LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 16/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right. Take note of those who do not obey what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be ashamed. Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers
Second Letter to the Thessalonians 03/06-18:”We command you, beloved, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from believers who are living in idleness and not according to the tradition that they received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us; we were not idle when we were with you, and we did not eat anyone’s bread without paying for it; but with toil and labour we worked night and day, so that we might not burden any of you. This was not because we do not have that right, but in order to give you an example to imitate. For even when we were with you, we gave you this command: Anyone unwilling to work should not eat. For we hear that some of you are living in idleness, mere busybodies, not doing any work. Now such persons we command and exhort in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living. Brothers and sisters, do not be weary in doing what is right. Take note of those who do not obey what we say in this letter; have nothing to do with them, so that they may be ashamed. Do not regard them as enemies, but warn them as believers. Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in all ways. The Lord be with all of you.I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. This is the mark in every letter of mine; it is the way I write. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you.”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on May 15-16/19
Patriarch Sfier’s Soul Is In Heaven & His Memory Shall Remain Glowing
Renowned Lebanese Sculptor Carves Patriarch Sfeir's Coffin
Sayegh Hails Cardinal Sfeir as Saint in Heaven, Historic Figure on Earth
Crowds Line the Streets to Bid Farewell to Late Patriarch
Lebanon Bids Farewell to Cardinal Sfeir
Satterfield Resumes Talks on Maritime Demarcation, Meets Aoun, Bassil
US Official in Beirut to Discuss Border Dispute with Israel
Aoun: Wages of Lower, Middle Classes Won't be Touched
Saudi Ambassador from Baabda: Sfeir Was a Pillar of Coexistence
U.S. Embassy in Beirut Warns Americans of 'Heightened Tensions'
Satterfield Meets Hariri Again to Discuss Border Dispute with Israel
LF Slams 'Procrastination' as Government's Budget Debate Drags On
5 Lebanese to be Released, 3 Sentenced in UAE Hizbullah Trial
Under Pressure from Donors, Lebanon Mulls Austerity Budget
Khalil Says ‘Positive Results’ on Budget Study
Tokyo Prosecutors Request to Revise Ghosn Indictment
NGO offers Lebanon taste of lionfish in effort to contain invasive species

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 15-16/19
Iran Officially Stops Some Commitments under Nuclear Deal
Pompeo Continues to Pressure Iran from Sochi
Eleven Terror Attacks Sought Harming Saudi Oil Facilities
US Orders Non-Essential Embassy Staff to Leave Iraq Amid Iran Tensions
US, Russia Talks Stress ‘Urgent Solutions’ in Syria
UAE Says 'Committed to De-escalation' after Ship Attacks
Riyadh Says Oil Facility Attacks Target World Supplies
The Golan is next after Iran hit 3 Gulf oil targets, say Rev Guards associates
A U.S.-Iran confrontation will inevitably include Israel
Polish ambassador in Israel assaulted on streets of Tel Aviv
Israeli Security Warns of PA Collapse, Tension in West Bank
US Consular Staffer Espionage Trial Resumes in Turkey
EU Calls on Turkey to End Illegal Activity in Mediterranean
Turkey May Delay Delivery of S-400 System from Russia
Libyan National Army Shoots Down Sarraj Drone as Macron Seeks to Meet Haftar
Thousands of Palestinians Demonstrate to Mark 'Catastrophe'
Sudan Army Rulers, Protesters Agree on 3-Year Transition Period
Sudan Protesters, Military Agree on Transition Period

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 15-16/19
Patriarch Sfier’s Soul Is In Heaven & His Memory Shall Remain Glowing/ Elias Bejjani/May 15/2019
NGO offers Lebanon taste of lionfish in effort to contain invasive species/Nicholas Frakes/Al Monitor/May 15/2019
The Golan is next after Iran hit 3 Gulf oil targets, say Rev Guards associates/DEBKAfile/May 15/2019
A U.S.-Iran confrontation will inevitably include Israel/Alex Fishman/Ynetnews/May 15/2019
Polish ambassador in Israel assaulted on streets of Tel Aviv/Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews/May 15/2019
The Turkish Lira and Political Crises/Marcus Ashworth/Bloomberg/May 15/2019
Does America Really Want War with Iran/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/May 15/2019
Putin’s Syrian Playbook Won’t Work in Venezuela/Eli Lake/Bloomberg/May 15/2019
Palestinians: No Freedom of Expression Under New Government/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/May 15/2019
Mr. President, no deals with Iran, only regime change/Amil Imani/INN/May 15/2019
Saudi Columnist, Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehr, It's Time To Act Against Iran And Its Militias/MEMRI/May 15/2019
Iran's Grip on Gaza and Israel's Dilemma/Jonathan Spyer/The Australian/May 15/2019
“Reconciling” Egypt’s Coptic Christians to Second-Class Status/Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/May 15/2019

Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on May 15-16/19
Patriarch Sfier’s Soul Is In Heaven & His Memory Shall Remain Glowing
 الياس بجاني: روح البطريرك صفير في السماء وذكراه ستبقى حية ومتوهجة

 Elias Bejjani/May 15/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/74867/elias-bejjani-patriarch-sfiers-soul-is-in-heaven-his-memory-shall-remain-glowing-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A7%D8%B3-%D8%A8%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A-%D8%B1%D9%88%D8%AD-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B7%D8%B1/

 Our beloved Maronite Patriarch Mar Nasrallah Boutrous Sfier, From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for every thing that you did for us the Maronites, for all the Lebanese people, for peace, and for our blessed Lebanon, the country of the holy cedars.
 Definitely we will miss you, but your fragrant memory of modesty, caring, love, patriotism, hard work, devotion and perseverance shall remain glowing in our hearts , minds and conscience.
 Your memory shall be remembered forever by your Church and its congregations all over the world, and shall be alive and vivid in Lebanon’s deeply rooted history of pride, faith, sovereignty, freedom and independence.
 Meanwhile, what actually is disappointing and unfortunate for us the Maronites in particular, and for the sovereign Lebanese people in general, is that our great patriarch Sfier is departing from this earthly world while his genuine wish to see his country, Lebanon a free, liberated and independent country has not been fulfilled.
 Patriarch Sfier who played a vital and pivotal role in liberating Lebanon from the criminal and oppressive Al Assad Syrian Occupation, is sadly departing while Iran and its local proxy militia, the terrorist Hezbollah, have replaced the Syrian occupation and are systematically and evilly devouring it piece by piece.
 Patriarch Sfier is departing while, Lebanon, the country that he loved and served all his life is infested and swamped with all kinds of corruption, political and social chaos, poverty, and embezzlement at all levels and in all domains.
 Patriarch Sfier is departing while the majority of the Maronite Lebanese politicians, Lebanese high ranking Maronite clergymen, Lebanese Christian political parties, as well as Lebanese Maronite officials have with disgrace, Iscariotism, Trojanism succumbed to the Iranian occupier and to his Hezbollah proxy, abandoned their patriotic, national, duties and obligations and shamefully became mere slaves, and cheap tools advocating for Iranian Mullahs’ Scheme of expansionism, hatred, terrorism, intolerance and dictatorship.
 In our Holy Christian theology, we the Christians do not believe in death in its human and earthly concepts because Jesus Christ, through his crucifixion, death and resurrection has defeated it, and destroyed its thorn.
 Mean while, what is comforting for the faithful Christians is that the departed (the dead) from this mortal world are happy where they are, and all what we are ought to do is to pray for them.
 Saint Paul in his First Letter to the (Corinthians 15/51-56) writes: “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.” “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law
 The Holy Bible tells us that, As long as we remain here on earth in these fleshly mortal bodies, we feel lonely and alienated. We long with utmost eagerness to return to our father’s mansions, in heaven. Mansions that He has built for each and every one of us and in which no man’s hand had to do any thing in their construction. Our nostalgic and home sickness for our actual dwellings in heaven makes us always in a state of waiting with hope and happiness to return there and abandon the earthy tents, the bodies in which our souls are mere temporary guests.
 (02 Corinthians 05/01-10):”For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. Meanwhile we groan, longing to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, because when we are clothed, we will not be found naked. For while we are in this tent, we groan and are burdened, because we do not wish to be unclothed but to be clothed instead with our heavenly dwelling, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who has fashioned us for this very purpose is God, who has given us the Spirit as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come. Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.”
 Those righteous, like Patriarch Sfier who depart from this mortal life, their souls are in heaven, in their great father’s dwelling with the angels and righteous.
 Where their souls are now, there is no pain, no sadness, no fear, no hatred, no grudges, no hostilities, no fights, no sickness, no anger, no jealousness , no anguish or problems, But peace, love, comfort and happiness all the time.
 God who grants the souls life on earth, is the one who calls on it back when the time is due.
 The departed (the dead) are happy where they are, so let us regularly pray for them.
 Day by day, our physical mortal bodies are dying. From the moment we are conceived, our flesh is in a slow process of aging until the day we reach our final breath.
 During times of affliction and trouble, we feel this “wasting away” more acutely.
 Are we disheartened today? No as faithful Christians we are immune to discouragement.
 It is true that we all lose heart now and then. But, like Saint Paul, we can look to the unseen for encouragement.
 During hard days, let our spiritual eyes come alive, and through this farsighted lens look past what is seen.
 With eyes of faith we can see what cannot be seen and get a glorious glimpse of eternity.
 It remains that our great Patriarch’s soul has been transformed from death to live and he is now in heaven beside the angels and saints .
 With faith and hope, let us all pray that the soul of Our beloved and great Patriarch, Mar Nasrallah Boutrous Sfier is resting in heaven with the peace of Jesus Christ.

Renowned Lebanese Sculptor Carves Patriarch Sfeir's Coffin
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 15th May 2019/The body of Patriarch Emeritus Nasrallah Sfeir will be laid to rest in a coffin designed by the renowned sculptor and painter Rudy Rahme who took up the challenge to finalized the work in just 48 hours. Speaking to the Kataeb website, Rahme explained that the coffin is carved on the trunk of an olive tree that bears witness to the history of Lebanon, and edged with brass. The late patriarch's face is engraved on a slab of marble capping the casket. The design was drawn on Sunday night and the sculpture work began directly in the morning of the next day, Rahme noted. "It is from his prayers and faith in Lebanon that we have derived our strength and determination to pay tribute to a person to whom Lebanon's glory has always belonged," Rahme concluded.

Sayegh Hails Cardinal Sfeir as Saint in Heaven, Historic Figure on Earth
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 15th May 2019/Kataeb's Deputy-President Salim Sayegh on Wednesday hailed the late Patriarch Emeritus Nasrallah Sfeir as a man who referred to "divine" wisdom not the earthly one, saying that he was always eager to preserve national unity while pinpointing what's wrong. “The patriarch cared about the unity of the Lebanese and Christians, but did not want it to be based on falsehood. Therefore, he always spoke the truth and had a remarkable flexibility in dealing with others, while, at the same time, being an extremist when it came to constants,” Sayegh said in an interview with Voice of Lebanon radio station. Sayegh praised the late Patriarch as a steadfast man, adding that he never changed his stances in order to please anyone nor tolerated the destructive lust for power. "He was convinced that Lebanon cannot be governed through a unilateral proposal, but rather through a historic settlement, unlike the ones being sealed at the present time."“He has taken the road of sainthood in heaven and entered history in his nation on earth ," he said.

Crowds Line the Streets to Bid Farewell to Late Patriarch
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 15th May 2019/Throngs of people converged in the streets on Wednesday to bid Patriarch Emeritus Nasrallah Sfeir farewell as the convoy carrying his body clawed its way through the crowds along the road from Ashrafieh to Jounieh. The convoy departed early in the morning from the Hotel Dieu Hospital where the patriarch was undergoing medical treatment, making several stops along the way to allow people to approach the vehicle transporting the coffin. The body of the late cardinal will lie in state at the Maronite Patriarchate's seat in Bkirki until the funeral set to take place tomorrow at 5 pm. Sfeir's successor, Patriarch Bechara Al-Rahi, officiated a prayer service upon the coffin's arrival at Bkirki where consecutive masses are set to be held during the day. It is worth noting that today, May 15, would have marked Sfeir's 99th birthday.

Lebanon Bids Farewell to Cardinal Sfeir
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 15/2019/Lebanon bids farewell on Wednesday to former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Boutros Sfeir, who died Sunday. Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi presided a prayer service in Bkirki in mourning of Sfeir. The convoy carrying the body of Sfeir departed early on Wednesday from the Hotel Dieu De France Hospital in Ashrafieh heading to Bkirki. Scores of people lined the streets from Ashrafieh to Jounieh to pay their respects. The Lebanese flag was flown at half-mast over the Presidential Palace in Baabda in mourning. Sfeir, who was set to turn 99 on Wednesday, died on Sunday after days of intensive medical care. Sfeir wielded considerable political influence during the country's civil war and was an ardent advocate of a Syrian troop withdrawal. He became the leader of the church in 1986 until he resigned in 2011 due to his declining health, and held the title "76th Patriarch of Antioch and the Whole Levant". He was a respected power broker during the 1975-1990 civil war, which saw bitter infighting between rival militias including opposing Christian factions. Sfeir, who spoke fluent Arabic and French, was made a cardinal by Pope John Paul II in 1994.

