LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 18/2019
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
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Bible Quotations For today
You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of
you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 12/13-21/:”Someone in the
crowd said to him, ‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance
with me.’But he said to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator
over you?’And he said to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of
greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’Then he
told them a parable: ‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought
to himself, “What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he
said, “I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and
there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul,
you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”But
God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you.
And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?” So it is with those who
store up treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese
Related News published on September 17-18/2019
Lebanon: Arrest warrant for Lebanese-American who worked for Israel
Arrest warrant for Lebanese-American who worked for Israel
STL Judge Urges Salim Ayyash to Cooperate with STL
STL Indicts Ayyash over Hawi, Hamadeh and Murr Attacks
Geagea chairs 'Strong Lebanon' bloc meeting, deplores attack on Saudi oil
facilities
Future bloc convenes at Center House to discuss latest developments
Bassil after bloc meeting: We made 10 basic suggestions notably touching on
implementation of electricity plan, reduction of wastage in institutions
Journalists, Politicians Stand in Solidarity with Nidaa al-Watan
Berri Calls for Joint Parliamentary Committees Meeting
Lebanese Businessman Returns to Beirut after Detention in Ethiopia
Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on September 17-18/2019
Iran’s supreme leader: No talk with the US at any level
Attack on Saudi Arabia came from Iran: US official
US intel indicates attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities launched from Iran: Report
Pence says attacks against US allies and global energy supply will fail
Former IRGC chief: Iran will try Trump one day
US House Speaker requests briefing for all members on Saudi Aramco attack, Iran
King Salman says the Kingdom will defend itself no matter source of attack
UAE’s FM Anwar Gargash says Aramco attacks are dangerous escalation
Kuwait’s FM calls on armed forces to be on high alert
On Saudi attacks, Erdogan: We have to look at how the Yemen conflict started
Saudi oil output to return faster than first thought: Report
Russia to discuss selling new anti-drone weapons to Middle East partners
Iran Confirms Detention of 3 Australians
French President Concerned Over Israeli Plan to Annex Palestinian Territories
Deadly Strikes on Iran-backed Fighters in Syria
Air strikes kill 10 pro-Iran fighters in east Syria: Monitor
Syria: Accounts of Businessmen, Former Officials Frozen
Iran’s Allies in Iraq Parliament Seek to Kick out US Troops
Shtayyeh from Jordan Valley: We Will Confront Annexation Plan
Jordan’s king: Israel annexing settlements would be disaster
Algeria: National Authority Begins Preparing for Presidential Elections
Morocco: 4 Ruling Party Members Sentenced in Murder of Leftist Student
Yemeni Parties Call for Eliminating Terror of Iran’s Proxies
Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on September 17-18/2019
Arrest warrant for Lebanese-American who worked for Israel/Ynetnews/Associated
Press|/September 17/2019
STL Judge Urges Salim Ayyash to Cooperate with STL/Naharnet /September 17/2019
STL Indicts Ayyash over Hawi, Hamadeh and Murr Attacks/Naharnet /September
17/2019
Turkey: Alarming Crackdown on Journalists, Desperate Appeal to UN/Uzay Bulut/Gatestone
Institute/September 17/2019
UK: The Push to End Free Speech/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/September
17/2019
Iran is an Evil State that Threatens Everyone/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al
Awsat/September 17/2019
Yes, Iran Was Behind the Saudi Oil Attack. Now What?/Eli
Lake/Bloomberg/September 17/2019
Boris Johnson Still Has a Fighting Chance/Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/September
17/2019
Stand up to Iran’s oil market terrorism/Mark Dubowitz/Brenda Shaffer/Washington
Examiner/September 17/ 2019
A Credibility Test for U.S.-Saudi Defense Relations and Iran Deterrence/Michael
Knights/The Washington Institute/September 17/2019
The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News
published
on September 17-18/2019
Lebanon: Arrest warrant for Lebanese-American who
worked for Israel
Associated Press/September 17/2019
Fakhoury was detained after returning to his native Lebanon from the U.S.
earlier this month.
BEIRUT: Lebanese judicial officials say a judge has issued an arrest warrant for
a Lebanese American who confessed he’d worked for Israel during its occupation
of Lebanon for nearly two decades. The officials said acting military
investigative judge Najat Abu Shakra on Tuesday postponed the questioning of
Amer Fakhoury at the Military Court in Beirut pending permission from Lebanon’s
Bar Association for an American lawyer who came to attend the questioning. The
officials spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations. Fakhoury was
detained after returning to his native Lebanon from the U.S. earlier this month.
He had worked as a senior warden at the Khiam Prison in southern Lebanon that
was run by an Israeli-backed militia. Lebanon and Israel have been officially at
war since Israel’s creation in 1948.
Arrest warrant for Lebanese-American who worked for Israel
Ynetnews/Associated Press|/ September 17/2019
Amer Fakhoury is accused by authorities in his native Lebanon of
working at a detention center run by Israeli-backed militia during Israel's
18-year occupation of south Lebanon; protestors demand the death penalty
BEIRUT, Lebanon - A Lebanese judge issued an arrest warrant Tuesday for a
Lebanese-American who confessed he had worked for Israel during its occupation
of Lebanon for nearly two decades, Lebanese judicial officials said.
The officials said acting military investigative judge Najat Abu Shakra
postponed the questioning of Amer Fakhoury at the Military Court in Beirut
pending permission from Lebanon's Bar Association for an American lawyer to
attend.
The officials said Fakhoury told the judge he wants the American lawyer to be
present and since she had no permission from the Bar Association, the judge
decided to postpone the questioning. No date has been set for the next session,
said the officials who spoke on condition of anonymity in line with regulations.
Fakhoury was detained after returning to his native Lebanon from the U.S.
earlier this month. He had worked as a senior warden at the Khiam Prison in
southern Lebanon that was run by an Israeli-backed militia, known as the South
Lebanon Army, until Israel ended an 18-year occupation of the area in 2000.
Outside the court, scores of people gathered, including former Khiam prison
detainees, some of whom demanded the death penalty for Fakhoury. "First of all
we want the military court to deliver the death sentence by hanging for Amer
Fakhoury and all those like him, whether they are inside Lebanon or outside, who
are trying to erase their history and to return to Lebanon," said Firyal Hammoud,
former inmate of Khiam prison. "We do not accept less than a public death
sentence."Lebanon and Israel have been officially at war since Israel's creation
in 1948. Human rights groups have said in the past that Khiam prison was a site
of torture and detention without trial before it was abandoned in 2000. Israel
denies the allegations. Hundreds of former Lebanese members of the militia had
fled to Israel, fearing reprisals if they remained in Lebanon. Others stayed and
faced trial, receiving lenient sentences. Fakhoury was living in Dover, New
Hampshire and local media reported that the family owns a restaurant there. New
Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu once went to their restaurant for a grape
leaves-making contest and talked about their shared Lebanese heritage, according
to local media.
