop hatred from spreading.
The world, which has succeeded in destroying evil empires such as Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, and other racist regimes, now stands impotent against interactive empires of extremism on social media.
The mosque attacks in New Zealand are another dangerous sign of how extremism, violence, and hatred have expanded beyond traditional conflict zones in the Middle East and Europe to faraway lands. They are a sign that many similar incidents will occur unless the world decides to act jointly and cure the disease by destroying the swamps of hatred where terrorism breeds.
What Dr. Mohammed Al-Issa, Secretary-General of the Muslim World League, said in his message to New Zealand and the whole world, that it was necessary to incriminate hatred by passing unanimously agreed international laws that allow waging a war against it.
The world has to be aware that there is much to lose unless the profits of companies that benefit from freedom of speech and photography, while destabilizing international coexistence, are sacrificed.
The rhetoric of hatred is no longer a matter that one nation or religion — such as the Arab world or Islam — is accused of. It is expanding in Christian, Jewish, Hindu and Buddhist societies, and directed against blacks, immigrants, gypsies, and a growing list of others.

Syria’s Civil War Is Now 3 Civil Wars
 The fight to depose Assad is over. The battle over his regime’s boundaries has no end in sight.
 Jonathan Spyer/Forign Policy/March 18/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73119/%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%AB%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B3%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%88%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%86-%D8%A8%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B3%D9%88/
 https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/03/18/syrias-civil-war-is-now-3-civil-wars/?fbclid=IwAR0ILo089IQlpqBAhsdwTS-CIPqQGdO9rJ5vGLrS0covU_wWUzmlbm-bQ4E
 The war that has ravaged Syria over the last half-decade is coming to an end. The caliphate declared by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of the Islamic State organization on June 29, 2014, at the al-Nuri mosque in Mosul now consists of a few ravaged square meters in Baghouz, in Syria’s Lower Euphrates River Valley, that are on the verge of falling to Kurdish forces. The mainly Sunni Arab rebellion against the Bashar al-Assad regime, meanwhile, is already over. What remains of it is now the military component of a Turkish project to turn a corner of northwest Syria into a Turkish client entity.
 In place of the old wars, however, three new ones have started. They are taking place in the three de facto independent areas whose boundaries are becoming apparent as the smoke from the previous battle clears: the regime-controlled area, guaranteed by Russia; the area east of the Euphrates River controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, which are primarily composed of Kurdish fighters protected by the United States and Western air power; and finally the area controlled by the Turks and their Sunni Islamist allies in Idlib province. The regime area consists of about 60 percent of the territory of the country, the SDF has around 30 percent, and the Turkish-Sunni Islamist area is around 10 percent. Each of these areas is now hosting a civil war of its own, supported by neighboring enclaves.
 The most fragile of the three entities, both in terms of internal arrangements and relationships to external powers, is the Turkish-Sunni Islamist area. The southern part of this area is today ruled in its entirety by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, an outgrowth of the Syrian al Qaeda franchise. The area is protected from a ground incursion by the Assad regime by the precarious Sochi agreement, reached between Presidents Vladimir Putin of Russia and Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey in September 2018. But while a ground incursion does not appear imminent, Idlib and Hama provinces are subjected to regime artillery bombardment daily.
 Further north, in the former Kurdish canton of Afrin, the Turks and their allies are facing an emergent, though underreported, insurgency supported by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units, known as the YPG. A recent report by Bellingcat, quoted in an article by Amberin Zaman in al-Monitor, noted 220 attacks carried out in the Afrin area against Turkish and allied forces between late March 2018 and the end of January, in the form of roadside ambushes, improvised explosive devices, and executions of so-called collaborators. Around 100 people have been killed over the last month, according to the Bellingcat report.
 The attacks began in January 2018, immediately after Turkey’s arrival in the region as part of Operation Olive Branch, which destroyed the Syrian Kurds’ westernmost autonomous canton. A campaign of expulsion of Kurds followed. The Kurdish YPG does not take responsibility for the present attacks. The YPG’s sister movement in Turkey, the Kurdistan Workers’ Party or PKK, has a practice, however, of using the names of front groups when engaging in some of its less photo-friendly activities; it is probable that the YPG is doing the same.
 The U.S. and SDF-controlled area east of the Euphrates is also witnessing the stirrings of internal insurgency directed from outside. According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, “236 fighters [of the SDF), civilians, oil workers, and officials” have been killed since August 2018 in incidents unrelated to the frontline conflict against the Islamic State. The killings have taken place across the four provinces of Raqqa, Aleppo, Hasakah, and Deir Ezzor, which are controlled in full or in part by U.S.-allied Kurds. The most recent actions, according to the observatory, were the assassination earlier this month of an SDF fighter in the Swidan Jazira area in the eastern countryside of Deir Ezzor, and the explosion of an IED in the Jammah area of the same province.
 The SDF blames Turkey for these actions, and for earlier killings such as that of prominent local Kurdish official, Omar Alloush, in March 2018, and of Sheikh Bashir Faisal al-Huwaidi, a leader of the SDF-aligned Shammar tribe, in Raqqa in November 2018. There are other plausible suspects within Syria, however, including the Assad regime (or its Iranian allies) or the Islamic State, all of which are enemies of the U.S.-supported Kurds.
 The area controlled by the regime is by far the most secure of Syria’s three separate regions. President Bashar al-Assad has embarked on a slow road to regaining legitimacy in the eyes of most Syrians and faces no major threat to his continued rule over most of Syria’s land. But in the regime-controlled areas, too, there are rumblings of discontent. A chaotic array of forces hold power and influence in this zone. These include Iran-aligned local and foreign militias, Russian military police, Lebanese Hezbollah, and, of course, various competing security structures of the Syrian state. These forces have cooperated on behalf of keeping Assad in power, but their interests are not otherwise entirely aligned.
 This has predictably led to tensions over their relative power, and to violent backlashes. In the restive Daraa province in the southwest, this has resulted a renewed small-scale insurgency against the Assad regime. Since November 2018, a group calling itself Popular Resistance—which appears to consist of former non-jihadi rebel fighters—has carried out a series of bombings of regime facilities and attacks on checkpoints. The latest of these was the bombing of a military checkpoint on Feb. 6, a video of which was posted online.
 As the Islamic State’s caliphate disappears from Syria’s map, the country is settling into a twilight reality of de facto division, in which a variety of low-burning insurgencies continue to claim lives. Open warfare in Syria is largely over. Peace, however, will remain a distant hope.