Satterfield Resumes Talks on Maritime Demarcation, Meets Aoun, Bassil

Naharnet/May 15/2019/President Michel Aoun held talks on Wednesday with Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield who arrived in Beirut on Tuesday, as Washington mediates a maritime border dispute with Israel.
Aoun and Satterfield discussed the bilateral relations between Lebanon and the US, and the latest developments on the local and regional arenas, the National News Agency reported. "The demarcation of the southern territorial and maritime borders would re-enforce stability along the frontier," Aoun told the U.S. diplomat. The president called on Washington to "contribute to reaching this goal, especially to respect Lebanon's... right to drill for oil and gas," he said, according to a presidency statement. They discussed a "working mechanism" to define the borders, the presidency said, without providing details.
A diplomatic source told AFP that Lebanon had received "positive signals of an American desire to play the role of mediator between Beirut and Tel Aviv."Satterfield had earlier met with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, but did not make a statement to reporters after the meeting. Ministry sources told LBCI the “meeting (with Bassil) was more than positive and discussions tackled the latest developments in the region and the Gulf area.”They said that talks have focused on the “demarcation of land and maritime borders.”On Tuesday the US envoy met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, and visited the headquarters of the Maronite Catholic church, where he paid condolences for the passing of its former patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, who died on Sunday. Satterfield’s visit comes a week after President Michel Aoun presented the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon with a "unified stance" regarding the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel. Last month, Lebanon's Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told the commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Stefano del Col, that Beirut is ready to establish the maritime border and special economic zone with Israel similar to the one used to demarcate the land border between the two countries after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. There are some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of waters claimed by the two countries, which are technically in a state of conflict. Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006. In December 2017, the Lebanese Cabinet approved licenses for three international companies to carry out exploratory drilling off the Lebanese coast. The licenses will allow Italy's Eni, France's Total and Russia's Novatek, who bid for two of Lebanon's 10 offshore blocks, to determine whether oil and gas exist. Last month, Lebanon's Energy Minister Nada Boustani announced a second round of bidding for licenses to search offshore for oil. Boustani said the deadline for companies to submit their offers for three new blocks is Jan. 31, 2020. Lebanon is expected to begin drilling for oil and gas later this year in block 4 that is off the coast north of Beirut and in block 9 along the maritime border with Israel in January 2020. Lebanese governments have long sought energy development but political bickering and the dispute with Israel over the maritime border has caused delay

US Official in Beirut to Discuss Border Dispute with Israel
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 15/2019
Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri received US acting Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield Tuesday as Washington mediates a maritime border dispute with Israel. Satterfield arrived earlier in the day to begin a two-day visit to meet officials in Lebanon, which is in an economic crisis. He did not speak to journalists after his meeting with Hariri, said The Associated Press. Lebanon's economy is mired in debt and struggling to grow as the war in neighboring Syria stretches into its eighth year. The war has brought more than a million refugees into the Mediterranean nation. Beirut hopes that oil and gas brings cash into the state's dried up coffers. Satterfield's visit comes a week after President Michel Aoun presented the US ambassador to Lebanon with a "unified stance" regarding the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel. Last month, parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told the commander of the UN Interim Forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Maj. Gen. Stefano del Col, that Beirut is ready to establish the maritime border and special economic zone with Israel similar to the one used to demarcate the land border between the two countries after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. There are some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of waters claimed by the two countries, which are technically in a state of conflict.  Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah party fought a monthlong war in 2006. In December 2017, the Lebanese cabinet approved licenses for three international companies to carry out exploratory drilling off the Lebanese coast. The licenses will allow Italy's Eni, France's Total and Russia's Novatek, who bid for two of Lebanon's 10 offshore blocks, to determine whether oil and gas exist. Last month, Lebanon's Energy Minister Nada Boustani announced a second round of bidding for licenses to search offshore for oil. Boustani said the deadline for companies to submit their offers for three new blocks is January 31, 2020. Lebanon is expected to begin drilling for oil and gas later this year in block 4 that is off the coast north of Beirut and in block 9 along the maritime border with Israel in January 2020. Lebanese governments have long sought energy development but political bickering and the dispute with Israel over the maritime border has caused delays. Satterfield visited earlier Tuesday the headquarters of the Moronite Catholic church, where he paid condolences for the passing away of its former Patriarch Nasrallah Sfeir, who died on Sunday.

Aoun: Wages of Lower, Middle Classes Won't be Touched
Naharnet/May 15/2019/President Michel Aoun on Wednesday reassured that the salaries of the lower and middle classes will not be affected by the austerity measures pertaining to the 2019 state budget. Meeting with a delegation from the Economic and Social Council led by Charbel Arbid, the president stressed the need to “turn the Lebanese economy from one based on services into a productive one.”He also reassured that “the salaries of lower and middle classes will not be touched in the draft state budget.”Aoun also discussed the 2019 budget with a delegation from the Association of the Armed Forces Veterans. The retired servicemen underscored that it is unacceptable to slash three percent of their medical care compensations as the president underlined his keenness on their rights and on the rights of those in active service. Lebanon is set to impose austerity measures to combat its bulging fiscal deficit. It is one of the world's most indebted countries, with public debt estimated at 141 percent of gross domestic product in 2018, according to credit ratings agency Moody's. The budget for 2019 has yet to be finalized, but thousands of Lebanese public employees went on strike last week amid fears that their salaries and benefits would be cut as part of strict austerity measures to reduce a ballooning budget deficit and massive national debt. They included employees at Banque du Liban, Beirut's port, the Social National Security Fund and the main state-run landline telephone company. Retired servicemen have also staged a series of protests across Lebanon.

Saudi Ambassador from Baabda: Sfeir Was a Pillar of Coexistence
Naharnet/May 15/2019/Saudi Ambassador to Lebanon Walid al-Bukhari on Wednesday conveyed to President Michel Aoun the condolences of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdul Aziz, upon the passing of former Maronite Patriarch Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, the National News Agency said. Bukhari said on behalf of the Saudi leadership “Patriarch Sfeir was one of the most important pillars of peace and coexistence in Lebanon and the world," said NNA. "I wished the President health, and I wished Lebanon more stability," Bukhari added. Ambassador Bukhari also noted that the Saudi leadership had tasked him to represent the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia at the funeral of Sfeir in Bkirki tomorrow.

U.S. Embassy in Beirut Warns Americans of 'Heightened Tensions'
Naharnet/May 15/2019/The U.S. Embassy in Beirut on Wednesday warned U.S. citizens in Lebanon of “heightened tensions in the region,” urging them to “maintain a high level of vigilance.”“The U.S. Embassy in Beirut advises all U.S. citizens of heightened tensions in the region. We strongly encourage U.S. citizens to maintain a high level of vigilance and practice good situational awareness,” the embassy said in a security alert published on its website. It accordingly urged its citizens to “keep a low profile,” be aware of their “surroundings,” review their personal security plans and have travel documents up to date. Earlier in the day, the U.S. ordered all non-emergency staff to leave its embassy in Baghdad and consulate in Arbil, as tensions mount between the United States and Iraq's neighbor Iran. Washington has ramped up pressure on Tehran in recent days, accusing Iran of planning unspecified "imminent" attacks in the region, and bolstering the American military presence in the Gulf. A State Department advisory announcing the partial embassy closures warned of numerous "terrorist and insurgent groups" active in Iraq, including "anti-U.S. sectarian militias" who could "threaten U.S. citizens and Western companies throughout Iraq." Tensions have sharply escalated between arch-rivals Washington and Tehran since U.S. President Donald Trump withdrew last May from the 2015 international Iran nuclear deal which removed sanctions in exchange for curbs on Iran's nuclear program.

Satterfield Meets Hariri Again to Discuss Border Dispute with Israel
Naharnet/May 15/2019/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with Acting US Assistant Secretary of State David Satterfield for a second time on the visit who made no comments to the press after his meeting with the Premier. On Tuesday, Hariri also received Satterfield who has been mediating the maritime border dispute between Israel and Lebanon. Satterfield arrived Tuesday to begin a two-day visit to meet officials in Lebanon, which is in an economic crisis. He did not speak to journalists after his meeting with Hariri. Lebanon's economy is mired in debt and struggling to grow as the civil war in neighboring Syria stretches into its eighth year. The war has brought more than a million refugees into the Mediterranean nation. Beirut hopes that oil and gas brings cash into the state's dried up coffers. Satterfield's visit comes a week after President Michel Aoun presented the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon with a "unified stance" regarding the demarcation of the maritime border between Lebanon and Israel. Last month, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri told the commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Stefano del Col, that Beirut is ready to establish the maritime border and special economic zone with Israel similar to the one used to demarcate the land border between the two countries after Israel's withdrawal from southern Lebanon in 2000. There are some 860 square kilometers (330 square miles) of waters claimed by the two countries, which are technically in a state of conflict. Israel and Lebanon's Hezbollah fought a monthlong war in 2006. In December 2017, the Lebanese Cabinet approved licenses for three international companies to carry out exploratory drilling off the Lebanese coast. The licenses will allow Italy's Eni, France's Total and Russia's Novatek, who bid for two of Lebanon's 10 offshore blocks, to determine whether oil and gas exist. Last month, Lebanon's Energy Minister Nada Boustani announced a second round of bidding for licenses to search offshore for oil. Boustani said the deadline for companies to submit their offers for three new blocks is Jan. 31, 2020. Lebanon is expected to begin drilling for oil and gas later this year in block 4 that is off the coast north of Beirut and in block 9 along the maritime border with Israel in January 2020. Lebanese governments have long sought energy development but political bickering and the dispute with Israel over the maritime border has caused delays. Satterfield visited earlier Tuesday the headquarters of the Maronite Calthoic church, where he paid condolences for the passing away of its former patriarch, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, who died on Sunday.

LF Slams 'Procrastination' as Government's Budget Debate Drags On
Naharnet/May 15/2019/The Lebanese Forces on Wednesday slammed what it called procrastination as the government failed anew to finalize its discussion of the 2019 draft state budget. “Today we finalized all the legal articles related to the state budget which were raised during the previous sessions and we will hold another session Friday at 1:30 pm, during which the finance minister will submit a final report on the numbers of ministries and subordinate administrations,” Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah said after a cabinet session. Asked whether the debate might drag into next week, Jarrah said: “We might not finish this week, because we cannot but take all proposals into consideration. Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil meanwhile tweeted that he stressed to Cabinet his stance that “rejects hiking the budget of any ministry.”Defense Minister Elias Bou Saab for his part lamented that some in Cabinet tried to negotiate with him to “give up the funds dedicated to sending flowers on behalf of the army chief to the families of martyrs.”“Contrary to what the information minister said, Measure No. 3 was not approved and I agreed with PM Saad Hariri on holding a meeting with Interior Minister Raya al-Hassan to agree on a formula that suits both the army and the Internal Security Forces,” Bou Saab added. “We slashed the defense ministry's budget without touching salaries,” the minister said, adding that “those who want to preserve the servicemen's rights must find other sources to lower the deficit.”The minister also called Hariri to inquire about a media report claiming that the premier had called off a nightly cabinet session after he was “infuriated” by Bou Saab's remarks. “I don't know where they got this report from,” Bou Saab quoted Hariri as telling him. State Minister for Administrative Development May Chidiac of the LF meanwhile decried “the re-discussion of approved points,” warning that “this procrastination indicates that we will not finish this budget.”Lebanon has vowed to slash public spending to unlock $11 billion worth of aid pledged by international donors during an April 2018 conference in Paris. Last month, Hariri vowed to introduce "the most austere budget in Lebanon's history" to combat the country's bulging fiscal deficit, sparking fears among public sector employees that their salaries may be cut. Lebanon is one of the world's most indebted countries, with public debt estimated at 141 percent of GDP in 2018, according to credit ratings agency Moody's.

5 Lebanese to be Released, 3 Sentenced in UAE Hizbullah Trial
Associated Press/Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 15/2019/A relative says that a Lebanese man held in the United Arab Emirates on charges of terrorism has been sentenced to life in prison, while five others were ordered released. The relative of Abdul Rahman Shouman, 39, said the sentences were handed down Wednesday in a state security court in the Emirates. The relative, speaking from Lebanon, refused to be identified for security reasons. He said Shouman was charged with being one of the leaders of a terrorist cell with links to Lebanon's Hizbullah group. Shouman has been denied access to his lawyer, the relative said. Two others were sentenced to 10 years while five were acquitted. The eight men, Shiite and long-time residents of Emirates, were detained over a year ago. Shouman trained Emirati airline staff on security and safety. "The absence of basic requirements of a fair trial, such as having access to a lawyer, strips today's verdict of any reliability or credibility," said Lynn Maalouf, Amnesty International's Middle East research head. "The eight men were held in solitary confinement for over a year -- this in itself can amount to torture. They were denied access to lawyers during the pre-trial interrogation," she said in a statement.