Judge Urges Salim Ayyash to Cooperate with STL
Naharnet /September 17/2019
The President of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Judge Ivana Hrdličková issued
on Tuesday a statement urging the Accused in the connected attacks to cooperate
with the STL and to inform him of his rights.
Statement of Judge Ivana Hrdličková, President of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon, 17 September 2019:
Yesterday, the Pre-Trial Judge of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon lifted the
confidentiality of his decision confirming an indictment against Salim Jamil
Ayyash. The indictment, dated 14 June 2019, alleges Ayyash’s involvement in the
1 October 2004 attack against Marwan Hamade, the 21 June 2005 attack against
Georges Hawi and the 12 July 2005 attack against Elias El-Murr. A redacted
version of the indictment has also been made public.
On 5 August 2011, the Pre-Trial Judge found the abovementioned attacks to be
“connected” to the 14 February 2005 attack which resulted in the death of former
Lebanese Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and in the death and injury of other
persons. As such, the Pre-Trial Judge has found these crimes fall within the
Special Tribunal’s jurisdiction.
As a result of his decision confirming the indictment, the Pre-Trial Judge
issued an arrest warrant for Ayyash. The Special Tribunal is reliant upon the
co-operation of States to execute its warrants and orders. As Ayyash is believed
to reside in Lebanon, the arrest warrant was transmitted to the Lebanese
authorities.
The Lebanese authorities have since notified me that they have not been able to
locate Ayyash or to effect personal service of the indictment on him. As a next
step, the Rules of Procedure and Evidence (“Rules”) of the Special Tribunal
provide that I may, in consultation with the Pre-Trial Judge, order the service
of the Indictment “in an alternative manner, including procedures of public
advertisement”. I may issue such an order in due course, if necessary.
If these alternative procedures are unsuccessful, the Trial Chamber may be asked
to consider whether to conduct proceedings in absentia.
Rights of the accused
In proceedings before the Special Tribunal, Ayyash is presumed innocent until
proven guilty. While core protections to his rights are guaranteed by Article 16
of the Statute of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (“Statute”), it is in
Ayyash’s best interests that he fully participates in the defence of the charges
against him through duly qualified counsel.
In the event that proceedings are conducted in absentia, the Head of Defence
Office will appoint independent counsel to represent Ayyash’s interests in
court, so as to safeguard the fairness of the proceedings. There is, however, no
safeguard preferable to Ayyash’s own participation in the proceedings. Ayyash is
therefore urged to participate in the proceedings against him, including by
nominating counsel of his own choosing. If he cannot afford a lawyer, funds will
be made available by the Special Tribunal for that purpose, and for the conduct
of his defence. Should Ayyash not have a lawyer, he can contact the Head of
Defence Office of the Special Tribunal, who maintains a list of qualified
independent lawyers that can be engaged for this purpose.
In this regard, it is important that Ayyash is aware of his procedural rights,
including under Rule 104 of the Rules, which specifies that proceedings shall
not be in absentia if an accused appears before the Special Tribunal in person,
by video-conference, or by counsel appointed or accepted by him, and Rule 105 of
the Rules, which specifies that, upon authorization of the Pre-Trial Judge or of
the Trial Chamber, the accused may participate in hearings via a
video-conference provided that his counsel attends the hearings in person.
In absentia procedures
Ayyash is an accused in other ongoing proceedings before the Trial Chamber of
the Special Tribunal. Those proceedings relate to his alleged role in the 14
February 2005 attack which resulted in the death of former Prime Minister Rafic
Hariri and in the death and injury of other persons. They are being conducted in
absentia further to the Trial Chamber’s decision of 1 February 2012, following a
considerable number of attempts to locate Ayyash, finding that he had absconded.
Since then, ongoing efforts by the Lebanese authorities to locate Ayyash have
been unsuccessful.
The proceedings relating to the new case, however, are distinct. As such,
efforts will be made by the Special Tribunal and the Lebanese authorities to
notify Ayyash of the new indictment and the warrant for his arrest, and to
secure his attendance at the Special Tribunal. Article 22 of the Statute and
Rule 106 of the Rules specify the circumstances in which proceedings can be
conducted in absentia, if those efforts are unsuccessful.
In light of the above, I personally urge Ayyash to cooperate with the Special
Tribunal and to exercise his rights to participate in the proceedings. Efforts
to secure his attendance at the Special Tribunal will continue nonetheless.
This statement is directed to Ayyash, his family, friends and close associates,
as well as to the wider public. Those reading this statement are encouraged to
distribute it further by any means available, and urged to do all in their power
to bring it to Ayyash’s attention.
STL Indicts Ayyash over Hawi, Hamadeh and Murr Attacks
Naharnet /September 17/2019
The Pre-Trial Judge at the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Daniel Fransen
lifted Monday the confidentiality off his decision that confirmed an indictment
against Salim Jamil Ayyash relating to the attacks against Marwan Hamadeh,
Georges Hawi and Elias Murr, the STL said.
The confirmation of this indictment marks the opening of a new case before the
STL, the court said in a statement.
The indictment charges Ayyash, a suspected Hizbullah operative, with five
counts:
"- Conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act
-In the alternative to conspiracy aimed at committing a terrorist act, criminal
association
Committing terrorist acts
- Intentional homicide with premeditation of Messrs Ghazi Abou-Karroum, Georges
Hawi and Khaled Moura
- Attempted intentional homicide with premeditation of Messrs Elias Murr, Marwan
Hamade and 17 other persons."
The Pre-Trial Judge has issued an arrest warrant for execution by the Lebanese
authorities and an international arrest warrant for Ayyash.
The confirmation of the indictment means that the Pre-Trial Judge is satisfied,
based on the supporting materials, that the Prosecutor has established a prima
facie case against Ayyash and that there are grounds to initiate trial
proceedings.
The STL noted that "this is not a verdict of guilt and Mr Ayyash is presumed
innocent unless his guilt is established beyond reasonable doubt at trial."
"The indictment and arrest warrant were transmitted to the Lebanese authorities.
They have the obligation to search for, arrest and transfer the accused to the
STL’s custody," it added .
The Special Tribunal for Lebanon has jurisdiction over persons responsible for
attacks that took place in Lebanon between 1 October 2004 and 12 December 2005
if the Tribunal finds that these attacks are connected to the attack of 14
February 2005, which killed former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri and many others.
The Pre-Trial Judge determined that three terrorist attacks against Lebanese
politicians Marwan Hamadeh, Georges Hawi and Elias Murr are connected to the 14
February 2005 attack. The STL took jurisdiction on 5 August 2011.
- Information about the attacks:
On 1 October 2004, an explosive device targeted Hamadeh in Beirut. Hamadeh and
another person were injured, and his bodyguard was killed.