The New Zealand Wolf… and ours
Hazem El Amine/Daraj web site/March 19/19
View Arabic Version link/https://daraj.com/%d8%b0%d8%a6%d8%a8-%d9%86%d9%8a%d9%88%d8%b2%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%86%d8%af%d8%a7-%d9%88%d8%b0%d8%a6%d8%a8%d9%86%d8%a7/
As soon as news spread about the crime perpetrated in New Zealand by Australian citizen Brenton Tarrant, 28 years old, which led to the killing of around 50 worshippers in two mosques, a debate started about the nature of the crime and whether it is an act of terrorism or a hate crime. While the first possibility entails organization, planning and funding, the second suggests a nervous and mental disorder often coupled with an inflation and imbalance of the national ego.
In fact, separating these two types of crimes is perceived today as some sort of separation between the criminal himself, and his collective conscience. According to those who pursue these possibilities, he is either a criminal given his personal, sick motives, and this is what “hate crime” is about, or he committed his heinous crime motivated by his collective feelings, and that is what is referred to as an “act of terrorism”.
Brenton could not have committed this act if psychological balance was leading his actions. This is what makes the difference between two persons who embrace the same ideas: The first can turn his ideas into a crime, whereas the second can simply act upon them. However, the psychological imbalance suffered by the former is not uncommon, as we are increasingly subject to that type of disorder.
After Brenton Tarrant’s crime in New Zealand, is it today possible to talk about a culture of terrorism in the West?
ISIS, in its Western form, represents precisely the ability of this group to trigger massive psychological disorders that have affected generations of Western Muslims, and turn them into a destructive, satanic energy. Psychological disorders are hence found in the profile of the majority of perpetrators of attacks targeting European cities.
Mohammed Salman al-Hawaij, who carried out the truck attack in Nice, France, in 2016, had records in psychiatric clinics. Omar Mateen, who targeted a gays’ nightclub in Orlando, USA, suffered various mental disorders, according to people who knew him. However, one cannot say that this piece of information erases the fact that their act was an act of terror, as terrorism specifically exploited their personal plight in a major crime with no personal character.
ISIS was in the West a refinery for issues related to modernization, education, unemployment, family breakdown and discrimination. All these are not related to Islam, as a direct inspiration for the acts of the perpetrators. Islam was a link between them and their crime, it might not be unrelated to these actions, and shares the responsibility for those acts with Western values that were inherent to those individuals’ profiles.
After Brenton Tarrant’s crime in New Zealand, is it today possible to talk about a culture of terrorism in the West? Outsiders and schizophrenic people are found everywhere; is it then possible to talk about a political basis that regulates their downfalls and employs them in a political project? The major transformations witnessed by the West and the rise of right-wing populism and its transformation into a popular, parliamentary, partisan and also cultural force, are all factors that have pushed the debate on the terrorist identity of New Zealand’s crime in this direction.
Today, we can indeed say that a parallel version of ISIS has begun to loom in the West. Schizophrenia remains the same, however Islam can be replaced by values ​​of superiority, hatred and fear for the identity. These feelings are growing in the West, they have a terrible past -in which anti-Semitism is not the latest example- and have factors that push them to grow more.
The New Zealand criminal being an admirer of Donald Trump is not a meaningless fact. This is not a detail that can be neglected
ISIS, as an organizational structure, was not behind many of the crimes committed in its name in the West. Today, it is not enough to say that the crime perpetrated in New Zealand, and before it in Hamburg, in addition to the numerous other acts of violence against refugees, are simply hate crimes, to remove the notion of terrorism from them. In fact, we are facing a major crime, a reoccurrence of the crime, and the ideas behind it. We are in the presence of parties that grow, get elected, lead, control, pave the way to crimes and create for them a function and a purpose. Let us examine the crime’s manifesto, and let us compare it to the agendas of parties and personalities who lead today in Western parliaments.
The New Zealand criminal being an admirer of Donald Trump is not a meaningless fact. This is not a detail that can be neglected. And Trump is not on his own.
Today, the West is filled with Trumpian populist stereotypes. In Italy, this trend prevailed in the elections. The same happened in Hungary, Austria, Brazil and other countries. Russia on the other hand, has had a different reaction to this rising Western trend: many documented investigations have revealed that Moscow supports and finances this trend, and provides it with media and cultural platforms with elusive formulations, in line with the “war of values” that Moscow has long lost when the West was not in its current state of fear. The Putinian Moscow wants for its cultural and political rival to have this ugly face and uses any kind of deceit to win over it.
Comparing the killing of worshippers in New Zealand to the acts of ISIS’ lone-wolves can seem inaccurate. However, the resemblance is real, and the lack of accuracy doesn’t lay in the comparison, but in the presence of the same conditions that led to the crime in both cases. One Lone wolf and one cultural condition could be matching. A disorder and schizophrenia led to a crime in Nice, France, under the name of “The state of the Caliphate”. And in New Zealand, they led to another crime, with a manifesto focused on the fear of refugees and Muslims and written by an admirer of Donald Trump.

Britain's War on Christianity: Part I
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/March 19/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13913/britain-war-on-christianity
"Christian street preachers should be free to share the gospel, even where it means challenging the beliefs of others." — Christian Concern, in a petition to UK Home Secretary Sajid Javid.
In recent years, dozens of Christians — clergy and non-clergy — in Britain have been arrested or fired from their jobs due to their faith. Much of the harassment is based on three sections of two British laws that are vague and open to subjective interpretations.
At an appeal hearing at Bristol Crown Court, attorney Michael Phillips emphasized the importance of freedom of speech, even in cases where the speaker does not necessarily hold the views being expressed. Another attorney, Paul Diamond, argued that there is no right not to be exposed to contrary ideas. He added that should passers-by not wish to hear the preaching, they are able to walk away.
James McConnell, a 78-year-old Christian pastor in Northern Ireland, was charged in 2015 with making "grossly offensive remarks" about Islam during a sermon. Pictured: Pastor McConnell leaves Belfast Magistrates' Court on December 16, 2016 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The unlawful arrest of a Christian street preacher in London has drawn attention to the continuing use of hate speech laws to silence Christians in multicultural Britain — even as incendiary speech by Muslim extremists is routinely ignored.
On February 23, Oluwole Ilesanmi, a 64-year-old Nigerian evangelist 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 two million times, shows how two police officers ordered the man to stop preaching because "nobody wants to listen to that," confiscated his Bible and then arrested him for "a breach of peace."
The video was filmed by Ambrosine Shitrit, co-founder of Eye on Antisemitism, a London-based organization that tracks anti-Semitism on social media. Shortly before Ilesanmi's arrest, Shitrit had seen him interacting with another man, who turned out to be a Muslim. She thought the Muslim was about to assault Ilesanmi when she went over and started filming with her phone. When the police arrived in response to an emergency call, the Muslim man left the scene.
The video shows Ilesanmi pleading with police, "Don't take my Bible away. Don't take my Bible away." An officer responded: "You should have thought about that before being racist." A popular blogger known as Archbishop Cranmer tweeted what many people doubtless felt: "Dear @metpoliceuk, Setting aside the appalling ignorance of these two officers, would you handle a copy of the Qur'an like that?"