Under Pressure from Donors, Lebanon Mulls Austerity Budget
After decades of civil war and repeated political crises made it one of the world's most indebted countries, Lebanon is drafting its "most austere" budget to secure billions of dollars in international aid. The small Mediterranean country has promised donors to slash public spending as part of reforms to unlock $11 billion in aid pledged at a conference in Paris last year. Growth in Lebanon has plummeted in the wake of endless political deadlocks in recent years, compounded by the 2011 breakout of civil war in neighbouring Syria. The country has been racking up public debt since the end of its 1975-1990 civil war, which now stands at 152 percent of gross domestic product (GDP), according to the finance ministry. Eighty percent of that debt is owed to Lebanon's central bank and local banks. Prime Minister Saad Hariri last month vowed to introduce "the most austere budget in Lebanon's history", sparking fears of benefit cuts in the public sector. The cabinet has not yet released a full austerity package for 2019, but already it has faced a string of small protests. Lebanon's government is under pressure from all sides, said Nassib Ghobril, head of the economic research at Byblos Bank. At home, "the pressure comes from the Lebanese citizen who sees job opportunities and the economy are in decline", a private sector suffering from cost increases, and a banking sector weighed down by having to fund the public sector, he explained. And the cabinet has to meet the expectations of "countries and institutions" who have promised billions in aid, he said.
'Social upheaval'
Despite previous promises of reform, Lebanese have continued to complain of unemployment, poor infrastructure, and dire public services including an ageing electricity grid plagued by frequent power cuts. More than a quarter of all Lebanese live in poverty, according to World Bank figures. At the Paris conference, Lebanon committed to gradually reducing its public deficit over five years, but appears to have missed the mark for 2018. The World Bank estimates the public deficit reached 11.5 percent of GDP for that year, above the figures for previous years. As the cabinet mulls how to cut expenses in 2019, Lebanese public employees are warning their benefits are a red line. For the first time in the country's history, a strike by central bank employees briefly crippled the country's stock exchange earlier this month. Also clamouring against austerity measures that would affect them are army pensioners, port workers, public university staff, and employees of the national electricity company. "We're against any measure that will affect disadvantaged sections of the population," Lebanon's labour union chief Beshara Asmar told AFP. "If the government does not take note of the remarks we have submitted to it... the budget will lead to social upheaval," he warned. So far, to decrease the public deficit, the cabinet has announced it will increase taxes on interest income from bank deposits from seven to 10 percent.The government is also expected to slash salaries and freeze recruitment in the public sector.
Tax evasion
But Ghobril said measures like raising taxes showed "a lack of seriousness in finding sources of revenue" Instead, he suggested tackling rampant tax evasion, and chasing up unpaid utility bills. The state should also fight smuggling to increase custom revenues, and make sure influential businessman who have built illegally on state-owned land along the coast actually pay fines. "Around 50 percent of individuals and companies in Lebanon do not declare all taxes" they should pay, Ghobril said. "All these measures just require political will. They could easily bring in $1 billion in 2019 without even increasing taxes," the economist said. Many Lebanese are disillusioned with the ruling class, whom they accuse of nepotism and graft. After previous pledges of aid have failed to bring about structural reform in Lebanon, international creditors last year set conditions on handing out more cash. A government finally formed in January after an eight-month political deadlock is grappling to complete the requirements on time to receive these monies. In April, the cabinet approved a plan to reform a costly but underperforming electricity sector.And as the cabinet now moves on to cutting budget expenses, members of the Lebanese public are making sure they are not trampled in the process. "This is the last warning," said retired general Ali Amer at a recent protest in Beirut against feared pension cuts. If the budget does affect their retirement benefits, "we will be on the streets every day, all over the country, burning tyres and blocking roads," he said.

Khalil Says ‘Positive Results’ on Budget Study

Naharnet/May 15/2019/Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil assured on Wednesday that positive results will be reached regarding the budget discussions, noting that Prime Minister Saad Hariri is keen on concluding the discussions today, al-Joumhouria daily said. “The figures will be finalized on Wednesday after we introduce the amendments we have agreed upon during the previous session. Many items and procedures will be reconsidered," Khalil told the daily. The Minister said the Premier has a tendency to complete the budget study today, “I am satisfied that we will reach positive results,” he said. According to the daily, Khalil will hold a press conference after the budget approval to explain the procedures and amendments, and to present its figures to the public.

Tokyo Prosecutors Request to Revise Ghosn Indictment
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 14 May, 2019/Tokyo prosecutors have filed a request to revise the content of their indictment of Carlos Ghosn for aggravated breach of trust, providing further details on alleged cash transfers, Kyodo news reported Tuesday. Ghosn has been charged on several counts of financial misconduct and of allegedly enriching himself at Nissan Motor Co Ltd’s expense. He has denied all charges against him. The former chief of Nissan and alliance-partner Renault SA is currently free on a $4.5 million bail as he awaits trial. Under the bail conditions, Ghosn’s movements and communications are closely monitored and restricted to prevent his fleeing the country and tampering with evidence. Ghosn has said he is the victim of a boardroom coup, accusing former Nissan colleagues of “backstabbing”, describing them as selfish rivals bent on derailing a closer alliance between the Japanese automaker and Renault, its top shareholder.

NGO offers Lebanon taste of lionfish in effort to contain invasive species
Nicholas Frakes/Al Monitor/May 15/2019
BATROUN, Lebanon — Blaring music filled the air and the smell of the grilling fish overwhelmed the small beach. Dozens of people gathered around the grill to watch as the juices bubbled and dripped from the lionfish’s skin.
The Lebanese NGO Diaries of the Ocean launched its “Eat the Lionfish” campaign at Colonel Beer, a brewery and restaurant in the seaside city of Batroun, on May 11 in an effort to raise awareness about the lionfish and the significant threat it poses to the Mediterranean Sea ecosystem.
The lionfish was first spotted in Lebanese waters in 2012 after entering from the Red Sea through the Suez Canal. Jina Talj, the NGO’s founder, told Al-Monitor, “Since then, it has spread everywhere along the coastline, especially in rocky shores, and most of our shoreline is rocky. Like 80% of it is rocky, so there’s lionfish everywhere.”
Talj added that the lionfish has no natural predators in the Mediterranean and is able to rapidly reproduce because of that. The lionfish produces eggs all year and a single female can produce up to 2 million eggs in that time. “It has a ferocious appetite and it eats everything,” Talj explained. “They can revert to cannibalism if they don’t find enough food to eat.”She said one of the lionfish that they were going to cook today had a baby lionfish in its mouth when they opened it.
“They are monsters!” she exclaimed.
Since the lionfish will eat most other fish and sea life, they threaten other species in Lebanese waters and could dominate the Mediterranean. According to Talj, the lionfish's numbers are still low, so there is still time to “prevent an ecological disaster” if people take action and one way of doing this is to eat it.
“They have very tasty meat, very nutritious. So we can increase pressure on the lionfish and control its population that way and, at the same time, we would be benefitting the fishermen,” Talj explained. “We would be creating an extra source of income for them and at the same time ridding our sea of this pest.”
Talj and Diaries of the Ocean held the event not only to promote their “Eat the Lionfish” campaign, but also to introduce Lebanese people to the invasive fish and to allow them to taste it. “First of all, not many people know about it,” she said, adding, “Even fishermen! So part of our campaign is introducing fishermen to the lionfish, guiding them and supporting them with the lionfish because most of them are scared of it because of its spines. Whenever they catch it, they release it back to the sea, which is not good. It is the opposite of what we want.”
Prior to the campaign, members of Diaries of the Ocean talked with fishermen about the lionfish. They explained how to find the fish and the best methods and tools to catch it. They are also trying to convince restaurants to offer the lionfish on their menus so that the fishermen will have more incentives to catch them. However, due to its venomous spines, the fish has a reputation as dangerous and not edible. However, the spines are the only venomous part, and they must pierce the skin to inject the venom.
Talj explained, “Once we cut out the 18 venomous spines, the meat is perfectly safe to eat. Even if you keep a tiny bit of the spine or you do not clean it properly, once you heat it, the heat will … denature the venom. So it is still safe to eat.”Over 132 pounds of lionfish were caught along the Lebanese coast and grilled during the event, but with over 100 in attendance, each were only able to get a small taste. The lionfish was provided in part by the Dive the Med Club, a freediving and scuba school in Batroun. Volunteers took a week off of work to catch the fish. The club’s managing director, Kamal Greig, hopes that more people will demand lionfish be served in restaurants.
Greig told Al-Monitor, “Hopefully the taste will stick in their minds and they will start asking for it. And once they do, we’ve created a demand for that fish. And then the other part is teaching the fishermen to safely do the catch, giving them the equipment that they need, and therefore, you complete the cycle.”
He explained that the fish is not difficult to catch since it relies on its spines for protection and is not quick to flee. The challenge comes in locating the fish since it prefers deeper waters. Since the lionfish will eat nearly anything, Greig said that he and his colleagues have already begun to see the devastating effects that it can have on the sea’s ecosystem. “We have seen a huge decline in all of the local species,” he said solemnly. “This has pushed us. It has given us motivation to stop what we are doing because we feel the threat. We feel that if we don’t do anything about it, in 10 years’ time, we are not going to see anything but lionfish. Eventually it is going to be a disaster for the ecosystem.”
“Colonel [Beer] already added a lionfish dish to the menu,” she said. “This is one of the objectives of the campaign, to make restaurants start selling it. Fishermen in the Batroun area helped us catch the lionfish for the event. They know about it now and that Colonel is selling it, and they know that people will be demanding the lionfish.”Jamil Haddad, the owner of Colonel Beer, was quick to express his support for the campaign. “Look, we are part of the sea life,” Haddad told Al-Monitor. “This invasive species, it’s killing, it’s eating all of the other local species. … We have a responsibility. And our responsibility is to create awareness about this fish and also creating a demand for this fish.” Haddad said that he was going to price lionfish on the menu lower than all of the other fish so that people will try it.
He said, “You can see all of the people who came for this event because they really care about nature and the sea, about the balance in the water. And people want to order it, so I believe that if you know how to market it and we really explain to people what the difficulties are, then people will order it. If not, then I will eat it every day.”There appeared to already be an increase in demand, according to Talj, who said that people were already approaching her and Diaries of the Ocean and asking them to hold similar events in their areas.
She smiled, “They know that fishermen are catching lionfish in their area, so they want to give their support.”
*Nicholas Frakes is a freelance journalist and photojournalist based in Lebanon. Frakes covers the Middle East for multiple outlets, including the New Arab and Public Radio International. On Twitter: @nicfrakesjourno

The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 15-16/19
Iran Officially Stops Some Commitments under Nuclear Deal

Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/Iran has officially stopped some commitments under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, an informed official in the country’s atomic energy body told the ISNA news agency on Wednesday. The decision came following an order from its national security council. Last week, Iran notified China, France, Germany, Russia and the United Kingdom of its decision to halt some commitments under the nuclear deal, a year after the United States unilaterally withdrew from the accord and re-imposed sanctions. Under the nuclear deal, Tehran was allowed to produce low-enriched uranium with a 300-kg limit, and produce heavy water with a stock capped around 130 tons. Tehran could ship the excess amounts out of the country for storage or sale. The official said Iran has no limit from now for production of enriched uranium and heavy water. Iran has warned that unless the world powers protect Iran’s economy from US sanctions within 60 days, Iran would start enriching uranium at higher level. The European Union and the foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain said they were still committed to the deal but would not accept ultimatums from Tehran. The deal also caps the level of purity to which Iran can enrich uranium at 3.67 percent, far below the 90 percent of weapons grade. It is also well below the 20 percent level to which Iran enriched uranium before the deal.

Pompeo Continues to Pressure Iran from Sochi
Moscow – Raed Jabr/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said that the US does not seek a war with Iran, amid rapidly growing tensions between the two countries, but "We have also made clear to the Iranians that if American interests are attacked, we will most certainly respond in an appropriate fashion."During a joint news conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Sochi, Pompeo added that the US was looking for Iran to behave like a "normal country" but would respond if its interests were attacked. Despite this rhetoric, the Russian minister expressed optimism on the Iranian nuclear deal. Lavrov said Moscow would work "to ensure this situation does not descend into a military scenario." "Bu the fact that we speak on this topic, and we will continue to speak. This gives us hope that some agreements can be reached," he added. After their talks, they headed to meet Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov who said earlier that the meeting was to focus on Iran among other topics. "The most pressing issues will be discussed. Clearly, the agenda will include bilateral relations, strategic stability, and disarmament issues, as well as regional crises, namely, Iran, Syria, and Venezuela, as well as the Korean Peninsula denuclearization," Peskov said, adding that the parties might touch upon some other matters. Director of the Department for the Arms Non-Proliferation and Control at the Russian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Yermakov told RIA Novosti that, "As cynical as this sounds, Tehran is doing exactly what Washington was urging it to do through its recent nuclear sanctions. The United States has made enriched uranium and heavy water export impossible. Iran will, therefore, stock it, and only Washington is to blame.”

Eleven Terror Attacks Sought Harming Saudi Oil Facilities

Riyadh- Saleh Al- Zayed/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/Iran, using regional proxies, has been gradually scaling up its attacks against Saudi oil targets since 2003. In total eleven terror attempts have targeted Saudi Arabian oil facilities within the last 16 years. Al Qaeda, ISIS, and Houthis have each staged attacks against the kingdom. The latest in a series of terror-linked violence was a multiple drone attack which hit Aramco oil stations in each of the Al Duawadimi and Afif districts in Riyadh. It is worth noting that the attacks came a day after officials in Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates claimed four oil tankers were damaged by “sabotage” suspected to have been carried out by Iran or its allied proxies. Drone terror attacks by Houthis against the pumping stations is reminiscent of previous attempts, such as the abortive attack which attempted to blow up a platform and an Aramco oil distribution station in April 2017 in the Saudi port city of Jizan. Two oil tankers belonging to the Saudi national shipping company in the Red Sea were attacked by Yemen's Houthi militia after crossing the Bab al-Mandab Strait in 2018 as well. One of the earliest attacks on oil installations and pipelines in Saudi Arabia was staged by car suicide bombers who detonated in an oil refinery in eastern Saudi Arabia, killing a security man and thwarting Saudi Arabia in November. In 2007 an imminent attack plotted against a backup oil facility in Saudi Arabia’s eastern region was thwarted, where a cell of eight people led by a resident in Saudi Arabia was arrested. In 1987, members of the Iran-backed Hezbollah Al-Hejaz set arson at a facility in the Ras Tanura oil complex in eastern Saudi Arabia. In the same year, terrorists from the same group attacked property at the SADAF Petrochemical Complex in the eastern Saudi city of Jubail. Saudi security servicemen have also thwarted attacks which sought to blow up an oil pipeline in the Al Duawadimi district in Riyadh. The terror cell had received instructions from a Syria-based intermediary in Syria.