On 21 June 2005, an explosive device targeted Hawi in Beirut. Hawi was killed
and two other persons were injured.
On 12 July 2005, an explosive device targeted Murr in Antelias. One person was
killed, and Murr and fourteen others were injured.
The STL has tried Ayyash and three other Hizbullah operatives in absentia over
Hariri's killing and verdicts are expected soon.
Geagea chairs 'Strong Lebanon' bloc meeting, deplores
attack on Saudi oil facilities
NNA - Tue 17 Sep 2019
The "Strong Republic" bloc on Tuesday held its regular meeting in Maarab under
the chairmanship of Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea. The meeting took
place in the presence of Vice Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani, Minister of Labor,
Kamil Abu Sleiman, and Minister of Social Affairs, Richard Kouyoumjian. Speaking
in the wake of the meeting, Geagea deplored the recent attack on oil facilities
in Saudi Arabia, voicing solidarity with the Kingdom. "The Saudi people are
always by our side in all difficulties. From here, we express our solidarity
with Saudi Arabia," Geagea said, indicating that the attack has affected the
entire economy of the kingdom. On the other hand, Geagea called on the Lebanese
authorities to act with a minimum level of credibility and seriousness in terms
of the decisions issued by the Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL). "Some people
take lightly the decisions of the STL, which has an acceptable level of
credibility," Geagea said. "Fifty states participate in the STL, it is not a
matter to be taken lightly. The Lebanese authorities are required to act with a
minimum level of credibility and seriousness."Turning to the state budget draft
2020, Geagea announced that the LF is preparing a work paper with a full set of
measures to ensure the 2020 budget meets all aspirations. "We will do our best
to develop the best possible vision for 2020 budget, so that it is not a copy of
2019 budget. Otherwise, we will oppose," Geagea maintained.
Future bloc convenes at Center House to discuss latest
developments
NNA - Tue 17 Sep
Future bloc on Tuesday convened at the Center House under the chairmanship of MP
Bahia Hariri, to tackle the latest political developments and the Country's
general situation. In a statement issued in the wake of the periodic meeting and
read out by MP Rola Tabsh, the bloc said that the indictment issued by the
Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) relating to the assasination crime against
Georges Hawi and the attacks on former ministers Marwan Hamade and Elias El Murr,
constitutes "an advanced step in the course of justice and the work of the
international tribunal looking into the assassination of martyr Prime Minister
Rafik Hariri and other political assassinations."The bloc called on the Lebanese
authorities to assume their legal responsibilities in this regard. On the other
hand, the bloc hailed the activation of government work notably in terms of
administrative and judicial appointments, and the launch of the state budget
draft 2020. The bloc also expressed concern about the negative developments
taking place in the region, stressing the need to dissociate Lebanon from
external conflicts and refrain from engaging in the wars of others.
Bassil after bloc meeting: We made 10 basic suggestions
notably touching on implementation of electricity plan, reduction of wastage in
institutions
NNA - Tue 17 Sep 2019
President of the Free Patriotic Movement, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, said
in a press conference after the "Strong Lebanon" bloc meeting that "the
objective behind the economic paper is to tell the citizens that the government
deserves confidence in order to fix the economy."
"We have put forth 10 basic suggestions in the budget negotiation, namely the
implementation of the electricity plan immediately (...) and the reduction of
waste, starting with the permanent or temporary cancellation of institutions and
departments deemed unneeded, such as the Council of the South, the Ministry of
Information, etc, stopping contributions from public institutions to private
sectors or companies, (...) reducing consumer expenses, cutting down high
budgets in institutions such as Ogero and the Middle East Airlines, the Ministry
of Finance contracting with a specialized company to detect tax-evading
companies, making sure everyone is subject to VAT, imposing a tax on cigarettes,
controlling the issue of smuggling at legitimate crossings and imposing
mandatory customs declaration in the country of origin as well as the adoption
of the scanner system..."
"We have proposed that our goal for the next three years is to reach a zero
deficit in the balance between expenses and imports, except for investment
expenditures that improve services," Bassil added.
"The second part is related to the balance of payments. What is intended is
swift measures to limit the flow of funds from Lebanon to foreign countries. The
main problem is the lack of liquidity in the market. (...) We should encourage
local tourism and encourage foreign tourism to Lebanon. (...) We proposed an
increase on outbound travel tickets. The visits of the Prime Minister and
ministers abroad aim to convince them [foreigners] to invest and leave deposits
in the Central Bank of Lebanon," he went on to say, urging the immediate move to
gas production. The Minister also highlighted the importance of a quick
executive mechanism to implement the McKenzie plan, and the launching of the
construction investment program, as well as solving the housing loans issue.
"It is particularly important for the Middle East Airlines to reduce the inbound
fare for Lebanese and foreigners," he added.
Touching on the issue of displaced people, Bassil said "we are a country that is
exhausted economically and financially. For every dollar that enters [Lebanon]
to help the displaced people, another dollar should enter for the sake of the
Lebanese State. Otherwise we cannot continue."
Bassil explained that "these proposals do not eclipse the paper submitted last
year, but is an integrated package and a summary of the economic situation.
"We are facing a serious crisis and a crisis team must be formed. We propose
that President Michel Aoun, Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri and Prime Minister
Saad Hariri, with the assistance of the Ministers of Economy and Finance and the
Governor of the Central Bank of Lebanon, to form a crisis cell that convenes
regularly so that this issue receives the necessary daily follow-up, without any
further delay," he concluded.
Journalists, Politicians Stand in Solidarity with Nidaa al-Watan
Naharnet /September 17/2019
Lebanese journalists and politicians carried out a solidarity stand with Nidaa
al-Watan newspaper on the eve of its appearance before the judiciary against its
criticism of Iranian influence in Lebanon through Hizbullah party. In its
headlines the newspaper published an article it titled “New Ambassadors in
Baabda ... Welcome to Khamenei’s Republic."The Press Syndicate condemned the
prosecution of journalists by the criminal investigations bureau, stressing that
the only party eligible to prosecute journalists is the press offenses court of
publications. The Syndicate chief, Aouni al-Kaaki denounced the move saying: “We
have noticed lately the political authority resorting to judicial measures to
hold the press accountable, forgetting that the only body legally empowered to
prosecute journalists is the Publications Court under Law No. 1 sentenced in
1977 during the government of PM Salim Hoss.”Kaaki added: “The sentences should
only be financial, as it is not allowed to imprison any journalist.”Editor-in-Chief
of Nidaa al-Watan, Beshara Charbel said he was aware that the “mission” he chose
to defend the sovereignty of the State would have ramifications, “but we did not
know the state has little patience to prompt summons to the criminal
investigations bureau.” In reference to the remarks made by Hizbullah leader
Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, he added: “We said it is Khamenei's republic and we
only repeated explicit statements declaring that any aggression against Iran
would rattle the region and bring Lebanon into war.” Earlier in September and
marking the last day of the Shiite Ashoura commemorations, Nasrallah voiced
support for Iran in its dispute with the United States. He said any war against
Iran “will ignite the region and destroy countries and peoples. It will be a war
against the entire axis of resistance,” and that Hizbullah is part of the axis
of resistance. On Khameni he said: “Our imam, leader, master and Hussein in this
era is Grand Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei. He is the leader of the axis of
resistance and Iran is the heart and main center of the axis.”