Ilesanmi said that after he was searched, the police drove him to a remote area before "de-arresting him." In Britain, "de-arrest" is a legal term which means that no crime has been committed. Since then, London police have changed their story about what transpired; some have accused the police of staging a cover-up.
When journalist Marcus Jones of Premier Christian Radio asked the Met Police whether they agreed that Ilesanmi had been driven away to a remote location, the Met Police expressly denied it. In an email exchange, they said that Ilesanmi was escorted "approximately 200 meters away, de-arrested and shown to a nearby bus stop."
Upon further questioning by Jones, Met Police said that Ilesanmi "was driven approximately 3.5 miles to Hadley Wood in north London, where he was left at a bus stop." The police also said that the man was arrested "in order to prevent [emphasis added] a breach of the peace." The police also said, "Yes, officers checked that he had a bank card."
Jones emailed a follow-up question:
"Mr. Ilesanmi says he was taken 5.2 miles away and dropped at the edge of Wrotham Park outside of the London transport zone. He also insists that he had no money on him when he was left by the police. I just want to be sure on the exact distance: is the 3.5-mile figure an exact distance or an estimate? Thanks."
The Met Police responded:
"The man was driven approximately 3.5 miles to Hadley Wood in north London, where he was left at a bus stop. As stated below, the man was left at a bus stop with a bank card."
The British watchdog group Christian Concern wrote:
"Oluwole was not taken to Hadley Wood. He was taken to Wrotham Park which is some distance away from Hadley Wood and is outside the London transport zone. He had an Oyster card [a rechargeable plastic card valid for all of London's public transport] with him which was not accepted on the bus. He is clear that he did not have a bank card on him when the police searched him. Bank cards are in any case not accepted on the 84 Metro Line bus which he eventually caught. Furthermore, there are no ATMs anywhere near the place where the police left him.
"Oluwole had to work out where he was with his smart phone and then catch a bus back to High Barnet. When a bus came, he was told that his Oyster card was not accepted on this bus. He explained that he had been dropped there by the police and asked how he was going to get back. The driver asked him to leave the bus. He said that a passenger would help him, whereupon a passenger did volunteer to pay his £2 bus fare in cash. He still has the ticket which validates his account of what happened."
Christian Concern launched a petition asking Home Secretary Sajid Javid to do more to ensure that the police are trained to act within the law:
"A video of street preacher Oluwole Ilesanmi being arrested outside Southgate Underground station has been seen by millions of people worldwide. It's not the first time a Christian street preacher has been wrongly arrested in the UK.
"Christian street preachers should be free to share the gospel, even where it means challenging the beliefs of others.
"The law rightly protects freedom of speech, even if it offends, shocks or disturbs others. But too often, police officers have shown themselves either to be ignorant of this freedom or unwilling to uphold it. This leads to a chilling effect, where people are increasingly unwilling to say what they believe, for fear of arrest."
Christian Concern CEO Andrea Williams added:
"Despite laws that theoretically support the freedom to preach in public, in practice, police officers are quick to silence preachers after any suggestion (often false) of Islamophobia or homophobia. This is not only unjust but kills free speech through self-censorship. We want to see police officers protect the freedom of street preachers by only using their powers when truly necessary."
In recent years, dozens of Christians — clergy and non-clergy — in Britain have been arrested or fired from their jobs due to their faith. Much of the harassment is based on three sections of two British laws that are vague and open to subjective interpretations:
Section 4A (Intentional Harassment, Alarm or Distress) of the Public Order Act 1986: "A person is guilty of an offense if, with intent to cause a person harassment, alarm or distress, he — (a) uses threatening, abusive or insulting words or behavior, or disorderly behavior, or (b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening, abusive or insulting, thereby causing that or another person harassment, alarm or distress."
Section 5 (Harassment, Alarm or Distress) of the Public Order Act 1986: "A person is guilty of an offense if he — (a) uses threatening or abusive words or behavior, or disorderly behavior, or (b) displays any writing, sign or other visible representation which is threatening or abusive, within the hearing or sight of a person likely to be caused harassment, alarm or distress thereby."
Section 31 (Racially or Religiously Aggravated Public Order Offenses) of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998: "A person is guilty of an offense under this section if he commits — (a) an offense under section 4 of the Public Order Act 1986 (fear or provocation of violence); (b) an offense under section 4A of that Act (intentional harassment, alarm or distress); or (c) an offense under section 5 of that Act (harassment, alarm or distress), which is racially or religiously aggravated for the purposes of this section."
Many of those accused of breaking the law had challenged the doctrinal claims of Islam or had made public proclamations of Christian sexual ethics. A free speech clause, tabled by Lord Waddington as section 29JA in the Public Order Act 1986, assures that public criticism of homosexuality or same-sex marriage is lawful. The amendment to section 29J (Protection of Freedom of Expression (Sexual Orientation)) states:
"(1) In this Part, for the avoidance of doubt, the discussion or criticism of sexual conduct or practices or the urging of persons to refrain from or modify such conduct or practices shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred."
"(2) In this Part, for the avoidance of doubt, any discussion or criticism of marriage which concerns the sex of the parties to marriage shall not be taken of itself to be threatening or intended to stir up hatred."
Nevertheless, police often use heavy-handed tactics to remove lawful Christian preachers off the streets. Muslim street preachers, by contrast, often are treated more leniently. A video illustrates the double standards being applied by British police with regards to street preaching by Christians and Muslims.
In one instance, a Muslim judge convicted a Christian preacher of a public order offense due to his choice of Bible verses. District Judge Shamim Ahmed Qureshi, who also serves with the Muslim Arbitration Tribunal, the overseer of Britain's Shariah courts, ruled that Michael Overd, a former British paratrooper who is now a Christian street preacher, should not have quoted a passage from Leviticus Chapter 20, which calls for the death penalty for Israelites who engage in sodomy. Qureshi said that Overd should instead have used Leviticus 18:22, which merely describes homosexual practice as an "abomination." Overd later noted: "I am amazed that the judge sees it as his role to dictate which parts of the Bible can and can't be preached."
Conservative Party MP Sir John Hayes recently warned that "the 'golden era' of religious liberty may be coming to an end." He explained:
"Religious believers are, once again, facing increased pressure to restrict their faith to the 'private sphere.' We now see regular, and increasingly unapologetic, persecution of Christians who remain committed to biblical teaching, refusing to bow to liberal, secular orthodoxies."
Following is the first of a three-part series which examines the persecution of Christians in Britain. Part 1 documents efforts to remove street preachers from the public square. Part 2 examines the persecution in Britain of ordinary Christians in the workplace. Part 3 documents hostility to Christianity in the British culture.