US Orders Non-Essential Embassy Staff to Leave Iraq Amid Iran Tensions

Baghdad/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/The US Embassy in Iraq says the State Department has ordered all non-essential, non-emergency government staff to leave the country right away amid escalating tensions with Iran. The alert, published on the embassy’s website on Wednesday, comes after Washington last week said it had detected new and urgent threats from Iran and its proxy forces in the region targeting Americans and American interests. On Sunday, the embassy advised Americans to avoid travel to Iraq, citing “heightened tensions.”Meanwhile, the German government said the country's military has suspended training of Iraqi soldiers due to tensions in the region between the US and Iran but has no indication of any specific threat to its own troops. German Defense Ministry spokesman Jens Flosdorff says that Germany is "orienting itself toward our partner countries, which have taken this step."
But he stressed that "there is no concrete threat" and the decision is down to the security situation in general being viewed as more tense. Germany currently has about 160 German soldiers in Iraq as part of the fight against the ISIS group, about 60 of them at a base north of Baghdad where Iraqi forces are being trained. Flosdorff said that training could in principle resume within days.

US, Russia Talks Stress ‘Urgent Solutions’ in Syria
Moscow, Ankara - Raed Jaber and Saeed Abdul Razek/Baghdad/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov agreed on Tuesday to improve their relations, reach “quick solutions” in Syria and de-escalate tension in Idlib. "I raised our concerns about the escalation of the situation around Idlib," Pompeo said. The two men met Tuesday in the Black Sea city of Sochi in hopes of finding common grounds in strategic issues, including Iran and Syria. The US official said he discussed with Lavrov the general situation in Syria. "We both want to move forward on the political track to bring the suffering of the Syrian people to an end,” he said. Despite the presence of several pending files between the two sides, Lavrov said that Washington and Moscow should put aside years of mistrust and find a way to work together constructively and to continue bilateral consultations on several issues, including the need to eliminate terrorism in Syria and support the full implementation of the UN Security Council resolution 2254. "On Syria, we spoke about the need to fully implement resolution 2254, its key provision being respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria," he added. The two officials had met last week in Finland at a meeting of the eight-member Arctic Council.  Lavrov said he agreed with Pompeo to continue consultations based on the existing contacts between the two sides. “We checked our positions on a number of important aspects relating to the complete eradication of terrorism from the Syrian territories, providing conditions to resettle refugees, resolving humanitarian issues and launching political process in the framework of forming a constitutional committee. We believe that this institution will be able to start working in Geneva soon, under the auspices of the UN,” he remarked.

UAE Says 'Committed to De-escalation' after Ship Attacks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 15/2019/The UAE said Wednesday it was "committed to de-escalation" after a spike in tensions in the Gulf but warned it would retaliate hard against Yemen rebel attacks on civilian facilities in the region. The UAE minister of state for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, was speaking after the mysterious sabotage at the weekend of four ships, including two Saudi oil tankers, and after Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed drone attacks Tuesday that shut down a key Saudi oil pipeline. "We are very committed to de-escalation, peace and stability," he told journalists at a briefing in Dubai.
He said a multi-country investigation into the sabotage attacks would be concluded within days, adding: "We are not going to jump the gun.""We need to emphasise caution without throwing accusations," he said. "We have always called for restraint and we will always call for that." However, he blamed "Iranian behaviour" for tensions in the Gulf region, where Washington has sent an aircraft carrier and B-52 bombers in response to unspecified Iranian threats against American interests. "It is this behavior that has led to the difficult conditions," Gargash said. The UAE says three Western countries -- the US, France and Norway -- would take part in an investigation into the ship attacks, alongside Abu Dhabi and Riyadh. Gargash was speaking a day after drone strikes hit two pumping stations in neighbouring Saudi Arabia's key east-west pipeline. The pipeline, with a capacity of five million barrels of crude per day, provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Gulf were to be closed. Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes and said they were in response to "crimes" committed by Saudi Arabia and its allies during more than four years of war in support of the government. The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition battling the Huthis in Yemen. "We will retaliate and we will retaliate hard when we see Huthis hitting civilian targets like what happened in Saudi Arabia," Gargash said Wednesday. OPEC giant Saudi Arabia currently pumps around 10 million barrels per day of which around seven million are exported.At present, most Saudi exports are loaded onto tankers at terminals on the kingdom's Gulf coast and must pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz in case of a military confrontation with the United States.

Riyadh Says Oil Facility Attacks Target World Supplies
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 15/2019/Saudi Arabia said Wednesday that attacks on two of its oil tankers and a major pipeline targeted not only its own security but that of the world's supplies. Drone attacks claimed by Iran-aligned Yemeni rebels shut down one of the kingdom's main oil pipelines on Tuesday, further ratcheting up Gulf tensions after the mysterious sabotage of four ships, two of them Saudi tankers, just outside the Gulf on Sunday. "The cabinet affirms that these acts of terrorism and sabotage ... do not only target the kingdom but also the security of world oil supplies and the global economy," it said after a meeting chaired by King Salman in the Red Sea city of Jeddah on Tuesday evening. Tuesday's drone strikes hit two pumping stations on the kingdom's east-west pipeline, which can carry five million barrels of crude per day and provides a strategic alternative route for Saudi exports if the shipping lane from the Gulf through the Stait of Hormuz is closed. Yemen's Huthi rebels claimed responsibility for the strikes and said they were a response to "crimes" committed by Saudi Arabia and its allies during more than four years of war in support of the government. The Saudi tankers Al-Marzoqah and Amjad suffered "significant damage" in as yet unexplained sabotage attacks in the Sea of Oman off the United Artab Emirates on Sunday, Energy Minister Khalid al-Falih said, but there were no casualties or any oil spill. Neither Saudi Arabia nor the UAE, both close allies of the United States, have yet given details on the exact nature of those attacks, which come amid heightened tensions between Washington and Riyadh's arch rival Tehran. The Saudi cabinet called for "confronting terrorist entities which carry out such sabotage acts, including the Iran-backed Huthi militias in Yemen." Saudi Arabia, the world's largest exporter of oil, currently pumps around 10 million barrels per day of which around seven million bpd are exported. At present, most Saudi exports are loaded onto tankers at terminals on the kingdom's Gulf coast and must pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The Golan is next after Iran hit 3 Gulf oil targets, say Rev Guards associates
DEBKAfile/May 15/2019
Two staffers on Iranian Revolutionary Guards publications reported on Tuesday, May 14 that the Israeli Golan is Tehran’s next target after its attacks on UAE and Saudi oil infrastructure. Hamed Rahim-Pour, international editor of the Khorasan daily and Amin Arabshahi, a senior reporter for the IRGC’s Tasnim news agency, wrote this on Tuesday: “All our options are on the table; the [Saudi] port of Yanbu [on the Red Sea] and also the [UAE] port of Fujairah [in the Bay of Oman] were attacked. [These] two ports are meant [to supply oil] to replace Iranian oil! They received such a blow that they didn’t see where it came from.”The two journalists went on to say: “The scope of the {US} war against Iran should not be defined only by gigantic US aircraft carriers, or {its] strategic bombers stationed in Qatar or the F-35 fighter planes. The range and scope of the possible war against Iran may be defined by quiet infiltrations of Fujairah, Yanbu and Golan, and dozens of other points in the region. DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources disclose that last week’s missile attack on Saudi Arabia’s main western oil terminal of Yanbu, which went unreported by the US or the Saudis, was in fact the opening shot of a series carried over this week to two more Iranian attacks on oil infrastructure – the sabotage of four oil tankers outside Fujairah port and the explosive drone attack on two Saudi pumping stations on its east-west pipeline. Washington and Riyadh have avoided explicitly naming Iran as the culprit or even linking the three episodes. Two IRGC mouthpieces have now admitted who was responsible and furthermore revealed the order of the “blows” on Tehran’s agenda. Israel should therefore be prepared for the Golan to be next in line.
US military sources revealed on Monday that pro-Iranian Shiite militias have been armed with three types of rockets for attacking the Golan and US military bases in eastern Syria and western Iraq: Short range Fatteh-110, Zelzals 2 and 3 and the Zulfikar, which have a longer range of 700km.

A U.S.-Iran confrontation will inevitably include Israel
أليكس فيشمان/صحيفة يديعوت أحرونوت: المواجهة الأمريكية الإيرانية حتماً سوف تشمل إسرائيل
Alex Fishman/Ynetnews/May 15/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/74913/%D8%A3%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%83%D8%B3-%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%8A%D9%81%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A3%D8%AD%D8%B1%D9%88%D9%86%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85/

Analysis: There are four likely scenarios in which the Jewish state will find itself under attack by Tehran and/or its proxies, and Israeli defense establishment is not taking the threat lightly
A rare selfie recently released to the world by the commander of Iran's elite Al-Quds Force was a warning to the United States and its allies. The image, taken in Iraq, shows Qasem Soleimani with two of his senior officers and sends a clear message: We, the Al-Quds commanders, are here in Iraq, the soft underbelly of your interests, and from here we will deal with you too. In Israel, this message was taken very seriously. During recent discussions by the prime minister, the head of the National Security Council, the IDF chief of staff, the head of Military Intelligence and senior IDF General Staff officers, a picture emerged of an imminent confrontation between the Iranians and the Americans in the Persian Gulf.
At this point, it is difficult to assess the scale of such a clash, but Israel must prepare for a gradual escalation, in which it, too, will likely to find itself involved in some way.
It is fair to assume that the first military phase will focus on specific Iranian action against oil routes and oil producers in the Persian Gulf. Indeed, the Iranians have in recent days struck Saudi oilfields as well as their tankers at an oil terminal in the United Arab Emirates, either through their special forces or their Houthi allies in Yemen.
In the second stage of the escalation, the Iranians will apparently target the interests of the United States and its allies. And this where Israel enters the picture. The Iranians will leave a direct confrontation with the U.S. to the final stage.
According to Israeli assessments, there are at least four scenarios for a possible Iranian attack in Israel. The most likely scenario is the launch of missiles from Iraq.
The second scenario includes firing missiles and dispatching armed drones from Syria, alongside terrorist activity along the border fence between the two countries.
A third scenario, which is viewed as less likely, involves Hezbollah military activity from Lebanon. This is seen as a lesser threat as Hezbollah is at present at one of its economic low points, and it is doubtful that its leader Hassan Nasrallah would give Israel the opportunity to best him.
The fourth possible scenario, and the least worrying from an Israeli perspective, is the use of terror attacks by Islamic Jihad from the Gaza Strip.
Each of these scenarios, however, could be folded into another on a different front, depending on the depth of the crisis.
Israel has been aware of the threat from Iraq for a while. More than a year and a half ago, Israel told Iran, via the Americans and the Russians, to remove surface-to-surface missile systems from western Iraq.
The assessment was that these missiles were deployed in a bid to deter Israel from continuing attacks on Iranian targets in Syria. The warning achieved its goal and the Iranians lowered their profile in western Iraq, although there are still surface-to-surface missiles in the hands of pro-Iran, Shi'ite militias in Iraq.
These militias have missiles with a range of 700-1,000 kilometers, and when stationed in western Iraq, they cover the entire territory of Israel. Unlike the missiles that Saddam Hussein fired at Israel from the same area in 1991, these missiles are accurate and have a relatively short launch period.
There are still no preparations underway in Israel to deal with this potential threat, but there is a level of awareness among the intelligence agencies.
Israel's ability to gather intelligence on what is happening in western Iraq is immeasurably greater than in 1991, when its intelligence agencies were blindly searching for Saddam's mobile rocket batteries and reliant on American satellite images.
Israel's offensive capabilities in air and on land against second-tier countries like Iraq are also very different from what they were in 1991.
Moreover, Israel has more diplomatic cover than ever before should it choose to embark on a military operation in western Iraq.
Just as they didn’t hesitate to use the Houthis in Yemen against the Saudis in order to fan the flames of the crisis with the Americans, the Iranians will likely try to ramp up tensions against Israel in order to speed up international intervention over the death blow that the U.S. has just dealt their economy.

Polish ambassador in Israel assaulted on streets of Tel Aviv
Itamar Eichner/Ynetnews/May 15/2019
Amid diplomatic crisis over Holocaust restitution, Marek Magierowski attacked in broad daylight near his embassy by someone shouting 'Polish' at him; assailant arrested shortly after incident
Poland's ambassador to Israel was assaulted in broad daylight on Tuesday afternoon near the Polish embassy in Tel Aviv by an assailant who apparently shouted curse words at the envoy as he struck him.
The attack comes amid the growing diplomatic tension between the two countries, as the former Soviet-backed nation refuses to pay restitution to Holocaust survivors and downplays the county’s involvement in Nazi-orchestrated atrocities. Marek Magierowski said he was outside the embassy on Soutine Street in Tel Aviv when a man suddenly attacked him and shouted - most likely curse words in Hebrew - at the envoy. The stunned ambassador said all he could understand were the words "Polish, Polish."
Polish officials immediately filed a police complaint, while the envoy also lodged a formal complaint with the Foreign Ministry.
Meron Reuben, the chief of state protocol of the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem, asked the Israel Police and the officials responsible for embassy security to prioritize the issue in order to avoid further attacks. The ambassador also said he managed to take a picture of the attacker and his vehicle as he fled.
The perpetrator was arrested by police and brought in for questioning less than an hour after the incident. The Israel Police is now investigating whether the suspect was involved in additional attacks.
The Polish ambassador praised the police for a swift response and effective cooperation throughout the ordeal.