Berri Calls for Joint Parliamentary Committees Meeting
Naharnet /September 17/2019
Speaker Nabih Berri on Tuesday called the parliamentary committees for a joint
meeting to discuss decree No. 2367 aimed at organizing the chiropractic
profession in Lebanon, the National News Agency reported. Berri set the date on
Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. It will be attended by the committees of: administration
and justice, public health, labor and social affairs, education and higher
education and culture, said NNA.
Lebanese Businessman Returns to Beirut after Detention in Ethiopia
Naharnet /September 17/2019
Lebanese businessman Hassan Jaber who had been detained in the African nation of
Ethiopia returned to Beirut on Tuesday. Jaber arrived in Beirut coming from
Gabon where he was flown to it on Sunday after contacts between authorities to
free him. MP Yasin Jaber was at the airport to receive Hasan Jaber, he said: “We
have demanded that an envoy sent to Ethiopia to ensure that what happened with
Hasan Jaber will not happen again because this airline is frequently used by
Lebanese.”MP Hassan Qobeissi was also at the terminal dispatched by Speaker
Nabih Berri, he said that Ethiopia's airport “is not safe for the Lebanese after
what happened with Hasan Jaber.”
For his part, Hasan Jaber said: “It seems that the Israeli Mossad was behind my
arrest in Ethiopia.”Jaber was kidnapped in Ethiopia while traveling from Gabon
to Beirut via Addis Ababa airport on Sept. 7.
On Sunday, Lebanon’s ministry said that Hasan Jaber will head from Ethiopia to
the African nation of Gabon and later will return to Lebanon.
The ministry had summoned Ethiopia's charge d'affaires demanding information
about Jaber. Some Lebanese media outlets have speculated that Israel or the
United States might have been behind Jaber's arrest. The ministry did not give
any explanation why Jaber was held in Ethiopia.
The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on September 17-18/2019
Iran’s supreme leader: No talk with the US at any level
Associated Press/September 17/2019
TEHRAN, Iran: Iran’s supreme leader announced on Tuesday that “there will be no
talks with the U.S. at any level” — remarks apparently meant to end all
speculation about a possible U.S.-Iran meeting between the two countries’
presidents at the U.N. later this month. Iranian state TV quoted Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei as saying this is the position of the entire leadership of the country
and that “all officials in the Islamic Republic unanimously believe” this.
“There will be no talks with the U.S. at any level,” he said. There had been
reports about a possible meeting between President Donald Trump and his Iranian
counterpart, Hassan Rouhani, during the upcoming U.N. General Assembly this
month in New York. But tensions roiling the Persian Gulf have escalated
following a weekend attack on major oil sites in Saudi Arabia that the U.S.
alleged Iran was responsible for — a charge Iran denies.
The attack — which set ablaze a crucial Saudi oil processing plant and a key oil
field — was claimed by Iranian-allied Houthi rebels, who are at war with a
Saudi-led coalition that is trying to restore Yemen’s internationally recognized
government to power. Trump declared Monday it “looks” like Iran was behind the
explosive attack on the Saudi oil facilities. But he stressed that military
retaliation was not yet on the table in response to the strike against a key
U.S. Mideast ally. Oil prices soared worldwide amid the damage in Saudi Arabia
and fresh Middle East war concerns. But Trump put the brakes on any talk of
quick military action — earlier he had said the U.S. was “locked and loaded” —
and he said the oil impact would not be significant on the U.S., which is a net
energy exporter. The Saudi government called the attack an “unprecedented act of
aggression and sabotage” but stopped short of directly pinning blame on Iran.
One U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss internal
deliberations, said the U.S. was considering dispatching additional military
resources to the Gulf but that no decisions had been made. The U.S. already has
the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier battle group in the area, as well as
fighter jets, bombers, reconnaissance aircraft and air defenses.
Trump, alternating between aggressive and nonviolent reactions, said the U.S.
could respond “with an attack many, many times larger” but also “I’m not looking
at options right now.” American officials released satellite images of the
damage at the heart of the kingdom’s Abqaiq processing plant and a key oil
field, and two U.S. officials said the attackers used multiple cruise missiles
and drone aircraft. Private experts said the satellite images show the attackers
had detailed knowledge of which tanks and machinery to hit within the sprawling
Saudi oil processing facility at Abqaiq to cripple production. But “satellite
imagery can’t show you where the attack originated from,” said Joe Bermudez, an
expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies who examined the
images. The U.S. alleges the pattern of destruction suggested Saturday’s attack
did not come from neighboring Yemen, as claimed by Iranian-backed Houthi rebels
there. A Saudi military alleged “Iranian weapons” had been used. The Saudis
invited the U.N. and other international experts to help investigate, suggesting
there was no rush to retaliate.
Attack on Saudi Arabia came from Iran: US official
AFP, Washington/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
The United States has concluded the weekend attack on Saudi oil facilities was
launched from Iranian soil and cruise missiles were involved, a US official told
AFP on Tuesday. The official, who declined to be identified, said the United
States was gathering evidence about the attack to present to the international
community, notably European allies, at the UN General Assembly next week. Asked
if Washington was certain that the missiles had been launched from Iranian soil,
the official answered: “Yes.” US intelligence services have the capability of
determining where the missiles were launched from, the official said, declining,
however, to say how many were fired. “I will not get into that kind of details,”
the official said. The weekend strikes on Abqaiq - the world’s largest oil
processing facility - and the Khurais oil field in eastern Saudi Arabia have
roiled global energy markets. Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militia claimed
responsibility for Saturday’s attacks but Saudi Arabia accused Iran and
President Donald Trump also singled out Tehran. Multiple reports quoted US
intelligence sources as saying that the attack originated from Iran. US
President Donald Trump previously said on Monday that it was “looking like” Iran
was responsible for the attack. The Arab Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki
said that the initial investigations indicated that the weapons used in the
attacks on two Saudi Aramco oil facilities are Iranian. On Tuesday, Saudi
Arabia’s King Salman stressed the Kingdom’s ability to deal with the attacks on
the country’s facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais. Addressing the country’s
cabinet, King Salman added that these attacks not only target the Kingdom’s
vital facilities, but also target the global economy.
US intel indicates attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities
launched from Iran: Report
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
US intelligence shows that the recent attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities
originated from Iran, according to a report by NBC News citing three sources.