Gatestone Institute has documented more than two dozen cases in which street preachers have been unlawfully arrested, jailed and or harassed by British police, prosecutors and the judiciary:
July 2018. London. Alan Coote, a 55-year-old Christian street preacher, was arrested outside St. Paul's Cathedral for "breaching the peace" after reading aloud from the Bible. Coote had been arguing for what he said is his legal right to preach outside the cathedral.
Martin Parsons of the Barnabas Fund, a Christian charity, said:
"This illustrates the slippery slope down which the UK is losing its heritage of religious freedom. One of the first aspects of freedom of religion to be established in England was the freedom to read the Bible in public. St Paul's is trying to stop someone reading the Sermon on the Mount in public."
St Paul's Cathedral staff eventually relented, but only to the extent that they offered to allow Coote to preach on the site for half an hour each week.
The Telegraph noted that the cathedral staff's treatment of Coote is very different to when, in 2011, St Paul's Cathedral hosted anti-capitalism protesters as they set up camp outside the church for over three months. At the time, the cathedral's Canon Chancellor, Giles Fraser, gave the demonstrators a warm welcome and affirmed their right to protest. He asked police to move off the steps of the cathedral.
March 2018. Barking, London. David Lynn, a Christian pastor from Canada, was arrested outside Barking underground station after a female passer-by told officers that he made homophobic comments. He was later released without charge after police admitted they were wrong to detain him.
December 2017. Camberley, Surrey. David Barker and Stephen Wan, two Christian street preachers from Reading, were charged with hate speech after hecklers told police that they had made homophobic comments. On January 15, 2018, the two men were cleared of all charges after police determined that they had not said the things they were accused of saying.
July 2017. Nottingham. Andrew Frost, a Christian street preacher, was arrested in the city center after allegedly entering into a discussion with two passers-by about homosexuality. The two men claimed that Frost had verbally abused them and directed several lewd comments at them, all of which he denied. Frost was charged under Section 5 of the Public Order Act 1986. Nottingham Magistrates' Court proclaimed Frost not guilty and ordered the repayment of his legal fees.
June 2017. Lincoln, Lincolnshire. Daniel Courney, an American missionary, was arrested in the High Street quarter after a Muslim passer-by told police that he had made Islamophobic comments. He was charged under Section 5 Public Order Act 1986. On September 14, 2017, the Lincoln Magistrates' Court convicted Courney of using "threatening and discriminatory language."
During Courney's appeal at Lincoln Crown Court, his attorneys argued that the law provides the freedom for him to preach the Christian message, a freedom which has been upheld in the courts for many years. Courney also denied making the Islamophobic comments attributed to him. On December 8, 2017, the Crown Court overturned the Magistrates' Court's sentence.
June 2017. Southwark, London. Ian Sleeper, a Christian street preacher, was arrested outside Southwark Cathedral, after displaying a placard which read, "Love Muslims Hate Islam Time For The Truth." He was subsequently released on bail after the Crown Prosecution Service could not decide whether to charge him. After having been on bail for six weeks, the police decided to take no further action against him. Sleeper, who owns a restaurant in Ashford and employs Muslims, said:
"Society needs to kick political correctness into the long grass and be unafraid to criticize Islam. It was political correctness and an abuse of my rights under the law that got me detained in a police cell for 13 hours.
"I differentiate between Muslims the people and Islam the ideology. I love my Muslim neighbor as the Bible commands, and I am friends with all my Muslim staff. But I hate the religion's ideology. It is not Muslims we should be attacking, it's Islam. Islam makes Muslims victims with a tight grip that holds them captive to an evil ideology.
"The majority of people we engage with on the street agree with us. This includes ex-Muslims as well as Muslims. Many Muslims fear that they are unable to speak up against and leave Islam, but I have had the privilege of meeting ex-Muslims on the street and am often joined by them in my protest."
March 2017. Bristol. Michael Overd and Michael Stockwell, two Christian street preachers, were convicted at Bristol Magistrates' Court of disorderly conduct and using "threatening and abusive words...likely to cause alarm." In July 2016, Overd and Stockwell were arrested for preaching at Bristol's Broadmead Shopping Center. Several hecklers who appeared to be supportive of Islam became loud and aggressive, with some swearing and hurling abuse. There was debate on several points, especially over the differences between Islam and Christianity. At the time Overd and Stockwell were arrested, a police officer chided one of the men, saying, "People were getting angry. You were challenging homophobia [sic]. You were challenging Muslims." The officer accused them of "anti-social behavior." Andrea Williams of the Christian Legal Center filed an appeal:
"The Bible and its teachings are the foundation of our society and provided many of the freedoms and protections that we still enjoy today. So it is extraordinary that the prosecution, speaking on behalf of the state, could say that the Bible contains abusive words which, when spoken in public, constitute a criminal offense."
During the trial, Crown Prosecutor Ian Jackson argued that biblical claims about the unique, salvific role and divine nature of Jesus Christ were offensive. As a result, Jackson argued, quoting parts of the Bible in public should be considered criminal offenses under Section 31 of the Crime and Disorder Act 1998.
At an appeal hearing at Bristol Crown Court in June 2017, Michael Phillips, an attorney for Overd and Stockwell, emphasized the importance of freedom of speech, even in cases where the speaker does not necessarily hold the views being expressed. Another attorney, Paul Diamond, argued that there is no right not to be exposed to contrary ideas, adding that should passers-by not wish to hear the preaching, they are able to walk away. Bristol Crown Court agreed and acquitted Overd and Stockwell of all charges.
July 2016. Irvine, Scotland. Gordon Larmour, a Scottish evangelist, was arrested after he answered questions from a gay teenager about the Christian view on homosexual practice. Larmour, who often visits Irvine to offer Christian leaflets to passers-by, referred to the Book of Genesis and stated that God created Adam and Eve to produce children. Larmour's answers angered the young man, who called police and told them that Larmour had made "homophobic" remarks. Larmour was arrested and charged with behaving in a "threatening and abusive manner aggravated by prejudice relating to sexual orientation" and "assault." In January 2017, Kilmarnock Sheriff Court found Larmour "not guilty" after Sheriff Alistair Watson established that the evidence against him was unconvincing. Larmour told the Scottish Mail on Sunday:
"The police didn't listen to me. They took the young homosexual guy's side straight away and read me my rights.
"I feel they try so hard to appear like they are protecting minorities, they go too far the other way. I want to be able to tell people the good word of the gospel and think I should be free to do so. I wasn't speaking my opinions — I was quoting from the Bible.
"I think the police should have handled it differently and listened to what I had to say. They should have calmed the boy down and left it at that.
"In court the boy's friend told the truth — that I hadn't assaulted him or called him homophobic names. I had simply answered his question and told him about Adam and Eve and Heaven and Hell. Preaching from the Bible is not a crime."