Israeli Security Warns of PA Collapse, Tension in West Bank
Ramallah - Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/Israeli intelligence said their security cooperation with the Palestinian Authority (PA) could deteriorate within three months due to Ramallah’s economic woes. Intelligence sources have warned Israeli officials of the potential for escalating tensions in the West Bank and the undermining of the PA’s status as a result of the economic crisis.According to security assessments, the PA will struggle to govern the territories under its control, increasing the likelihood of confrontations of unpredictable intensity between West Bank Palestinians and Israeli forces, Haaretz reported. The sources added that Israel and other countries must take steps to prevent the PA’s economic collapse. The coming three months will be the “hardest for the Palestinian nation,” said Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh, who called for “national unity” to face the current financial crisis. During an Iftar meal on Monday, he stated the PA is dealing with challenges on “several fronts,” most of which are imposed. He added Israel has been waging a geographic war on Palestinians by confiscating “our lands on a daily basis and has built more than 196 settlements on them, in which 711,000 settlers make up 24 percent of all those living in the West Bank alone.” It has also been waging a demographic war, which aims to expel Palestinians from Jerusalem using all means, he added. Shtayyeh explained that there are 112,000 people from Jerusalem who live behind the wall, stressing that Palestinians will remain here and will not leave despite attempts to falsify the history. In addition to the geographic and demographic wars, the PM said Israel has been waging a financial war against Palestinians as wanted by the United States to extort Palestinians to agree to the Trump administration's so-called “deal of the century” peace deal. “This US administration and its ally Israel believe that they are defeating us with the financial siege, moving the US embassy to Jerusalem, closing the Palestine Liberation Organization office in Washington and draining UNRWA's financial resources so we surrender and accept the deal of ‘Shame,’ not knowing that this won’t happen.”The PA reaches out in national unity to anyone who recognizes the PLO as the only representative of the Palestinian nation and who recognizes PA Chairman Mahmoud Abbas as the only leader, he stressed. The PA has been facing a severe financial crisis due to its refusal to receive its tax revenues from Israel after deductions. Israel collects around $190 million a month in customs duties levied on goods destined for Palestinian markets that transit through Israeli ports, and then it transfers the money to the PA. In February, it decided to deduct around $10 million a month from those revenues, corresponding to the amount it said the PA paid families of prisoners or directly to inmates serving time in Israeli jails. Palestinians responded by saying they would refuse any funds from which unilateral deductions had been made.

US Consular Staffer Espionage Trial Resumes in Turkey
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/A US consular staffer tearfully denied espionage charges as his trial resumed in Istanbul on Wednesday -- part of a growing rift between Washington and Ankara. Metin Topuz, a Turkish citizen and liaison for the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), was arrested in 2017. He was accused of contacts with police and a prosecutor suspected of ties to US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who Ankara says ordered an attempted coup in 2016. Topuz has denied all allegations against him and told the court on Monday that all his contacts were "part of my job", an AFP reporter said. "I didn't commit any crime. All my contacts with those in high-ranking positions of the state at the time were entirely part of my work as a translator and assistant liaison officer at the DEA. I am innocent," he said. His defense lawyer presented a list of his phone calls with police, saying they were entirely work-related. He told reporters Wednesday that Topuz could not be freed from prison during the trial because he faces a separate case of seeking to "overthrow the constitutional order". US embassy and consular officials, who have dismissed the charges as being without merit, were also at the courthouse to observe the brief proceedings. The next hearing has been scheduled for June 28. The trial comes at a time when the NATO allies are increasingly at odds over Syria, Turkey's decision to buy a Russian missile defense system and the US refusal to extradite Gulen. According to his indictment, Topuz is accused of espionage as well as arranging arms trafficking through exchanges on the WhatsApp messaging service. Since the failed 2016 coup against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, tens of thousands of people have been arrested over suspected ties to Gulen and more than 100,000 people have been sacked or suspended from public sector jobs. Gulen rejects the coup accusations.

EU Calls on Turkey to End Illegal Activity in Mediterranean
Ankara - Saeed Abdul Razek/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/ The European Union, has called Turkey, once again, to end any illegal activity in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone, eastern of the Mediterranean, affirming its full solidarity with Nicosia. EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini urged Ankara to abort plans for offshore drilling operation in Cyprus’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), warning that the Union will “respond appropriately” to any violation of international law. “We call urgently on Turkey to show restraint, respect the sovereign rights of Cyprus in its exclusive economic zone and refrain from any such illegal action, to which the European Union will respond appropriately and in full solidarity with Cyprus,” Mogherini said following talks with EU foreign ministers in Brussels on Monday. “This is the clear position that ministers expressed today in solidarity with Cyprus,” she said. On May 3, Turkey announced it was launching gas exploration activities in the West Cyprus region, within its EEZ. This prompting concern from many parties, including the United States, EU, Egypt, Russia and Britain. Head of the European Parliament Antonio Tajani said Turkey's intention to drill within Cyprus' EEZ violates international law and called on the country to avoid raising tension in the region. “The Republic of Cyprus has the full and sovereign right to explore and exploit natural resources within its EEZ.”In a move seen as a new provocation, Turkey launched Sea Wolf 2019 military exercise simultaneously in the Mediterranean, Aegean and Black Seas. The exercise, supervised by the Turkish navy, will run through May 25 with 131 warships, 57 warplanes and 33 helicopters and participation of 25,900 military personnel, the Turkish General Staff said in a statement. “With the exercise, we aim to show Turkish Armed Forces' resolution and capability in protecting the country's security as well as its rights and interests in the seas,” stated Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar.

Turkey May Delay Delivery of S-400 System from Russia
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/Turkey is considering delaying the delivery of the S-400 Russian missile defense system, currently scheduled for July, at the request of the United States, an informed source said Tuesday according to Reuters. Acting US Defense Secretary Pat Shanahan expressed his country's concern over Turkey's intention to buy and deploy the defense system, but it is not known whether Ankara will accept Washington's request amid tension between the two countries and Washington's threat of imposing sanctions. New sanctions on Turkey will deprive the country from participating in the international project to manufacture and obtain the US F-35 fighter jets and will prevent it from obtaining the Patriot defense system in the future. US officials have called Turkey’s planned purchase of the S-400 system “deeply problematic,” saying it would risk Ankara’s partnership in the joint strike fighter F-35 program because it would compromise the jets, made by Lockheed Martin Corp. The United States and other NATO allies that own F-35s fear the radar on the system will learn how to spot and track the jet, making it less able to evade Russian weapons. Turkey signed an agreement with Russia in December 2017 on a loan to supply the S-400 system, where Ankara will buy two batteries of this system, occupied by Turkish employees. The two sides also reached an agreement on technological cooperation to develop the production of missile defense systems in Turkey. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had telephoned his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Monday. This was followed by a telephone conversation between the defense ministers of the two countries, Hulusi Akar and Sergei Shoigu, during which they discussed the S-400 deal and the US position. In February, Erdogan confirmed his country's intention to move ahead with its agreement with Moscow to buy the S-400 system, stressing: “We made the S-400 deal with Russia, so it out of the question for us to turn back. That’s done.” Last week, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said during a visit to Turkey that the organization is ready to give support in finding a solution to the current disagreement between Turkey and the US, stressing that potential Washington sanctions will also harm the alliance.

Libyan National Army Shoots Down Sarraj Drone as Macron Seeks to Meet Haftar
Cairo - Khaled Mahmoud/Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/The Libyan National Army (LNA) announced that it has shot down a drone flown by militias loyal to the Government of National Accord (GNA) of Fayez al-Sarraj. LNA media said that the army’s air defenses had downed the aircraft on Monday. The drone was launched from Misrata. Media reports speculated that the drone may have been manufactured by Turkey. The LNA had recently accused Ankara of supplying drones to the pro-GNA militias in Tripoli. The army had launched on April 4 an operation to liberate the capital from terrorist and criminal gangs. LNA spokesman Ahmed al-Mismari had previously said that both Turkey and Iran have been providing weapons and ammunition to the Sarraj militias in flagrant violation of the arms embargo that was imposed on Libya by the United Nation Security Council in wake of the ouster of ruler Moammar al-Gaddafi in 2011. Moreover, the LNA press office released photos of destruction of houses caused by GNA barrel bomb attacks in the Qasr bin Ghashir town in the Tripoli region. Amid these developments, French Emmanuel Macron wants to meet LNA commander Khalifa Haftar to push a ceasefire and resume peace talks, French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said on Tuesday. Macron last week called for a ceasefire in the battle for Tripoli after meeting Sarraj. On Monday, the LNA denied claims that it was seeking to withdraw from its positions in the operation on Tripoli. “This is just a rumor that is being spread by the Muslim Brotherhood Tripoli out of fear that its residents may rise up against them after their fighters have become exhausted on the ground,” it said. “The army will not retreat and the day of victory against the Brotherhood and their backers is near,” it stressed, calling on the people to rise up against them.

Thousands of Palestinians Demonstrate to Mark 'Catastrophe'

Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 15/2019/Palestinians protested Wednesday for the annual commemoration of what they call the Nakba, or catastrophe, when hundreds of thousands were expelled or fled during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. Thousands gathered at various locations along the volatile border fence between Israel and the Gaza Strip, while crowds also demonstrated in the occupied West Bank.Clashes erupted along parts of the border fence, with the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reporting 47 people wounded, but the protests were smaller and calmer than anticipated, an AFP journalist said. The AFP journalist on the border saw a number of kites being floated across the border and a fire breaking out inside Israeli territory. Palestinians in Gaza have regularly used kites with firebombs attached to them to set fires on the Israeli side of the fence. Israel's military said around 10,000 "rioters and demonstrators" were along the Gaza fence. "The rioters are setting tyres on fire and hurling rocks," it said in a statement. "A number of explosive devices have been hurled within the Gaza Strip as well, and a number of attempts have been made to approach the security fence."It said "troops are responding with riot dispersal means." In the West Bank city of Ramallah, protesters held up giant paper keys to symbolise their will to return to the lands and homes they were expelled from or were forced to abandon, now located inside Israel. Palestinians commemorate the Nakba every year. More than 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their land during the 1948 war surrounding the creation of Israel. Separately, there have also been regular protests and clashes along the Gaza border for more than a year.At least 293 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in Gaza since the protests began in March 2018. The majority died during the often-violent weekly protests, though others were killed in Israeli airstrikes or by tank fire in response to violence from Gaza. Six Israelis have been killed in Gaza-related violence over the same time period.

Sudan Army Rulers, Protesters Agree on 3-Year Transition Period
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 15/2019/Sudanese army rulers and protest leaders Wednesday agreed on a three-year transition period for transferring power to a full civilian administration, even as negotiations over a new sovereign ruling body remain unfinished. The protest movement is demanding a civilian-led transition following 30 years of iron-fisted rule by now deposed president Omar al-Bashir, but the generals who toppled him have been holding onto a leadership role. Talks between the two sides resumed earlier in the week but were marred by violence when an army major and five protesters were killed by unidentified gunmen at a long-running sit-in outside military headquarters in Khartoum. The two sides announced early Wednesday after nearly 12 hours of negotiations that they had reached an agreement on the transition period. "We agreed on a transitional period of three years," Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta, a member of the military council told reporters. Atta said a final agreement on the sharing of power, including the forming of the next ruling body -- the sovereign council -- will be signed with the protest movement, the Alliance for Freedom and Change, within a day.
"We vow to our people that the agreement will be completed fully within 24 hours in a way that it meets the people's aspirations," Atta said. He said of the transition period, the first six months will be allocated to signing peace accords with rebels in the country's war zones like Darfur, Blue Nile and South Kordofan. Protester Mohamed Abdullah told AFP that he was happy the way the negotiations had turned out so far."We will wait for tomorrow's talks, but my only question is 'Who will guarantee this agreement with the military council?'," he said as thousands of demonstrators gathered for another sit-in overnight.
US blames army rulers
The army generals had initially insisted on a two-year transition period, while the protest leaders wanted four years. Key negotiations however remain on the composition of the sovereign council, which will replace the existing ruling body made up solely of generals. The generals say this should be military led while protest leaders want it to be majority civilian. After the forming of the sovereign council, a new transitional civilian government will be formed to run the country's day-to-day affairs and would work towards having the first post-Bashir elections after the end of the transition period. Atta said that during the transition period parliament will be composed of 300 members, of which 67 percent will be from the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the rest will be from other political groups. The Alliance for Freedom and Change meanwhile said the shootings on Monday were an attempt to "disturb the breakthrough" in talks.
On Tuesday, the United States blamed the army itself for the deaths. They "were clearly the result of the Transitional Military Council trying to impose its will on the protesters by attempting to remove roadblocks", the US embassy said on its Facebook page. "The decision for security forces to escalate the use of force, including the unnecessary use of tear gas, led directly to the unacceptable violence later in the day that the TMC was unable to control," it said.
'Protect your homeland'
Protest leaders, who on Monday had blamed the remnants of Bashir's regime and allied militias, changed their stand on Tuesday. "We put the whole responsibility on the military council for what happened yesterday because it's their direct responsibility to guard and protect the citizens," Mohamed Naji al-Assam, a prominent figure in the movement, told reporters. The latest round of talks which opened on Monday come after a break in negotiations that saw protest leaders threaten "escalatory measures" to secure their central demand of civilian rule. The issue has kept thousands of protesters camped outside army headquarters around the clock ever since Bashir's overthrow. The sit-in has become the focal point for the protest movement, overtaking the near daily protests that had been held across Sudan while the veteran president remained in power. But on Tuesday protesters in the capital's twin city Omdurman also vented their anger on the streets. Protesters gathered in the Abbassiya and Al-Arbaa districts, just across the Nile from the capital, with many chanting slogans against the military council, witnesses told AFP. "Protect your homeland or prepare to die!" the protesters chanted.