“This attack had a level of sophistication we have not seen before,” the
congressional source told NBC News. “You will not see Democrats pushing back on
the idea that Iran was behind it.”The report comes as US President Donald Trump
said he agreed with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Iranian responsibility for
the Saudi attacks. “It is certainly looking that way at this moment,” Trump told
reporters when asked if he believes Tehran carried out the attack. The president
said “we pretty much already know” and “certainly it would look to most like it
was Iran” but that Washington still wanted more proof. “We want to find
definitively who did this,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, where he
met with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa. The Arab
Coalition said that investigations indicated that the weapons used in the
attacks on two Saudi Aramco oil facilities are Iranian.
Pence says attacks against US allies and global energy
supply will fail
Reuters, Washington/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
US Vice President Mike Pence said on Tuesday that the United States was
evaluating evidence on the attacks on Saudi oil facilities and stands ready to
defend its interests and allies in the Middle East. Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo was traveling to Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, Pence said in a speech at the
Heritage Institute think tank. If Iran conducted Saturday’s attacks to pressure
President Donald Trump to back off his sanctions regime against Tehran, they
will fail, Pence said.
Former IRGC chief: Iran will try Trump one day
Staff Writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Iran will one day put US President Donald Trump on trial, a senior Iranian
official said Tuesday, adding that Iran is not “convinced” by the dismissal of
former US National Security adviser John Bolton. “We are not convinced by the
dismissal of Bolton, and there will be a day where we will try Trump,” the
semi-official Mehr news agency quoted the Secretary of Iran’s Expediency
Discernment Council and former chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)
Mohsen Rezaei as saying. Rezaei did not say what President Trump would be tried
for. President Trump said on September 10 he fired Bolton from the position of
national security adviser because he “disagreed strongly” with many of Bolton’s
suggestions. This year is a “decisive” year for Iran, according to Rezaei, who
added that the US is currently “besieged” by Iran’s “revolutionary forces” in
the region. Rezaei expressed his opposition to any talks between Iranian
President Hassan Rouhani and Trump, saying that Trump would misuse any Rouhani-Trump
photo-op and that would be a “betrayal to our resistance and revolution.”Rezaei
said that he is happy that Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has ruled out any talks
with the US. Khamenei on Tuesday ruled out any talks with the US. “Not at New
York and not at any other place,” Khamenei said, unless the US returns to the
JCPOA nuclear deal.
US House Speaker requests briefing for all members on Saudi
Aramco attack, Iran
Reuters/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has requested a briefing for
all House members on the Saudi Aramco attacks and Iran, a spokesman said on
Tuesday. House leaders asked for the intelligence briefings after drone attacks
Saturday on two oil facilities sent oil prices soaring and raised fears of a new
Middle East conflict.
King Salman says the Kingdom will defend itself no matter
source of attack
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Saudi Arabia’s King Salman on Tuesday stressed the Kingdom’s ability to deal
with the attacks on the country's facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat Khurais.
Addressing the country's cabinet, King Salman added that these attacks not only
target the Kingdom's vital facilities, but also target the global economy.
The cabinet said on Tuesday that the Kingdom will defend its territory and its
facilities no matter the source of the attack, and it called on the
international community to take tougher measures to stop these attacks.This
"unprecedented" and "destructive aggression threatens international peace and
security," the cabinet added.
UAE’s FM Anwar Gargash says Aramco attacks are dangerous
escalation
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
UAE’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday that
the Aramco attacks are a dangerous escalation. Justifying the terrorist attacks
on the two oil facilities as a result of developments in the war in Yemen is
“completely unacceptable,” Gargash said on Twitter. The international community
must stand with Saudi Arabia to ensure security and stability in the region, he
added. President Donald Trump said it is “looking like” Iran was responsible for
the attacks on key oil installations in Saudi Arabia, but he said he doesn’t
want war. Trump said on Monday at the White House that the US is not looking at
retaliatory options until he has “definitive proof” that Iran was responsible.
Still, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office that the US “is prepared” if the
attacks warrant a response. The Arab Coalition said that investigations
indicated that the weapons used in the attacks on two Saudi Aramco oil
facilities are Iranian.
Kuwait’s FM calls on armed forces to be on high alert
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Kuwait’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah al-Khalid Al Sabah called on the
country’s armed forces to be on high alert and prepared to confront any incident
that may destabilize the country’s security, state news agency KUNA reported on
Tuesday. The minister also condemned the attacks on key oil installations in
Saudi Arabia, adding that Kuwait stands behind Saudi Arabia following Saturday’s
attacks on Aramco oil facilities
On Saudi attacks, Erdogan: We have to look at how the Yemen
conflict started
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Monday linked Saturday's attack on
Saudi Arabian oil facilities with the war in Yemen. When asked about the impact
of the recent attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities in Abqaiq and Hijrat
Khurais, Erdogan responded by saying: “We have to look at how the conflict in
Yemen started. This country was completely destroyed - who caused it?” The war
in Yemen began in 2014 when the Iran-backed Houthi militia overthrew the
internationally recognized Yemeni government. The Arab Coalition was subequently
assembled and intervened to combat the Houthis.
Erdogan had previously voiced support for the Arab Coalition's role in Yemen. In
March, 2015, Erdogan said “we support Saudi Arabia’s intervention,” adding that
“Turkey may consider providing logistical support based on the evolution of the
situation,” in an interview with news channel France 24.
Erdogan's recent comments came during a press conference in Ankara, after a
trilateral meeting on Syria with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin and
Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani. Although the Iran-backed Houthi militia has
claimed it launched the attack from Yemen, US officials pointed to satellite
imagery that they said showed the attacks were launched from a west-northwest
direction. Multiple reports quoted US intelligence sources as saying that the
attack originated from Iran. US President Donald Trump previously said on Monday
that it was “looking like” Iran was responsible for the attack.
The Arab Coalition spokesperson Turki al-Malki said that the initial
investigations indicated that the weapons used in the attacks on two Saudi
Aramco oil facilities are Iranian. Erdogan has also previously criticized
Tehran's role in the region, stating in 2015 that “Iran is trying to dominate
the region.”
Saudi oil output to return faster than first thought:
Report
Reuters, London/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Saudi Arabia's oil output will be fully back online quicker than initially
thought following weekend attacks on production facilities, two sources briefed
on the latest developments told Reuters on Tuesday. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
is close to restoring 70 percent of the 5.7 million barrels per day (bpd)
production lost following the attacks, one of the sources, a top Saudi source
briefed on the latest developments, said.
Russia to discuss selling new anti-drone weapons to Middle
East partners
Reuters, Moscow/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Russia will hold talks with its Middle East partners on selling them new
anti-drone weapons systems, Interfax news agency cited Russian state arms
exporter Rosoboronexport saying on Tuesday. The arms exporter would discuss
sales of the new anti-drone weapons during the Dubai Airshow in late November,
Rosoboronexport director Alexander Mikheev said. The comments follow a drone
attack on Saudi Arabian oil facilities on Saturday which knocked out more than 5
percent of global oil supply.