December 2015. Beverley, Yorkshire. Michael Jones, a 66-year-old Christian street preacher, was arrested for Islamophobia. He was accused of shouting "Muslims are terrorists, they should not be allowed in this country," "Islam is not a religion, Islam is terrorism" and "Islam does not preach the Bible, it's not religion, it's terrorism." A recording of his sermon revealed that he had not said the words he was accused of saying. In February 2016, the Crown Prosecution Service dropped all charges against Jones.
August 2015. Belfast. James McConnell, a 78-year-old Christian pastor in Northern Ireland, appeared at Laganside Magistrates' Court in Belfast, after local Muslims complained that he delivered a sermon in which he described Islam as "heathen" and "satanic." According to Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS), McConnell — whose sermon was streamed live on the internet — violated the 2003 Communications Act by "sending, or causing to be sent, by means of a public electronic communications network, a message or other matter that was grossly offensive." In January 2016, McConnell was acquitted after Belfast Magistrates' Court Judge Liam McNally ruled that his comments did not reach the "high threshold" of being "grossly offensive." McConnell summed it up this way:
"Islam is allowed to come to this country, Islam is allowed to worship in this country, Islam is allowed to preach in this country and they preach hate. And for years we are not allowed to give a tract out, we are not allowed in Islam, we are not allowed to preach the gospel. We are persecuted in Islam if we stand for Jesus Christ."
April 2015. Hereford. Andrew Geuter, a Christian street preacher, was arrested after he was wrongly accused of making homophobic comments by a member of the public. He was held for five hours, during which time he was interviewed before being released on conditional bail. The police later determined to take no action due to insufficient evidence.
March 2015. Taunton, Somerset. Michael Overd, a Christian street preacher, was convicted of a public order offense for quoting a Bible passage condemning homosexuality. He was fined £200. District Judge Shamim Ahmed Qureshi, a Muslim, told Overd he could instead have chosen another Bible passage deemed by the judge to be less offensive. After the trial, Overd said:
"I am amazed that the judge sees it as his role to dictate which parts of the Bible can and can't be preached. I did not quote the full text of Leviticus 20 or make reference to the death penalty, but the judge is telling me that I should use other parts of the Bible. This is not free speech but censorship. The judge is redacting the Bible.
"I have been ordered to pay compensation for causing 'emotional pain' to someone who approached me aggressively demanding to debate the issue. There was no harm, injury or theft, just a simple disagreement over theology which I have now been fined for."
The President of the National Secular Society, Terry Sanderson, said that the ruling appeared to make the quoting of certain passages of the Bible illegal. "Whilst we all want to encourage public civility, there is a higher principle at stake," he said. "As long as there is no incitement to violence, then people should be allowed to speak freely without fearing legal repercussions."
On December 11, 2015, Overd won an appeal against his public order conviction for using the "wrong" Bible verse in public. Circuit Judge David Ticehurst, sitting at Taunton Crown Court, ruled that the Crown Prosecution Service failed to provide sufficient evidence to justify the conviction. Overd said:
"Today the Court was faced with the farcical situation of a witness telling the judge that he couldn't even remember what I had said, but simply asserting that it was 'homophobic' — as though the mere assertion that something is 'homophobic' is enough to curtail free speech.
"In this country, we are now in the ludicrous situation where the slightest accusation of a 'phobia,' be it 'homophobia' or 'Islamophobia,' is enough to paralyze rational action by the police and authorities. The highly politicized dogma of 'phobias' now too often results in trumped up charges and legal action. There is a chilling effect.
"Reasonable, law-abiding people now feel that they can't say certain things and that is dangerous. Totalitarian regimes develop when ordinary people feel that there are certain things that can't be said.
"Rather than prizing freedom of expression and protecting it, the police and the prosecutors risk undermining it, because they've become paranoid about anyone who might possibly feel offended."
February 2014. Banbury. Bill Edwards, a 73-year-old street preacher, was arrested outside Banbury Magistrates' Court after some people inside the building found his preaching "offensive." He was taken to a nearby police station, where he was grabbed by six officers and pinned to the floor. In February 2014, Oxford Magistrates' Court cleared Edwards, a former teacher, of all charges. An application for a restraining order to prevent Edwards from preaching outside Banbury Court House was refused; he was reimbursed for his travel expenses.
September 2013. Perth, Scotland. Josh Williamson, a Christian street preacher, was arrested twice in one week for breaching the peace. In an interview with The Scotsman, Williamson explained:
"The officer told me to stop as I was breaking the law. I asked him what law I was breaking and he replied that I was in breach of the peace. When I asked him to explain, he pointed to my mp3 recorder and said I was too loud. I pointed out to the officer that I wasn't using amplification, but just my natural voice. I then asked him what a reasonable sound level would be. The police officer replied that the noise level isn't the issue, but rather that a complaint had been made. I tried to reason with the officer, explaining that such argumentation is subjective as anyone can claim anything is too loud. After a few more minutes I was placed in the back of a police van."
September 2013. Basildon, Essex. Rob Hughes, a 38-year-old street preacher, was arrested and jailed after he was accused by a lesbian bystander of engaging in hate speech against homosexuals. The woman in question had earlier confronted Hughes shouting that she was "gay and proud" then proceeding to tell him to "get down off your pedestal, you judgmental ****. Homophobia is not in this town." Hughes, who had recorded everything he said while preaching, explained that he had said nothing about the issue of homosexuality and asked that her request not to be judged be extended also to him. He was later released and informed that no further action would be taken due to insufficient evidence. In May 2015, as part of an out-of-court settlement, Hughes received £2,500 and a contribution towards his legal fees for wrongful arrest, false imprisonment and breach of his human rights.
August 2013. London. Dominic Muir, a Christian street preacher, was arrested for preaching in the Battersea Park area. A police officer asked Muir if he had obtained permission to preach in the area. When he responded that he did not, he was told that he would be prosecuted. The council alleged that Muir had breached little-used by-laws which ban street preaching in certain parts of the borough. In September 2013, during the first hearing at Richmond upon Thames Magistrates' Court, Muir entered a not guilty plea. The council subsequently dropped the case against Muir.
July 2013. London. Tony Miano, an American evangelist, was arrested and jailed during the Wimbledon Championships while preaching on the street about sexual immorality. He was part of Sports Fan Outreach International, an evangelistic effort in England to share the Gospel with attendees of the annual Wimbledon tennis tournament. Approximately a dozen or more men and women were on the streets preaching, distributing tracts and engaging in one-on-one conversation with spectators. Miano, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff, was preaching about sexual immorality from the book of First Thessalonians when a female passer-by became agitated by his message and began to curse. She then called the police to complain. Moments later, officers arrived and notified Miano that he had allegedly violated Section 5 of the Public Order Act, which prohibits public language that is threatening or insulting. After being booked, photographed and fingerprinted, he was released without charge.