Sudan Protesters, Military Agree on Transition Period
Asharq Al-Awsat/Wednesday, 15 May, 2019/Sudan’s opposition Declaration of Freedom and Change Forces (DFCF) and the ruling Transitional Military Council (TMC) agreed on Wednesday on transition period for the country that would last three years. TMC member Lieutenant General Yasser al-Atta said DFCF will have two-thirds of the seats on a transitional legislative council and parties that are not part of the alliance will take the rest. He added that a final deal on the transition would be reached within 24 hours. Satea al-Hajj, a DFCF member, said: “The viewpoints are close and, God willing, we will reach an agreement soon” on the composition of a new sovereign council that would lead the country until elections. The TMC had said the transition would last a maximum of two years, and the DFCF wanted it to last four years. Protester Mohamed Abdullah told AFP that he was happy the way the negotiations had turned out so far. "We will wait for tomorrow's talks, but my only question is 'Who will guarantee this agreement with the military council?'" he said as thousands of demonstrators gathered for another sit-in overnight. The army generals had initially insisted on a two-year transition period, while the protest leaders wanted four years. Key negotiations however remain on the composition of the sovereign council, which will replace the existing ruling body made up solely of generals. The generals say this should be military led while protest leaders want it to be majority civilian. After the forming of the sovereign council, a new transitional civilian government will be formed to run the country's day-to-day affairs and would work towards having the first post-Bashir elections after the end of the transition period. Atta said that during the transition period parliament will be composed of 300 members, of which 67 percent will be from the Alliance for Freedom and Change and the rest will be from other political groups.The opposition alliance had blamed the military rulers on Tuesday for renewed street violence complicating efforts to negotiate a handover of power to civilians after last month’s overthrow of President Omar al-Bashir. But Madani Abbas Madani, another DFCF figure, said on Wednesday that it was “abundantly clear that there are counter-revolutionary forces who are naturally displeased with any progress in negotiations”.At least four people died and dozens were injured during protests on Monday.
Madani, speaking to a news conference alongside Atta past midnight, said the TMC had formed a committee to investigate the targeting of protesters. He also said a joint committee was set up with DFCF to thwart any attempt to break up a sit-in at the Defense Ministry. Gunfire rang out in the capital into the night on Monday after paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) - whose head is deputy of the military council - had patrolled the streets using tear gas and guns to disrupt demonstrations.
The protesters, who want to keep pressure on the military for a swift handover, were back on Tuesday, blocking roads and bridges with bricks and rocks, images on social media showed. Demonstrators have been camped at a sit-in outside the Defense Ministry since April 6. On Tuesday, the sit-in area and eastern Khartoum were blocked off from the capital’s center by barriers that the protesters have erected. “The bullets that were fired yesterday were Rapid Support Forces bullets and we hold the military council responsible for what happened yesterday,” Khalid Omar Youssef, a senior figure in the DFCF, told a news conference on Tuesday. “While they claimed that a third party was the one who did so, eyewitnesses confirmed that the party was in armed forces vehicles and in armed forces uniforms, so the military council must reveal this party.”Monday’s fatalities were the first in protests for several weeks after months of demonstrations led to Bashir’s fall. The victims included a military police officer and three demonstrators, state TV said. The TMC, which took over after ousting the long-ruling Bashir last month, blamed the violence on saboteurs unhappy with the transition accord. The United States backed the opposition alliance in pinning the blame for Monday’s chaos on the military for trying to remove roadblocks set up by protesters. “The decision by security forces to escalate the use of force, including the unnecessary use of tear gas, led directly to the unacceptable violence later in the day that the TMC was unable to control,” said the US Embassy in Khartoum. One hospital in Khartoum said it received more than 60 wounded on Monday as well as three dead bodies.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 15-16/19
The Turkish Lira and Political Crises
Marcus Ashworth/Bloomberg/May 15/2019
Turkey’s central bank is again trying to shore up the lira. Its latest effort is unlikely to ease the pain for the worst-performing currency in emerging markets this quarter. On Thursday, the monetary authority attempted to raise interest rates by the backdoor, suspending its one-week repo auctions and so making it costlier for commercial lenders to borrow money from the central bank. But traders who had been caught out when the bank tried the same maneuver just before the country’s March 31 municipal elections were this time prepared, and had largely covered their funding needs. This explains the lira’s muted gain on Thursday. By early afternoon, the currency had risen by only 0.8 percent against the dollar. The daily auctions of one-week money are the central bank's main way of providing the financial system with liquidity. By stopping them, policymakers risk driving short-term borrowing costs skyward as banks race to secure funding.That’s exactly what happened last month, when overnight rates soared to as much as 1,300 percent at one point. Then, the central bank was forced to resume the auctions to regain a semblance of order. Unless it does the same again by the end of next week, rates are almost certain to move inexorably higher again.
Jamming up the money markets is no way to revive confidence in a financial system already reeling from the country’s political turmoil. Inevitably, the main loser will be the currency, which will further undermine the allure of Turkey for investors. In April, the impact on the currency was limited to a brief two-week rally – after which all the gains were unwound and more. This time is likely to be no different. Liquidity still hasn’t returned to Turkish markets. Investors are wary the government could, as it did last month, stop the country’s banks from offering any form of liquidity to non-domestic clients, effectively trapping foreign investors’ holdings. If the central bank wants to make a real impact on the lira, it needs to raise its benchmark rate and show it is willing to tackle the country’s spiraling inflation. That looks unlikely, at least for now. Last month, the monetary policy committee removed a commitment to raise rates again from its statement. At an April 30 press conference, Governor Murat Cetinkaya was forced to insist another hike was still possible. The currency’s subsequent weakening suggests investors take a different view. Until policymakers stop meddling in money markets and start raising benchmark rates, the lira looks set to return to the depths it plumbed during last year’s political crisis.

Does America Really Want War with Iran?
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/May 15/2019
We must not forget that Saddam Hussein, the late defeated Iraqi president, never believed the seriousness of the threats that warned him that America intended to wage a devastating war unless he withdrew from Kuwait during the first Gulf War. The last attempt to deliver the message to him was made in Switzerland, where the Iraqi and US foreign ministers, Tariq Aziz and James Baker, met just days before the start of the air campaign, after five months of repeated warnings. We are now facing a similar scenario, with several warnings to Iran that, if war erupts, it will be a devastating one. The American side reiterates that it does not want to go to war but, in reality, it is pushing Tehran’s regime toward it. The US economic sanctions are exhausting the regime, and it may fall without a single bullet being fired.
The Tehran regime also does not want war because it knows it will be destroyed, but it is playing a blackmailing game in threatening to break the siege by force; and it may dare to resort to limited strikes against Gulf or Saudi oil interests. Thus, perhaps the Iranian regime imagines that, if it launches a limited propaganda engagement, as Hezbollah did with Israel, it would justify reaching an agreement. The danger of this thinking, i.e., standing on the brink, is that it may actually lead to an all-out war and a fall into the abyss. What makes us believe in the likelihood of war is the growing number of American warships that have reached the Gulf’s waters and the surrounding area. These are not toys and are not sent unless they are ready to fight as soon as orders arrive, and they represent the most serious message Washington can send.
Here, in our region we must remember that the US is a tremendous military power, just like an elephant, trampling on grass and not looking beneath it. In all the areas of conflict it has gone into, it has suffered curable scratches, while the Iranian regime may face what Saddam faced in the two wars the US led against his regime — destruction and possibly total collapse. Another example is Afghanistan’s Taliban, which was destroyed as an authority and removed from Kabul after the Sept. 11 attacks. Even when America was defeated in Vietnam, it suffered psychologically and consequently became keen to reduce its human losses.There is a question that is often asked: Since Washington possesses lethal capabilities, why hasn’t it used them on the dozens of occasions when Iran targeted the interests of America and its allies? This question is repeatedly raised by the confused, the “conspiracy theorists,” and those who seek to cast doubts by alluding to a secret relationship between the two regimes. Indeed, there are two reasons for this.
The first is that the Iranian regime is cautious and insidious. It has never entertained the idea of direct aggression against the US, either in the region or abroad. Instead it has always used proxies to carry out its missions. Thus, the Iranians have avoided pushing any US president to wage war against them with the support of Congress, which is a constitutional requirement. All the attacks carried out by Iran were done with great caution, as if legal experts had planned them. At the same time, Washington, like Iran, is also fighting an undeclared war. It has waged secret military operations against Iran and its interests through its intelligence and allies, and imposed a very damaging economic boycott. The second reason is that the US still hopes that Iran will change politically and become an ally; thus, it wants to avoid pushing Tehran into the arms of its major adversaries, Russia and China. One of these two powers may, in fact, intervene and give Iran protection to keep the regime on the conflict chessboard. This is just as Russia did when it intervened and saved the Assad regime in Syria from inevitable collapse, and is now doing with the Maduro regime in Venezuela.
However, the regime in Iran suffers from an extreme revolutionary religious ideology, which has been the reason why all Washington’s methods of persuasion and intimidation have failed to reform it.
Still, its fate this time round seems to have been decided, more so since similar evil regimes have been eliminated, such as Saddam in Iraq, Muammar Gaddafi in Libya and Omar Al-Bashir in Sudan, while Bashar Assad’s regime in Syria has been effectively weakened.

Putin’s Syrian Playbook Won’t Work in Venezuela
Eli Lake/Bloomberg/May 15/2019
In Venezuela, it looks like Russia is once again playing a weak hand well. The US has imposed crippling sanctions on the state-owned oil company and lifted them on officials who have joined the opposition, such as the intelligence chief. And yet, with the support of Russia, Venezuelan strongman Nicolas Maduro survives. So when Secretary of State Mike Pompeo arrives this week in Sochi, his counterpart, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, will undoubtedly be looking to exploit the situation by using a familiar Russian ploy: Enable a geopolitical crisis, and then offer to help solve it.
This is what Lavrov did in Syria. While Russian mercenaries and bombers pulverized civilians with the help of Iran’s militias, Lavrov met with then-US Secretary of State John Kerry to negotiate a political process to end the conflict. For nearly two years, the charade continued. Only after the Russians bombed an aid convoy in September 2016 did Kerry realize that he had been played.
The Russians are planning a similar move with Venezuela. The Russian foreign ministry’s official statement summarizing a May 1 phone call between Pompeo and Lavrov calls for “the dialogue of all political forces in the country.” US officials tell me they expect Lavrov to propose talks between Maduro and the opposition whereby the autocrat would remain in power as the two sides negotiate conditions for a new election. This is not a novel idea. Maduro himself has conducted talks with his opposition before, only to renege on his commitments later on. In January, Senator Chris Murphy and former Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes floated the idea of a kind of political peace process for Venezuela, excluding Russia but including two other predator states, China and Cuba.
Any kind of negotiation with Maduro is a trap. To start, he will use the time he purchases at the bargaining table to divide the opposition that has rallied behind the interim president, Juan Guaido. That opposition has numerous factions, including many disenchanted supporters of Maduro’s mentor, Hugo Chavez. A drawn-out process plays to Maduro’s advantage. It also undermines the constitutional claim to power of Guaido, who assumed the presidency after Maduro won an illegitimate election.There is still some question, however, whether this Russian strategy will work. In a briefing with reporters last week, a senior State Department official downplayed expectations that there would be a deal to get Russia to cooperate in Venezuela. What’s more, US officials say there are plans to impose new sanctions on Russia.
Pompeo has accused Russia’s state oil company, Rosneft, of violating new US sanctions on Venezuela’s state-run oil company. (Rosneft has denied the accusation.) Pompeo has also put the blame squarely on Moscow for urging Maduro to stay in Caracas and not depart for Cuba when Guaido called for a day of street protests.
Of course, there is still the matter of President Donald Trump, whose public comments have not exactly aligned with Pompeo’s. Earlier this month, after a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump echoed the Russian line about how Russia only wants “to see something positive happen for Venezuela.”Despite Trump’s history of cringe-worthy public deference to Putin, however, he has shown a willingness to confront Russia when necessary. He has held firm on sanctions imposed on Russia after the 2016 elections, for instance, and has twice ordered major air strikes on Russia’s client in Syria. Also it’s worth noting that US special operations forces remain in Syria, despite Trump’s promise in December to precipitously withdraw them. That’s why it matters that Trump and his top advisers have said publicly that all options remain on the table for Venezuela. And it’s yet another reason to be skeptical that the Russian playbook will succeed in Venezuela as it did in Syria.