Iran Confirms Detention of 3 Australians
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Iran's judiciary on Tuesday confirmed the detention of three Australian
citizens."Two of them had taken pictures in military areas and the third (was
detained) for spying for a third country," Fars news agency quoted judiciary
spokesman Gholamhossein Esmaili as saying. "The court will decide whether this
person (detained for spying) is guilty or not."Esmaili did not identify the
detained people and gave no details about when they had been arrested.
Australia's foreign ministry had said it was providing consular assistance to
the families of three Australians detained in Iran after Britain's Times
newspaper reported that two British-Australian women and the Australian
boyfriend of one of them had been detained in Iran. Perth-based travel-blogging
couple Jolie King and Mark Firkin, who has been documenting their journey from
home to Britain on social media, were first revealed as two of those arrested.
Later, the third Australian was identified by her family as Melbourne University
lecturer Kylie Moore-Gilbert who specializes in Middle Eastern politics with a
focus on Gulf states. Britain said on Wednesday that it had raised concerns with
the Iranian ambassador over the number of dual-nationality citizens detained in
Iran and the conditions in which they were being held.
French President Concerned Over Israeli Plan to Annex
Palestinian Territories
Amman, Paris- Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
French President Emmanuel Macron and Jordan’s King Abdallah
expressed Monday their shared concern over Israeli comments on the annexation of
Palestinian territories, the French presidency said in a statement. The two
leaders reaffirmed there was no alternative to the two states solution and
“agreed to stay in close contact over the coming weeks to avoid any dangerous
escalation of tensions,” added the Elysee. Jordan’s Royal Court issued a
statement saying King Abdullah discussed bilateral ties and means to bolster
cooperation in all areas during a phone call with French President. The phone
call covered regional developments, as the King called for “concerted
international efforts in rejection of all unilateral measures that could
undermine the two-state solution—the only solution to the conflict,” according
to the Royal Court. The King asserted that this will lead to the establishment
of an independent Palestinian state on the 4 June 1967 lines with East Jerusalem
as its capital, living side by side with Israel in peace and security. King
Abdullah lauded the position of France and EU in support of the two-state
solution, stressing the importance of uniting international positions in this
regard. A week ago, Netanyahu pledged to annex the Jordan Valley, an
agricultural area, if he wins the elections. Netanyahu's vow, if realized,
affects 65,000 Palestinians living in the region, according to the Israeli
Information Center for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, B'Tselem. On
Sunday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced that the Israeli
government recognized an illegal settlement in the occupied West Bank. The
office said that during its weekly session in the Jordan Valley, the Israeli
government agreed to “transform the informal settlement of Mivot Jericho in the
Jordan Valley into an official settlement.”Established in 1999, with around 30
families living there, the Jordan Valley is a 120-km strategic area located
along the eastern border with Jordan. It is considered a security and economic
strategic area for its water and agricultural value.
Deadly Strikes on Iran-backed Fighters in Syria
Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Unknown aircraft have attacked posts of Iranian-backed fighters in an eastern
town near the Iraqi border, Syrian opposition activists and the Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said Tuesday. The activists said the airstrikes
took place in Boukamal, in the eastern province of Deir Ezzor. They killed 10
pro-Iranian Iraqi militiamen, the Observatory said. They targeted "three
positions of the Revolutionary Guards and allied (Iraqi) militias," it added.
Last week, unknown warplanes targeted an arms depot and posts of Iranian-backed
militias in Boukamal, killing at least 18 fighters. A Syrian security official
said Israeli jets were behind the attack but denied there were casualties. The
Britain-based Observatory and Deir Ezzor 24, an activist collective, said the
strikes occurred near the border crossing with Iraq.The opening of the crossing,
planned by Iraq and Syria, had been postponed several times in recent weeks.
Air strikes kill 10 pro-Iran fighters in east Syria:
Monitor
AFP, Beirut/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Overnight air strikes killed 10 pro-Iranian Iraqi militiamen in eastern Syria, a
war monitor said Tuesday, without specifying who carried them out. The strikes
targeted “three positions of the (Iranian) Revolutionary Guards and allied
(Iraqi) militias” in Albu Kamal, in the Euphrates Valley just across the border
from Iraq, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. This strike is the
second of its kind to target Iranian and pro-Iran militias in Albu Kamal this
month.
Syria: Accounts of Businessmen, Former Officials Frozen
Damascus - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Syrian opposition activists circulated on Monday copies of a government decision
to freeze the bank accounts of former education minister Hazwan Allwaz and his
Ukrainian wife for their alleged involvement in corruption cases worth 350
million Syrian liras. “You will be surprised by the persons who will be held
accountable in the next few days,” Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis told
Parliament on Sunday. The PM also threatened to track those who “benefited from
the crisis in Syria by amassing large wealth,” saying a committee will be formed
in every ministry to study previous contacts and learn of graft. Despite no
official confirmation on the government decision, sources said Damascus took a
decision to freeze the bank accounts of the former education minister and 87
employees over contracts worth billions, inked with Syrian businessmen Mohammad
Bara Qatirji and Mohammed Hamsho to purchase computers and other equipment for
the ministry. Last month, the Syrian opposition website Kuluna Shuraka
(All4Syria) reported that measures were taken against Hamsho, a Syrian
businessman with extensive links to the Syrian government and the Assad family.
Other sources said the current campaign, led by first wife Asama Assad, aims to
crack down on prominent businessmen linked to Mohammed Makhlouf, the uncle of
Bashar Assad. The sources said that the former education minister is close to
Hamsho.
Iran’s Allies in Iraq Parliament Seek to Kick out US Troops
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Iran’s allies in the Iraqi parliament kicked off on Monday efforts to expel
American forces deployed in the country amid mounting tensions between
Washington and Tehran. Russia Today reported that MP Hassan Salem was charged
with collecting the signatures of lawmakers in order to include an article on
the withdrawal of foreign troops from Iraq during the next parliamentary
session. Salem is a member of the Sadiqoun bloc that is affiliated with the
Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq group. He collected 53 signatures. Another Sadiqoun MP, Wajih
Abbas, had previously said that 9,000 American troops were deployed in Iraq. He
had demanded that parliament intervene and reduce the number to around 3,000.
Shiite authority Kazem al-Haeri had in August issued a fatwa, or religious
edict, barring the deployment of American troops in Iraq. He had allegedly
declared that he would confront them himself “if he had the strength to carry
arms,” said RT. The American forces were deployed to Iraq in 2014 to combat the
ISIS terrorist group that had captured large swathes of the country and Syria at
the time. The group has since been defeated in both countries.