February 2012. Inverness, Scotland. Kenneth Macdonald, a well-known evangelist, was cleared of behaving in an abusive manner while preaching the gospel in Inverness city center. In January 2011, a shopkeeper had falsely accused Macdonald of harassing passers-by. After more than a year of legal proceedings, Macdonald was acquitted.
September 2011. Manchester. John Craven, a Christian street preacher, was arrested and jailed for reading from the Bible after two gay teenagers asked him about his views on homosexuality. He added that "whilst God hates sin, He loves the sinner." The teens then began to kiss in front of him and perform sexual acts. They then reported Craven to a nearby mounted police constable, who placed him under arrest for "public order offenses." After spending 19 hours in jail, police told him there would be no charges and no further action. In March 2014, Craven was awarded £13,000 in compensation after a three-year legal battle against Greater Manchester Police estimated to have cost taxpayers £50,000.
December 2010. Birmingham. Anthony Rollins, an autistic Christian street preacher who was arrested for speaking out against homosexuality, was awarded £4,250 in damages following a court case against West Midlands Police. Birmingham County Court ruled that Police Constable Adrian Bill committed assault and battery against Rollins when he handcuffed him unnecessarily. The court also ruled that Rollins was wrongfully arrested, unlawfully detained and his human rights to free speech and religious liberty were infringed. The court ordered the police to pay Rollins' legal costs.
April 2010. Workington, Cumbria. Dale McAlpine, a 42-year-old Christian street preacher, was charged with causing "harassment, alarm or distress" after a homosexual police officer overheard him reciting a number of "sins" referred to in the Bible, including blasphemy, drunkenness and same-sex relationships. McAlpine said that he did not mention homosexuality while delivering his sermon but admitted telling a passer-by that he believed it was against the word of God. Police officers alleged that he made the remark in a voice loud enough to be overheard by others and charged him with using abusive or insulting language, contrary to the Public Order Act. McAlpine was taken to the police station and locked in a cell for seven hours. Prosecutors later dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.
March 2010. Glasgow. Shawn Holes, a 47-year-old American street preacher, was fined £1,000 for "uttering homophobic remarks" that were "aggravated by religious prejudice." Holes, a New Yorker who was touring Britain with colleagues, was arrested by police while responding to questions from people in Glasgow City Center. He said later:
"There were homosexuals listening – around six or eight of them – who were kissing each other and cuddling, and asking 'What do you think of this?' It felt like a set-up by gay campaigners. When asked directly about homosexuality, I told them homosexuals risked the wrath of God unless they accepted Christ."
Holes said that he had no choice but to admit the charge at Glasgow Sheriff Court because he wanted to fly home to see his wife, and his father, who is in a hospice. However, he said he had expected to be fined only about £100.
August 2009. Manchester. Miguel Hayworth and his father, John Hayworth, two street preachers, were accused by police of inciting religious and racial hatred for reading from the Bible and handing out tracts at St. Ann's Square. Miguel Hayworth said:
"At 2 pm, I was approached on more than one occasion by several police officers who falsely accused me, stating that I was inciting hatred with homophobic and racial comments. One plain-clothed officer, who was with the other two uniformed officers, said: 'It is against the law to preach and hand out tracts: preaching causes offense and handing out tracts is harassment and could result in an arrest.'"
Hayworth said that at about 2.30 pm another officer warned him that he could be arrested and that his actions were being filmed and recorded. He stopped preaching. Critics claimed that a Muslim preaching Islam in the street would not have been treated in such a way by police.
*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.

Turkey: Putin's Ally in NATO?
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/March 19/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13882/turkey-putin-ally-nato
On March 7, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said Turkey would never turn back from the S-400 missile deal with Russia. He even added that Ankara may subsequently look into buying the more advanced S-500 systems now under construction in Russia.
With the S-400 deal, Turkey is simply telling its theoretical Western allies that it views "them," and "not Russia," as a security threat. Given that Russia is widely considered a security threat to NATO, Turkey's odd-one-out position inevitably calls for questioning its official NATO identity.
Turkey has NATO's second biggest army, and its military love affair with Russia may be in its infancy now, but it undermines NATO's military deterrence against Russia. Pictured: Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan meets with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, on March 10, 2017. (Image source: kremlin.ru)
On September 17, 1950, more than 68 years ago, the first Turkish brigade left the port of Mersin on the Mediterranean coast, arriving, 26 days later, at Busan in Korea. Turkey was the first country, after the United States, to answer the United Nations' call for military aid to South Korea after the North attacked that year. Turkey sent four brigades (a total of 21,212 soldiers) to a country that is 7,785 km away. By the end of the Korean War, Turkey had lost 741 soldiers killed in action. The U.N. Memorial Cemetery in Busan embraces 462 Turkish soldiers.
All that Turkish effort was aimed at membership in NATO, a seat that Turkey eventually won in February 18, 1952. During the Cold War, Turkey remained a staunch U.S. and NATO ally, defending the alliance's southeastern flank. Nevertheless, events have changed dramatically since the Islamist government of Prime Minister (now President) Recep Tayyip Erdoğan first came to power in November 2002. The "Turkish retreat" did not happen overnight.
In April 2009, military teams from Turkey and its neighbor, President Bashar al-Assad's Syria, crossed the border and visited outposts during joint military drills. That was the first time a NATO army had exercised with Syria's military.
In September 2010, Turkish and Chinese air force jets conducted joint exercises in Turkish airspace. That, too, was the first time a NATO air force had military exercises with China's.
In 2011, a Transatlantic Trends survey revealed that Turkey was the NATO member with the lowest support for the alliance: just 37% (down from 53% in 2004).
In 2012, Turkey joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO, whose members are Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan) as a dialogue partner.
In 2017, a senior Chinese diplomat said that Beijing was ready to discuss Turkey's membership in the SCO.
In September 2013, Turkey announced that it had selected a Chinese company (CPMIEC) for the construction of its first long-range air and anti-missile defense system under the then $3.5 billion T-LORAMIDS program. That contract was later scrapped, but Erdoğan then turned to Russian President Vladimir Putin for a replacement: the S-400 long-range air and anti-missile defense system.
Despite increasing U.S., Western and NATO pressure, Erdoğan since that time has refused to give up the Russian air defense architecture and instead has boldly defended "Turkey's sovereign decision." Most recently, on March 7, Erdoğan said Turkey would never turn back from the S-400 missile deal. He even added that Ankara may subsequently look into buying the more advanced S-500 systems now under construction in Russia.
Washington is still warning its part-time NATO ally that the Russian deal would have its "grave consequences." According to CNN:
"If Turkey takes the S-400s there will be grave consequences," acting chief Pentagon spokesperson Charles Summers told reporters Friday [March 8], saying it would undermine America's military relationship with Ankara.