Palestinians: No Freedom of Expression Under New Government
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/May 15/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14226/palestinians-freedom-of-expression
As far as many Palestinians are concerned, there is no difference between Mahmoud Abbas's Palestinian Authority and Hamas when it comes to their people being able to tell the truth as they see it.
The two rival parties may disagree on many matters, but they share considerable common ground in their efforts to silence their critics and prevent the emergence of new voices seeking a better life for the Palestinians.
While this muzzling of Palestinian mouths is perfectly visible to the naked eye, the jaundiced eye of the international community and media sees flaws only in Israel.
The Palestinian Authority and Hamas may disagree on many matters, but they share considerable common ground in their efforts to silence their critics and prevent the emergence of new voices seeking a better life for the Palestinians.
The first promise the new Palestinian Authority (PA) government made after it was sworn in last month was that it would honor public freedoms, particularly freedom of the media and freedom of expression.
Ibrahim Milhem, the new spokesman for the PA government, headed by Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh, said in a radio interview that no Palestinian journalist would be arrested for expressing his or her views. Milhem promised that his government would allow the press to play its role as a watchdog over the performance of the ministers and their ministries.
Palestinian journalists living and working in PA-controlled territories in the West Bank welcomed Milhem's statement and expressed hope that it would mark the beginning of a new era between the media and the government.
For the Palestinian journalists, the promise indicated a refreshing change of direction, particularly after years of PA crackdowns on freedom of the media in the West Bank.
Under the previous PA government, headed by Rami Hamdallah, Palestinian journalists and social media users faced various forms of harassment and persecution.
According to Palestinian journalist Nur al-Din Saleh, the PA measures include arresting and summoning reporters and social media users for interrogation. The measures, he said, are in the context of the PA leadership's policy of "silencing their voices and combating freedom of expression." Since the beginning of the year, Saleh noted, the PA security forces have arrested or summoned for interrogation several journalists, including Ziad Abu 'Ara and social media activists Mutasem Sakf al-Hait, Ayman Abu Aram and Mahmoud Abu Hraish.
Palestinian journalist Khaldoun Mazloum said that the PA has been pursuing a "gagging" policy to prevent the media from exposing its practices against Palestinians, including those who protest its policies and decisions.
Mazloum criticized the PA-affiliated Palestinian Journalists Syndicate for failing to take a strong stand against the crackdown on freedom of expression in the West Bank. "The syndicate is only documenting the Palestinian Authority's practices and issuing statements of condemnation without taking any real steps," he said. "That encourages the Palestinian Authority to commit more crimes against its citizens."
The Palestinian journalist most recently arrested under the Hamdallah government was Hazem Nasser, who works for the Palestinian An-Najah television station in the West Bank city of Nablus. He was released three weeks later.
It now seems that the Shtayyeh government is following in the footsteps of the former Palestinian government concerning freedom of the media in the West Bank.
Days after the new government's spokesman vowed that his government would adopt a new policy, the PA security forces arrested Khalil Thwaib, a media student at Al-Quds University in the village of Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem. Thwaib, a resident of the town of Bet Sahour, near Bethlehem, was reportedly arrested by the PA's Preventive Security Service after he interviewed families of Palestinian security prisoners held by Israel. His father, Khaled, said that the arrest of his son contradicted the PA government's pledge to halt its crackdown on the media.
Upon his release the following day, the media student said he was interrogated about the interviews he conducted with the families of the prisoners. The PA interrogators, he added, checked his Facebook page and asked him about the nature of the questions he asked during the interviews.
Last week, the new PA government again broke its promise when it ordered the arrest of Palestinian writer and researcher Yasser Mana', a resident of Nablus. His wife, Anhar, said that a Palestinian court ordered her husband remanded into custody for one week. She said she had no idea why Mana' was arrested. "Masked security officers raided our home in a brutal manner," she said.
Sources in Nablus said that Mana' was apparently arrested for publishing articles about the last round of fighting between Hamas and Israel. They said that Mana' is an "expert" on Israeli affairs and regularly translates articles from the Israeli media. The PA apparently found Mana's articles to be supportive of Hamas, the sources speculated.
Emad Abu Awwad, director of the Al-Quds Center for Israeli and Palestinian Affairs, denounced the arrest of Mana' as a "catastrophe." He said that if it is true that Mana' was arrested for supporting the Palestinian "resistance" groups in the Gaza Strip, then the Palestinian Authority security forces "must arrest a large number of people in the West Bank. We are facing a real catastrophe."
The new PA government has also demonstrated its intention to continue the security crackdown on Palestinian university students in the West Bank. Last week, the PA security forces arrested Ahmed Mohammed Darwish, a student at An-Najah University in Nablus. Darwish was apparently arrested because of his affiliation with the Hamas-affiliated Islamic Bloc student list on campus and for criticism of the PA.
The arrest of the university student is a continuation of the policy of the previous PA government, which also saw the arrest of scores of university students in the past few years. Shortly before the new PA government was sworn in, students at Bir Zeit University, near Ramallah, protested the "politically motivated" arrests carried out by the PA security forces in the West Bank. The outcry came after the PA arrested university student Mahdi Karajah.
For now, it seems that Palestinian journalists and political activists in the West Bank will continue to face repressive measures by the new PA government. That, however, does not mean that the situation in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip is any better.
A "fact sheet" published last month by the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights revealed that "arbitrary detention of Palestinians by the local [Hamas] authorities is among the most common violations of human rights in the Gaza Strip." The center said that the "practice is perpetuated by the intra-Palestinian political split [between the West Bank and Gaza Strip], whereby persons with an opposing political opinion and/or affiliation to that of the local authorities are arrested or harassed, including in public and while participating in peaceful assemblies. This practice is meant to control and intimidate any opposition to the local authorities."The center also noted that violations of the right to free opinion and expression have intensified throughout the period of the division between Hamas and PA President Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction.
"Attacks on these rights have resulted in the spread of fear, and a context in which Palestinians' opinions and freedom to define their political affiliation are suppressed," the center said. "Journalists' work to expose violations is also significantly restricted, as individuals attempt to avoid harassment and punishment for their work. Practitioners of printed, audio, and video media, as well as artists, have been subjected to the violation of their rights, including journalists being denied permission to cover events."
As far as many Palestinians are concerned, there is no difference between Abbas's Palestinian Authority and Hamas when it comes to their people being able to tell the truth as they see it. The two rival parties may disagree on many matters, but they share considerable common ground in their efforts to silence their critics and prevent the emergence of new voices seeking a better life for the Palestinians. While this muzzling of Palestinian mouths is perfectly visible to the naked eye, the jaundiced eye of the international community and media sees flaws only in Israel.
*Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist based in Jerusalem, is a Shillman Journalism Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Mr. President, no deals with Iran, only regime change
أمل إيماني: السيد الرئيس، لا للصفقات مع إيران، ما نريده هو فقط تغيير النظام
Amil Imani/INN/May 15/2019
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The provisions of the agreement negotiated by former Secretary of State John Kerry and his team of sycophants make Neville Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” negotiations with Hitler look like a stroke of genius.
In occupied Iran, the Islamic rulers on Wednesday stated plans to restart some nuclear activity as Trump sent warships closer to the area. Well, to be clear, the Islamic Republic of Iran never stopped its ambition to develop means to advance a nuclear delivery system.
Devotees of Islamic ideology, whether the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic State (meaning all Sunni Sates) or other Islamic actors around the globe wish to accelerate their own apocalyptic vision of the “End Times.”
Iranian leaders hold to a Shia brand. The Sunnis leaders hold to their own version. But, both are obsessed by a belief that their messiah is coming. The Iran Shiites believe they must lay the groundwork for the messiah (Mahdi) to come and build their Kingdom or Imamate. The Sunni counterparts aren’t really waiting. They have started with Stealth Jihad inside the United States and in every Western country in the world, until such time that jihadists are strong enough to declare a Caliphate.
After years of watching, researching and experimenting by our well-equipped intelligence agencies, we know now that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is yet another toothless U.N. body that is in for a whirlwind of frustration when it inspects Iran’s nuclear weapons’ sites. The provisions of the agreement negotiated by former Secretary of State John Kerry and his team of sycophants make Neville Chamberlain’s “peace in our time” negotiations with Hitler look like a stroke of genius.
The American people deserve to know the truth of why we are still negotiating with a terrorist state that took the American diplomats hostage for 444 days.
Let us get to the bottom of this scenario! Former President George W. Bush, at his many annual State of the Union addresses, spoke many times about of the plight of the Iranian people. He once said, “If the Iranian people stand up for themselves, the United States will stand with them.”
Throughout his presidency, the Iranians, of all people, hailed Bush as a courageous President and an angel of freedom. While his popularity was surging in Iran, his approval rating at home was going down. Finally, the Iranian people realized that Bush’s love affair was all about Tehran’s nuclear ambition, not freedom and liberty for the Iranian people. Like his predecessors, it was “all hat, no cattle.”
As time went on, Bush vowed that the Islamic Republic would never be allowed to achieve its goal of developing nuclear bombs on his watch. He kept using all kinds of threats and promises, in order to persuade the mullahs to drop the nuclear project, to no avail.
When a belligerent end-of-the-worlder, Holocaust-denier Ahmadinejad, became the Islamic Republic of Iran’s selected president, things started heating up. Time and again, the bellicose Ahmadinejad kept vilifying the ‘Great Satan’ and its sidekick Israel for having the gall to demand Iran abandon its program while his two main adversaries had their own arsenal of nuclear weapons. Ahmadinejad informed the world that what the Islamic Republic does is within its own national rights.
We are now witnessing the same pattern with the Trump administration.
Fast forward: With the last administration at the helm, Iran and six world powers known as the P5+1 (China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States) reached a nuclear deal on July 14, 2015, known as ‘Iran Nuclear Deal’ that intended to limit Iran’s nuclear program and enhanced monitoring in exchange for relief from nuclear sanctions. This appeared to benefit the Islamic Republic while leaving the door open for Iran secretly to continue with its nuclear ambition.
On May 2018, President Trump, withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, and restated a crippling sanction on Iran.
The best predictor of the future is the past. The Mullahs are proven vicious mass killers. The religious fanatic mullahs’ record is one of deception, dissimulation, treachery, violence and much more. These Quran-trained and directed agents of a wrathful Allah can never be trusted. They are master schemers. They have been in the business of deceptions for centuries. They have perfected the art of duplicity, doubletalk, double-dealing and treachery. Prudence demands better proof, much better proof. History will prove that President Trump did the right thing.
This raw, despicable regime represents the inevitable result of Islam, and its calling card of terrorism is now marching from the Iranian focal point to all parts of the globe. For the past forty years, people in the West, especially in the United States, have been on the receiving end of a very sophisticated and convoluted campaign of disinformation and propaganda, dished out by the Islamic Republic’s Ministry of Intelligence and Security (MOIS) and its lobbyist organizations in the U.S. MOIS, learned its methodology directly from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamists who supported Khomeini were trained in the old Soviet Union.
My advice to the current administration is don’t let down your guard and make sure that no one lulls you into the deadly trap of complacency.
The United States has, in secular Iranians, its best friends in the entire Islamic world. It is imperative for the U.S. to help these Iranians to dislodge the vicious doomsday Mullahs, not as an act of altruism, but as a prudent measure of enlightened self-interest.

Saudi Columnist, Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehr, It's Time To Act Against Iran And Its Militias
MEMRI/May 15/2019
In his May 15, 2019 column in the Saudi English-language Arab News, Dr. Hamdan Al-Shehri, a political analyst and researcher of international relations, called for international action against Iran in response to the May 13 sabotage of Saudi oil tankers off the UAE coast and the May 14 attack on a Saudi oil pipeline. These incidents, he wrote, prove that Iran is bent on using the militias under its control to threaten the security of the region and the entire world. Hence, listing these militias as terror organizations, which several countries have already done, is not enough. Instead, there is need for serious and concrete action against them and against the Iranian regime itself, which is funding, recruiting and training terrorists in the region. If this is not done, Al-Shehri stressed, chaos and terror will reign everywhere and preventing nuclear proliferation in the region will become very difficult.
The following is his column, as it appeared in Arab News:[1]
"Iran is continuing its terrorist activities, and is carrying them out by sea, sky and land against targets in Gulf countries. Two days ago, Saudi oil tankers were attacked off the coast of the UAE. On Tuesday, oil pipelines in Saudi Arabia were attacked by armed drones.
"Tehran is showing its real face by undermining stability in the region. It is demonstrating that it can use its terrorist militias in the region to implement its nefarious designs. The two incidents have sent a message to the whole world that Iran is out to destroy regional security and stability. By undermining regional security, Iran has become a threat to international security as well.
"The drone attack on oil pipelines and the sabotage of four vessels, including two Saudi tankers, are aimed directly at threatening global oil supplies. This should force the international community to stand against these terrorist attacks and make joint efforts to condemn and punish the perpetrators of these acts. Now is the time for real, concrete and serious actions against Iran and its militias.
"These attacks prove that it is important to face terrorist entities, including the Houthis in Yemen, who are 100 percent backed by Iran. Saudi Arabia is encountering one of the worst kinds of terror in the region from organizations such as Daesh, Al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and militias in Iraq and Syria — most of them aligned with Tehran. "Most of these organizations are a product of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). They have been classified by world organizations and key members of the international community as terrorist entities.
However, is it enough to merely list them as terrorist organizations? Is it not incumbent on the international community to prevent them from sabotaging international interests and the global economy? It is time to put an end to this regime in Tehran, which is funding, recruiting, training and hosting all terrorists in the region. "Why is the world keeping silent and giving in to Iranian blackmail? If there is no real deterrence against this regime, the whole region will be in chaos. Terror will be everywhere. Preventing nuclear proliferation will become extremely difficult. Nobody is calling for war, but there is a serious need for real action to dismantle Iran-backed militias in the region and force Tehran to change its malign behavior."
[1] Arab News (Saudi Arabia), May 15, 2019.