Shtayyeh from Jordan Valley: We Will Confront Annexation
Plan
Ramallah - Kifah Zboun/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Shtayyeh said the Jordan Valley is a major
part of the Palestinian geography and an essential part of the future
Palestinian state. Any talk about its annexation to Israel is baseless and
unacceptable and will have serious repercussions, Shtayyeh warned during a
cabinet meeting that was held in the Jordan Valley. It is an attempt to win
electoral votes, he charged. “Palestinians were born to live on this land. We
were here before settlers, who live illegally,” the premier said in response to
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s pledges to annex the Jordan Valley.
The Jordan Valley is located on the eastern side of the West Bank. It is home to
50,000 Palestinians and some 9,000 Israeli settlers who live in 35 settlements.
The cabinet meeting took place a day after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu convened his caretaker government in the Jordan Valley, a largely
agricultural area which he announced on September 11 that he intends to annex if
he wins a fifth term in office. Israeli cabinets have rarely held sessions in
the West Bank. Israelis went to polls on Tuesday. The Jordan Valley is 1,622
kilometers in area, making up 28 percent of the West Bank. A political, economic
and sovereignty dispute has been raging over the border region for decades.
Israel has repeatedly rejected proposals calling for its withdrawal from the
region. Netanyahu’s recent annexation remarks have been met with Palestinian,
Arab and international uproar. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has vowed to
annul all agreements with Israel if he follows through with his annexation
threats. Palestinian factions have also vowed to confront the Israeli move with
force. Shtayyeh said the Palestinian Authority would take Israel to
international courts for exploiting Jordan Valley territory. “We are exerting
efforts to ensure the perseverance of our people on our land in order for the
Palestinian Jordan Valley region to act as the vegetable and fruit basket of
Palestine as it did in the past,” he added. “Our meeting here is aimed at
underscoring its Palestinian identity,” he declared.
Jordan’s king: Israel annexing settlements would be
disaster
The Associated Press, Berlin/Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Jordan’s King Abdullah II says if Israel goes ahead with the idea of annexing
all the settlements in the West Bank it would be a “disaster” for attempts to
find any two-state solution with the Palestinians. Speaking after talks with
German Chancellor Angela Merkel Tuesday, Abdullah said he was “extremely
concerned” about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s vow to annex all
the West Bank settlements. He says it will “directly impact” the relationship
between Israel and Jordan, and Israel and Egypt, and that “these types of
statements are... a disaster to any attempt to move forward to the two-state
solution.”Merkel agreed, calling Netanyahu’s vow “unhelpful.”Abdullah added that
“we’re looking on this with tremendous concern.”Israel captured the West Bank
and east Jerusalem from Jordan in the 1967 war.
Algeria: National Authority Begins Preparing for
Presidential Elections
Algiers- Boualam Ghimrasah/Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Algeria’s interim president Abdelkader Bensalah announced December 12th the date
of the presidential elections, however, none of the parties and active forces in
the country responded to his announcement. Independent National Authority for
the Organization of Elections began its deployment in Algeria’s 48 states, after
being approved by the Constitutional Council as a constitutional body. The
authority was strongly criticized for its poor choice of members, who are not
well known for the public except its president, Mohammed Sharafi, who twice
served as justice minister under former President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. Sharafi
and the rest of the members are expected to face great difficulties in opening
state offices, due to the popular rejection of this body. It is seen as a “tool”
used by the authorities to circumvent the demands of the popular movement asking
for a radical regime change. However, many Algerians support the National
Authority and elections in general, considering it is a way out of a protracted
crisis. Activists and university professors in Oran, the country’s largest city
in the west, organized a demonstration against the proposed presidential
elections.
Observers expect the slogans of the weekly student demonstration to be directly
against Bensalah’s call for the election of a new president. Sources close to
the matter quoted Bensalah as saying that he wants to leave office as soon as
possible due to the pressure from the movement, in addition to the fact that he
suffers from an illness which has become noticeable during his latest statement.
Head of National Liberation Front, Ali Benflis, implicitly expressed his will to
run the elections by announcing his support for holding the polls before the end
of the year. Benflis, a former prime minister, ran twice in the presidential
elections of 2004 and 2014, and in both times he came second after Bouteflika.
According to political sources, head of El-Moustakbal Front and a presidential
candidate in 2014, Abdelaziz Belaid will also announce his candidacy by the end
of the week. Movement of Society for Peace has begun its consultations on the
candidacy of its president Abdelkader Bengrina, a former minister. He is likely
to enter the upcoming race. Notably, the three parties to which the presumed
candidates belong did not announce clear positions on many ongoing issues,
unlike many political forces, namely imprisoning prominent political figures
like Karim Tabbou, Louisa Hanoune, and Lakhdar Bouregaa. All three figures are
detained on charges of insulting the army. Two other retired officers, General
Hocine Benhadid, 76, and Major General Ali Ghadiri, are also imprisoned for
similar charges. Ghadiri ran for presidential election on April 18 which was
canceled by the movement against Bouteflika for running for a fifth term.
Morocco: 4 Ruling Party Members Sentenced in Murder of Leftist Student
Rabat - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
In a ruling expected to create major controversy in Morocco, the Court of Appeal
in Fez sentenced on Monday four members of the ruling Justice and Development
Party (PJD) for their alleged involvement in the murder of a leftist student in
1993. The sentences included three years in prison to PJD members Taoufik El
Kadi and Abdelouahed Kerioul and three months in prison to Kassem Abdelkebir and
Ajil Abdelkbir. The four men had previously been acquitted before the case was
reopened. Mohamed Benaissa Ait El Jid was killed during clashes that pitted
leftist and Islamist students at Dar El Mehraz University in Fez. Leading PJD
member Abdelali Hamieddine is expected to appear before the court on Tuesday. He
is held on charges of complicity to the murder. Prime Minister and PJD chief
Saadeddine Othmani had condemned Hamieddine’s new trial, saying it had no legal
justification. The reopening of the case is “unreasonable and goes against the
spirit of reconciliation with the past that our country has been experiencing,”
he remarked.
Yemeni Parties Call for Eliminating Terror of Iran’s
Proxies
Aden - Asharq Al-Awsat/Tuesday, 17 September, 2019
Yemen's National Alliance of Political Parties has condemned in the strongest
terms the attacks on two Aramco oil facilities in Saudi Arabia. "This terrorist
attack is a serious escalation targeting the security of the Kingdom and the
entire region and global energy supplies,” it said in a statement. The Alliance,
which brings together Yemen’s largest parties backing the country’s legitimacy,
said the attack revealed the magnitude of the Iranian threat globally and the
extent of the spread of its arms in the region and the terrorist nature of its
proxies, including the Houthi militia. The Alliance reiterated its unequivocal
rejection for turning Yemen into a platform to target the security and stability
of neighboring countries, affirming its solidarity with the Kingdom and
expressing its confidence in Saudi Arabia's ability to confront all forms of
terrorism, violence and extremism. Yemeni politicians and activists believe that
Houthi militias do not possess such capabilities to execute terrorist attacks.