Summers said those consequences would include the US not allowing Turkey to acquire the F-35 jet and the Patriot missile defense system.
Turkey, a member of the U.S.-led, multinational consortium that builds the new generation fighter, the F-35 Lightening II, had committed to buy more than 100 of the aircraft.
Turkey's choice in favor of Russia (and against NATO) will surely have repercussions on several wavelengths. The U.S. may or may not fully retaliate by expelling Turkey from the Joint Strike Fighter group that builds the F-35. That will be a decision carrying with it economic considerations in addition to military and political ones. Turkey, if expelled, may turn further to Russia for a next-generation fighter solution, which Putin would only be too happy to offer -- and create further cracks within the NATO bloc, a move Erdoğan probably believes the U.S. administration (and NATO) cannot afford to risk. Erdoğan's gambit, however, has a more important message to NATO than just procuring military gear: Turkey's geo-strategic identity.
The S-400 is an advanced air defense architecture, especially if it is utilized against Western (NATO) aerial assets and firepower. It is an elementary military software fact that Turkey cannot use this system against Russian aggression or Russian-made weapons. With the S-400 deal, Turkey is simply telling its theoretical Western allies that it views "them," and "not Russia," as a security threat. Given that Russia is widely considered a security threat to NATO, Turkey's odd-one-out position inevitably calls for questioning its official NATO identity.
Turkey has NATO's second biggest army, and its military love affair with Russia may be in its infancy now, but it undermines NATO's military deterrence against Russia. Russia, however, would doubtless like nothing better than to see the break-up of a military alliance which ensures that an "armed attack against one" NATO member "shall be considered an attack against them all".
*Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 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.

The New Palestinian Prime Minister Will Face Steep Internal Challenges
Ghaith al-Omari/The Washington Institute/March 19/19
Fatah succession maneuvers, escalating tensions with Hamas, a financial crisis, and an uncertain security hierarchy will make it difficult for the incoming premier to improve the current situation.
On March 10, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas designated Fatah Central Committee (FCC) member Mohammad Shtayyeh as prime minister. The new premier will now have three weeks to form a government, extendable by two weeks if necessary. Although the appointment will have minimal impact on Palestinian foreign policy, which is handled directly by the president, it does provide a glimpse into the dynamics surrounding PA succession. It will also have some impact on Fatah-Hamas relations and governance issues in the West Bank, for better or worse.
FATAH DYNAMICS
On January 29, outgoing prime minister Rami Hamdallah tendered his resignation to Abbas following the FCC’s recommendation to form a political cabinet under Fatah leadership. Hamdallah had presided over a technocratic government formed under a Hamas-Fatah consensus agreement.
Once Abbas tasked the FCC with choosing the next prime minister, tensions within the committee soon became apparent. The FCC has always been factionalized, but the divisions have become more pronounced in recent years as senior members position themselves in the contest to succeed the aging Abbas. Worried that choosing one of their own as prime minister would improve said individual’s chances to replace Abbas, members were deadlocked on the decision for over a month, eventually choosing Shtayyeh as a compromise candidate.
Shtayyeh has been an FCC member since 2009, but he did not rise through the ranks following the usual political or security tracks. A former academic, he came to prominence after assuming a number of ministerial-level technical positions in the PA. He also participated in negotiations with Israel from the Madrid process in 1991 until 2013. Such posts gave him some exposure in governance and diplomatic circles, but he never developed a strong base, so other FCC members tend to view him as one of their least threatening competitors.
Even so, some FCC factions objected to appointing him as prime minister, fearing that the position could transform him into a viable succession candidate. These objections were eventually overcome after other alternatives were exhausted, but the end result is that Shtayyeh will not be able to rely on solid support from Fatah. More likely, succession dynamics will continue to dominate Palestinian politics, and his former colleagues will try to limit his power.
RELATIONS WITH HAMAS
Shtayyeh’s appointment is another escalation in the ongoing struggle between Hamas and the PA. Fatah insisted on elevating one of its own committee members to the post, spurring Hamas to reject the move and declare that it “will not recognize this separatist government.”
At the same time, however, Hamas has made no indication as to whether and how it might oppose the decision in practice. Its ability to form its own government or take other concrete measures is constrained, and such steps could trigger punitive action from the PA—for example, cutting all payments to Gaza, something the PA has already been threatening to do in response due to other disputes. In addition to the catastrophic implications that scenario would have for Gaza’s economy, it would also upset Egypt’s efforts to bring security and financial stability to the Strip. Cairo is deeply frustrated with Abbas and has been de facto dealing with Hamas on various Gaza matters, but it still regards the PA as the legitimate address for Palestinian relations. Egyptian authorities are therefore unlikely to continue their stabilization efforts if Hamas creates its own governing structures.
The chances of Hamas acting out may also be influenced by whether Shtayyeh’s cabinet includes other Palestine Liberation Organization factions besides Fatah. The less inclusive the cabinet is, the more emboldened Hamas will be. So far, the two biggest PLO factions—the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine—have refused Fatah’s invitation to join the government. Shtayyeh will try to woo them again, along with smaller PLO factions. If he fails to recruit any of them, however, the resultant Fatah-only government would strengthen Hamas in its bid to contest the party’s primacy in the Palestinian national movement.
SIGNIFICANT PORTFOLIOS
In addition to political strife, Shtayyeh and his ministers will face major governance challenges. The PA is in the midst of a financial crisis and has already announced various austerity measures. Moreover, despite ongoing coordination with Israel, the security situation in the West Bank and Jerusalem has been steadily deteriorating.
To navigate the first challenge, the PA would be best served by retaining Finance Minister Shukri Bishara, who has developed a positive professional reputation and strong relations with his Israeli and international counterparts. Alternatively, if he leaves and is not replaced by a well-known figure, it would further complicate efforts to stabilize the economy.
Regarding the second challenge, the interior minister has nominal control over a significant part of the PA security forces, but the question of actual control is more complicated. Outgoing prime minister Hamdallah kept that portfolio for himself while in power, though in practice Abbas held true authority over the PASF. Senior FCC members were comfortable with Hamdallah playing that dual role, but they are less likely to tolerate one of their own overseeing such an important ministry while also serving as premier.
Accordingly, jockeying for that portfolio began well before the prime minister was picked. A major PASF shakeup has been expected in recent weeks, and some security leaders—most notably police chief Hazem Atallah—have indicated their desire to become interior minister. Appointing a PASF chief could strengthen the ministry, improve the performance of security personnel, and potentially help bring the PASF under ministry control instead of presidential control as envisaged in the Palestinian Basic Law. Yet elevating a former security chief would also shift the balance of power within the PASF, inevitably raising resistance from other security chiefs and the FCC members who have cultivated close relations with them.