Iran's Grip on Gaza and Israel's Dilemma

Jonathan Spyer/The Australian/May 15/2019
Originally published under the title "Iran's Grip on Gaza Is Israel's Nightmare."
The latest short, intense flare up of violence between Israel and Hamas-controlled Gaza appears to have concluded. ... So should the latest confrontation be simply filed away as a passing episode in a seemingly endless, if mostly contained conflict?
Not quite. Israel's central dilemma regarding Hamas-controlled Gaza can be discerned behind Israeli decisionmaking in recent days. Observe:
The latest events mark the clear arrival of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) organization to a primary role in the ongoing conflict. The fighting was triggered by the targeting by Islamic Jihad snipers of IDF personnel on the border area on May 3rd. Two IDF soldiers – a man and a woman – were wounded. The attack took place against the background of a Hamas-organized border demonstration. Israel's response then led to further Hamas missile and rocket attacks.
The latest confrontation marks the arrival of Palestinian Islamic Jihad to a primary role in the conflict.
The ability of Islamic Jihad to heat up the situation on the border is the subject of concern and close attention in Israel. Islamic Jihad, unlike Hamas, is not a largely independent actor with deep roots in Palestinian society. Rather, it is a purely military organization, which from its formation has been closely aligned with Iran. Its current leader, Ziad Nakhala, is based in Syria and is a frequent visitor to Teheran. The movement takes its direction from Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.
Israeli officials consider that the recent uptick in PIJ activity out of Gaza is part of an Iranian desire to draw Israel into a prolonged operation in Gaza. This would be intended to divert attention from the more crucial front to Israel's north – in Syria and Lebanon. In that arena, an ongoing, undeclared conflict between Israel and Iran is under way. Iran is seeking to build an infrastructure for future attacks on Israel. Israel is trying to prevent this. Gaza is a mere irritant by comparison.
Ziad Nakhala replaced longtime PIJ leader Ramadan Shalah last year after the latter suffered a stroke.
For Teheran, however, it is a useful irritant. Control and direction of Islamic Jihad is intended to enable Iran to turn the flames in Gaza up or down according to its immediate needs. Israel's reluctance to be drawn into a long and open-ended campaign in the area should be seen against this larger regional backdrop.
But herein lies the dilemma. The desire to avoid allowing Iran to precipitate a conflagration in Gaza cannot extend to allowing all acts of provocation to pass unanswered. To do so would be to cast away deterrence. If PIJ or Hamas get the impression that attacks on Israel are cost-free, it may be assumed with certainty that they will become routine.
Hence, Israeli planners are faced with the difficult task of responding with sufficient ferocity to deter further acts of aggression, while avoiding a descent into all out war between Israel and Gaza.
The increasing tempo of attacks in recent months indicates that this difficult balance has not yet been achieved.
Israel must respond with sufficient ferocity to deter further aggression, while avoiding a descent into all-out war.
A second reality underlined by the events of recent days is the absence of support in any part of mainstream Israeli opinion for a major ground operation to destroy the Hamas-led authority there and reoccupy the area.
Criticism of the ceasefire that concluded this latest round of fighting from within Israel – from both within the ruling Likud and the main opposition Blue and White list – focused on what was seen by critics as the failure to extract a sufficient price from the rulers of Gaza before agreeing to a cessation of fire. But no major call was heard for an all out assault on Gaza. This may partly be explained by the great sensitivity in Israel toward military losses. But more importantly, the question of what would replace Hamas as the ruler of Gaza remains without an answer.
Israelis do not want to reoccupy the area. The Ramallah Palestinian Authority of President Mahmoud Abbas, meanwhile, would under no circumstances agree to receive the keys to the area from a victorious IDF which would just have completed a bloody victory over Palestinian forces. On the contrary – the PA would without doubt support any Palestinian resistance to such an IDF campaign.
Voices from the left in Israel in recent days have argued that only the resumption of a negotiating process between Israel and the PA can prevent further rounds of violence between Israel and Gaza. But the desirability of negotiations notwithstanding, it is difficult to see how this logic would apply, given Hamas's open opposition to any peace process with Israel, the 12 year inability of Palestinian factions to unite, and the PA's opposition to any IDF armed campaign into Gaza.
If the conflict is insolvable, then a fractured opposing camp is preferable to a unified one.
Indeed, given the apparent irreconcilability of the positions of Israel and even the Ramallah PA on core issues of the conflict – the Palestinian "right of return," the future of Jerusalem, the borders of a future Palestinian state – from a certain point of view, the current fragmentation of the Palestinian national movement could be seen as a tacit advantage for Israel. That is – if the conflict is anyway insolvable, and is a zero sum game, then a fractured, disunited opposing camp is preferable to a unified one.
This logic, however, only holds if the hostile Hamas entity in Gaza can be deterred, and prevented from carrying out its stated desire to do harm to Israelis. The notion that Hamas could be incentivized by the injection of funds from Qatar has proven erroneous, or deeply problematic. It was a temporary delay in the transfer of a tranche of these funds which caused the Gaza rulers to stand alongside Islamic Jihad in the recent escalation.
The status quo is manageable only if the hostile Hamas entity ruling Gaza can be deterred.
In this regard, the only partial success of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system in this round of fighting should also be noted. Hamas fired 690 projectiles at Israel from Gaza between Saturday May 4 and Monday, May 6. Of these, 35 struck populated areas in Israel. While in strictly military terms this is an indication of relative effectiveness, the deaths of three Israeli civilians as a result of the missiles and the widespread disruption of life means that it falls far short of what Israelis expect of their defense structures.
On a tactical level, one way in which Israel could conceivably seek to raise the price for engaging in violence would be a return to a policy of targeted killings of Islamic Jihad and Hamas fighters.
The killing by the IDF of Hamas operative Hamed al-Khoudary during the last round of hostilities is thus significant. Khoudary was responsible for the distribution of Iranian funds in Gaza to organizations receiving support from Teheran. In killing Khoudary, Israel clearly sought to demonstrate to the rulers of Gaza that it is not willing to continue to act within the tacit rules that have held in recent years.
It will be important now to see if Israel continues with this practice regarding the Hamas rulers of Gaza – precisely as a means of raising the price for violence against Israel, while avoiding a descent into a wider conflict.
Israel's killing of Hamed al-Khoudary, Iran's primary financial liaison to Hamas and Islamic Jihad, may herald a return to targeting terrorist leadership in Gaza.
So the ongoing contest with Iran, the current absence of a coherent replacement for the existing authority in Gaza, the lack of a desire to reoccupy the area, and the absence of a Palestinian partner make an Israeli campaign to remove the Hamas regime in Gaza unlikely in the immediate future.
At the same time, the events of recent days demonstrate the difficulty of deterring an Islamist movement which, while weak, is engaged in what it regards as a long, unending war of attrition intended to eventually wear down and destroy its enemy (as far-fetched as this may sound).
Israel looks set to continue for now to maneuver between the twin undesired outcomes of being drawn into a large, costly and open-ended campaign in Gaza, and absorbing an ongoing campaign of violence emanating from the Strip. Tactical responses – increased targeting of Hamas and Jihad leaders and infrastructure, more Iron Dome batteries – are likely to be the order of the day. It's a far from perfect answer for the frustrated population of Israel's south, and for the people of Gaza suffering under the yoke of their Islamist rulers. Some dilemmas have no easy solution.
*Jonathan Spyer is a research fellow at the Jerusalem Institute for Strategic Studies and at the Middle East Forum. He is the author of Days of the Fall: A Reporter's Journey in the Syria and Iraq Wars.

“Reconciling” Egypt’s Coptic Christians to Second-Class Status
ريموند إبراهيم: الأقباط في مصر يتم التعامل معهم كمواطنين من الدرجة الثانية
Raymond Ibrahim/Coptic Solidarity/May 15/2019
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It has been said that Egypt is the land of eternal changelessness, often in connection with the ever reliable and cyclical flooding of the Nile, which made human life possible in the desert.
Yet Egypt’s changelessness has taken on other, less mundane, forms—particularly with the advent of Islam. Consider Islamic hostility for Coptic Christian churches, which were indigenous to Egypt centuries before the Islamic takeover.
Most recently, “on April 30, 2019, a reconciliation meeting was held in the Upper Egypt village of Nagib after threats of a potential [Muslim] mob attack led security officials to close the village’s church.” The report continues:
This situation escalated after it became known that the church did not have the necessary permits to practice religious rites. Egypt’s 2016 Church Construction Law contains language which allows church legalization permits to be indefinitely delayed due to the threat of sectarian violence. Reconciliation sessions are often used to further restrict the rights of Christians to practice their faith. Church leaders were not permitted to attend the reconciliation session in Nagib. Despite promises given before the session that the church would be reopened and permits issued, it was instead agreed that the church building would remain closed until the permits are issued at an unknown date.
“Many years ago we were praying in our houses with the priest because there was not an [existing] church,” a local Christian explained the situation. “Now there are more than 400 Coptic persons in our village and the number of us increases day by day… During the last feast days (Orthodox Easter) many Copts prayed and the police had secured the building, but then the police asked Bishop Georgius to close the church because some Muslims in the village disagreed.”
“This is a very hard situation,” said another. “You can see kids praying in tears because of their feelings of fear … that is very painful for us as Christians personally. I don’t trust in the government promises, but we have to continue praying for [a] reopening [of] the church.”
Perhaps the most noteworthy aspect of this incident is that it has played out, often in parallel ways, countless times in the modern era: Coptic Christians encounter numerous legal obstacles in order to open a church—none of which apply to the building of mosques; desperate to worship freely, particularly on holy days such as Easter, they meet in private homes or unofficial churches; this enrages local Muslims, who protest and often riot.
Based on private conversations with those involved, formal complaints from the Coptic Orthodox Church of Egypt, and objective media reporting, here’s what happens practically every single time:
When the police finally arrive, instead of looking for and arresting the Muslim culprits or mob ringleaders—or, as often is the case, the local imam who incites the Muslim mob against the “uppity infidels” who dare worship in an “illegal” church—authorities gather the leaders of the Christian and Muslim communities together in so-called “reconciliation meetings.” During these closed-doors encounters, Christians are asked to make further concessions to outraged Muslims.
Next, Copts are treated to the “good cop/bad cop” routine. Authorities (the “good cops”) tell Christian leaders things like, “Yes, we understand the situation and your innocence, but the only way to appease the rioters (the Muslim mob, the “bad cops”) is by closing down the church—just for now, until things calm down.” Or, “Yes, we understand you need a church, but as you can see, the situation is volatile right now, so, for the time being, maybe you can walk to the church in the next town six miles away—you know, until things die down.”
Needless to say, things never “die down” or “return to normal.” Churches rarely resume being legitimized, as the mob will rise up again.
If Copts rebuff the authorities’ offer to have a reconciliation session and instead demand their rights as citizens, the authorities smile and say “okay.” Then they go through the village making arrests—except that most of those whom they arrest are Christian youths who tried to defend the unofficial church or private residence used as a church. Then the authorities tell the Christian leaders, “Well, we’ve made the arrests. But, just as you say so-and-so [Muslim] was involved, there are even more witnesses [Muslims] who insist your own [Christian] youths were the ones who began the rioting. So, we can either arrest and prosecute them, or you can rethink our offer about having a reconciliation meeting.”
Under the circumstances, dejected Christians generally agree to the further mockery. What alternative do they have? They know if they don’t their youth will, according to precedent, go to prison and be tortured. For example, in one incident, wounded Christians who dared fight against Muslim attackers were arrested and, despite serious injuries, held for seven hours and prevented from receiving medical attention.
This issue of reconciliation meetings is so prevalent and prevents Copts from receiving any justice that a 2009 book is entirely devoted to it. According to a review of the Arabic language book, titled (in translation), Traditional Reconciliation Sessions and Copts: Where the Culprit Emerges Triumphant and the Victim is Crushed:
In some 100 pages the book reviews how the security apparatus in Egypt chooses to ‘reconcile’ the culprits and the victims in crimes where churches are burned; Coptic property and homes plundered, and Copts themselves assaulted, beaten and sometimes murdered; and when even monks are not spared. Even though it stands to reason that such cases should be seen in courts of law where the culprits would be handed fair sentences, this is almost never allowed to take place. And even in the few cases which managed to find their way into the courts, the culprits were never handed fair sentences since the police invariably fell short of providing any incriminating evidence against them.
The farcical scenario of reconciliation sessions has thus without fail dominated the scene where attacks against Copts are concerned, even though these sessions proved to be nothing but a severe retreat of civil rights.
Politically speaking, the authorities aim—through the reconciliation sessions—to secure a rosy façade of the ‘time-honoured[’] amicable relationships between Muslims and Copts’, implying that they live happily ever after. The heartbreaking outcome, however, is that the only winners in these sessions are the trouble mongers and fanatics who induce the attacks in the first place and who more often than not escape punishment and emerge victorious. The Coptic victims are left to lick their wounds.
Worse, not only are the victims denied any justice, but the aggressors are further emboldened to attack again. As Coptic Bishop Makarious of Minya once put it in the context of discussing how Coptic Christians are now being attacked at the rate of every two or three days: “As long as the attackers are never punished, and the armed forces are portrayed as doing their duty, this will just encourage others to continue the attacks, since, even if they are arrested, they will be quickly released.”