CONCLUSION
Fatah has long sought to get one of its own senior members appointed as prime minister, but reaching that goal comes at a cost. When Shtayyeh assumes his new role, he will be constrained by paralyzing succession dynamics, a worsening split with Hamas, and deteriorating economic and security conditions in the West Bank. As for relations with Washington, U.S. peace envoy Jason Greenblatt publicly welcomed the latest appointment, but political realities will likely prevent Shtayyeh from restoring contacts with the administration anytime soon.
**Ghaith al-Omari is a senior fellow at The Washington Institute and coauthor of its 2018 study State with No Army, Army with No State: Evolution of the Palestinian Authority Security Forces, 1994–2018.

Are Israeli Politics Dooming Kushner's Peace Push?
ديفيد ماكوفسكي/ بوليتيكو/ معهد واشنطن:هل السياسة الإسرائيلية تدفع باتجاه تعطيل خطة سلام كوشنر؟
David Makovsky/Politico/The Washington Institute/March 19, 2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73127/david-makovsky-are-israeli-politics-dooming-kushners-peace-push%d8%af%d9%8a%d9%81%d9%8a%d8%af-%d9%85%d8%a7%d9%83%d9%88%d9%81%d8%b3%d9%83%d9%8a-%d8%a8%d9%88%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%aa%d9%8a%d9%83%d9%88/
Even if Netanyahu somehow prevails in the April election, prospects for a grand deal with the Palestinians will likely remain dim.
The Israeli attorney general’s 55-page preliminary indictment linking Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu to three charges of corruption may create collateral damage: President Donald Trump’s Middle East peace plan.
Until now, many had assumed that Netanyahu would win Israel’s election on April 9 and the long-awaited Trump plan—an effort to make what the U.S. president has described as “the deal of the century”—would be put forward shortly afterward. Given the close relationship between Trump and Netanyahu, it seemed a certainty that the plan’s overall contours would suit the Israeli premier even if he might object to some of its components.
Hopes have never been high, whether in Washington or the Middle East, that Trump would be able to reach a breakthrough where many American presidents have not. And yet this novice president has persistently instructed aides to pursue this effort even as regional leaders and pundits all over have panned his peace push as unrealistic, one-sided, ill-timed, or worse.
But the biggest challenge for Trump may be the shifting political winds in Israel. Only a strong prime minister can take the big risks required for peace, but Netanyahu is struggling to overcome a difficult few weeks. First, there was a merger of two centrist parties, including an unprecedented joining of three former military chiefs of staff who could neutralize Netanyahu’s advantage in the all-important national security sphere. This new Blue-White party is led by former IDF Chief of Staff Benny Gantz, who suddenly surged roughly ahead of Netanyahu in the polls. Second, the attorney general’s preliminary indictment against the premier has cast a legal cloud over Netanyahu. Gantz may have a real shot to unseat Netanyahu, though the incumbent prime minister has campaigned relentlessly in recent weeks and erased Gantz’s lead. Netanyahu is confident, too, that he can more easily cobble together a majority coalition. Yet even if he prevails in April, the legal case will dog Netanyahu’s political future for months to come.
The Gantz-Netanyahu showdown is already affecting U.S. calculations before the plan is rolled out. At a recent U.S.-led Middle East conference in Warsaw, President Trump’s son-in-law and White House adviser, Jared Kushner, announced the U.S. will not release the plan until after the Israeli elections. Kushner, whom Trump has tasked with leading the negotiations, is consulting Arab leaders about the economic dimensions of the plan, hoping that wealthier Gulf countries will pay for the proposal’s focus on regional development. Of course, the Gulf states are unlikely to do so before knowing more sensitive aspects of the plan regarding issues such as Jerusalem and borders.
However, Kushner’s mere mention in an interview with Sky Arabia that the plan will deal with “borders” was enough to shake Israeli politics. Netanyahu’s leading opponent to his right, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, saw the reference as presaging a Palestinian state and launched a broadside charging that the premier would cave to Trump after the elections. One can guess Kushner will shelve future such interviews between now and April.
Here are three possible election outcomes. None of them bodes well for the peace plan:
Option One: Netanyahu wins and lurches to the right due to the configuration of the multi-party race. If that happens, his room to make compromises could shrink further. On one hand, he will view a victory as personal vindication in light of his legal troubles. On the other, Netanyahu has rivalries among the right, including with the party led by Bennett and one led by former Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman. With a finalized indictment still looming over him, how long can he expect these rivals to stick with him? The balance of power within the coalition is likely to shift away from Netanyahu so long as he remains under a legal cloud—leaving his political fate in the hands of rivals who think Trump’s ideas are too risky for Israel.
Option Two: Netanyahu wins but looks to the center. There is speculation that Netanyahu would use the presentation of the Trump plan after the elections to widen political space in the center—making Gantz defense minister and the other leading Blue-White centrist, Yair Lapid, foreign minister. Additionally, the media’s focus on peace could distract the public from Netanyahu’s legal problems. Gantz, however, has said that he would not sit in the same coalition as Netanyahu. If he stands by that pledge, what was once deemed the most likely scenario has evaporated—at least for now.
Option Three: Gantz wins outright and creates a moderate coalition of center-left parties, perhaps with a smattering of ultra-orthodox parties. (Gantz has also not ruled out inviting the Likud in as a junior partner so long as Netanyahu is excluded.) In theory, this approach should give joy to Trump as it would be a coalition based on accommodation with Washington and Palestinian partners. However, precisely for this very reason, Gantz is unlikely to get behind a peace plan he has not had a chance to shape, as Netanyahu had for the last two-plus years. The U.S. will need to consult Gantz, who might not take office until late spring.
On one hand, Gantz—like Netanyahu—will likely be attracted to Trump’s regional focus on Arab states, an idea designed to show Israelis what they have to gain, and not just yield, for the promise of peace. At the same time, a cautious Gantz will not want Trump to put forward something the Palestinians are likely to reject, as seems to be the case due to the expectation of terms less favorable to the Palestinians than those put forward by Bill Clinton in 2000 and amid deteriorating ties between Washington and Ramallah since Trump moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in December 2017.
For Gantz, trying to go for broke and solve the entire conflict as Trump favors is not a plus if the result is failure. He thinks it’s better to make progress with the Palestinians, though he has expressed pessimism that a grand deal is possible right now. Alternatively, some on the Israeli right may prefer a failed Trump plan if they think the Palestinians will be blamed for saying no and they can reap the benefit of Trump’s ire at the Palestinians by annexing key chunks of the West Bank with scant protest from Washington.
Any of these three election outcomes would add fresh doubts about the viability of the proposal. The Trump peace plan was always an uphill climb, but the path looks steeper now.
*David Makovsky is the Ziegler Distinguished Fellow and director of the Project on the Middle East Peace Process at The Washington Institute. Previously, he served as a senior policy advisor in the Office of the Secretary of State.