“The militia group scurries to announce responsibility for such attacks as a
cover up for Iran and its (military) wings in the region,” they said. The
statement called for “confronting such a threat” by ending the Yemeni crisis and
achieving peace.
The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published on September 17-18/2019
Turkey: Alarming Crackdown on Journalists, Desperate Appeal
to UN
Uzay Bulut/Gatestone Institute/September 17/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14887/turkey-crackdown-journalists
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was held on September 13. Sadly, no one
at the meeting addressed the persecution of journalists in Turkey -- not José
Guevara Bermúdez, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, nor Béla Szombati, who
represented the European Union, nor any other participant.
Amnesty International recently tagged Turkey the "world's largest prison for
journalists."
The United Nations Human Rights Council, if it wishes to change its image from
that of a laughing stock, should put at the top of its agenda calling Ankara to
task. Meanwhile, however, Erdoğan's violations of freedom of speech need to be
exposed daily and loudly condemned -- not only by members of the UN and the
media, but by any and all allies of Turkey -- and freedom of expression -- in
the West.
International human-rights and press-freedom organizations recently appealed to
the United Nations to take action against the ongoing abuse of journalists by
the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.
In a letter to the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on September 3, eighteen
organizations -- led by the group ARTICLE 19, which promotes freedom of
expression -- called on "all Member and Observer States committed to media
freedom, democracy and the rule of law" to "speak out and address the Turkish
government's repressive campaign against freedom of expression" in the forum of
the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention during the UNHRC's 42nd regular
session.
The letter reads, in part:
"The right to hold and express dissenting opinions and to access information has
been systematically undermined by the Turkish government in an intensive
crackdown on journalists and independent media, academics, civil society,
oppositional voices and the judiciary. Since 2016, the human rights situation in
Turkey has steeply declined, facilitated by the misuse of sweeping emergency
powers and the concentration of executive power. At the time of writing, at
least 138 journalists and media workers are imprisoned, with hundreds more
currently on trial facing lengthy sentences on manifestly unfounded terrorism
charges ... Access to thousands of websites and platforms has been blocked after
a government decree authorising removals and blockages of websites without
judicial oversight."
Providing "background," the letter goes on:
"In July 2016, a state of emergency was imposed in Turkey after a failed coup
attempt, which was followed by mass arrests and mass dismissals of judges,
prosecutors and civil servants perceived to be in opposition to the government.
Many of those arrested are reported to have been subject to torture and
ill-treatment in detention and have faced politicised trials falling well below
fair trial standards. Since then, President Erdoğan's government has sought to
tighten its grip, shutting down media outlets and imprisoning journalists on an
alarming scale...
"In 2018 alone, 59 journalists were sentenced to a collective total of 419 years
and 8 months in prison for 'being a member of a terrorist organisation',
'managing a terrorist organisation' or 'aiding a terrorist organisation'.
Trumped up terrorism charges are routinely used against journalists expressing
critical or dissenting opinions, and result in lengthy prison terms...
"Independent media has been all but wiped out. Under State of Emergency Decrees
at least 170 media outlets including publishing houses, newspapers and
magazines, news agencies, TV stations and radios were closed. Only 21 of these
have been able to reopen, some of them only on the basis that they agree to
major changes in their management boards.Many independent outlets have been
permanently silenced, through the liquidation and expropriation of all their
assets...
"These arrests and trials are taking place in the context of the absolute
collapse of the rule of law in the country, where there is no prospect of a fair
trial for defendants."
Recent examples of the above repression include:
On September 12, Barış İnce, a journalist with the newspaper Birgun, was
sentenced to 11 months and 20 days in prison for "insulting president Erdoğan."
On September 11, Max Zirngast, an Austrian university student and journalist
with the Jacobin magazine, was acquitted by a Turkish court of "being a member
of an armed terrorist organisation." Zirngast was detained last year and spent
three months in jail, until he was released, but subject to an international
travel ban, pending trial.
Also on September 11, journalists Ayşegül Doğan, program coordinator of IMC TV,
which was shut down, and Yusuf Karataş, a columnist for the daily Evrensel, had
their hearings, which lasted only five minutes. The two members of the media are
charged with "establishing and leading an armed terrorist organization" as part
of their journalistic activities and face up to 22 and a half years in prison.
The next hearings are slated for December 25.
On September 11, as well, columnist Özlem Albayrak resigned from the
pro-government daily, Yeni Şafak, after the paper refused to publish her article
criticizing the nearly 10-year prison sentence imposed on Canan Kaftancıoğlu,
the Istanbul head of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), for
her social media posts. After her resignation, Albayrak said: "It appears that
there is no tolerance left even for constructive and genuine criticism that is
not hostile. And that is worrisome. But it would be delusional to think that
this is restricted to Yeni Şafak alone. In recent years, we have been expected
to engage in hooliganism, not journalism."
On August 29, Ümit Uzun from the Demirören News Agency was detained by Istanbul
police while reporting on a story. Uzun was handcuffed as he was interviewing
the owner of a store into which a car had crashed, and was accused of
"disrupting the scene of the accident." He was released after being
interrogated.
On August 28, journalist Levent Uysal, the owner of the newspaper Yenigün, was
attacked by armed assailants, who shot him in the leg, leading to his
hospitalization. The Balikesir Journalists' Association called the assault
"planned," "organized" and "a serious threat to the people's right to obtain
information."
On August 22, Taylan Özgür Öztaş, a reporter for Özgür Gelecek, was taken into
custody in Istanbul after covering the protests against the government's recent
dismissal of the mayors of Mardin, Diyarbakir and Van. Tunahan Turhan, a
reporter for the Etkin News Agency, was detained during the same demonstrations.
Both reporters were later brought to court and released under judicial control
measures.
On August 20, Mezopotamya reporters Ahmet Kanbal and Mehmet Şah Oruç, JinNews
reporter Rojda Aydın, and journalists Nurcan Yalçın and Halime Parlak, were
arrested in Mardin while covering the same demonstrations against the
government's removal of the mayors from office. The journalists were released on
August 26, after giving their statements at the local police department.
The Working Group on Arbitrary Detention was held on September 13. Sadly, no one
at the meeting addressed the persecution of journalists in Turkey -- not José
Guevara Bermúdez, Chair-Rapporteur of the Working Group, nor Béla Szombati, who
represented the European Union, nor any other participant.
The 42nd session of the UN Human Rights Council, which ARTICLE 19 has appealed
to, is scheduled to continue until September 27, and the next session of the
Working Group is scheduled to take place in November.
Amnesty International recently tagged Turkey the "world's largest prison for
journalists." The UNHRC, if it wishes to change its image from that of a
laughing stock, should put at the top of its agenda calling Ankara to task.
Meanwhile, however, Erdoğan's violations of freedom of speech need to be exposed
daily and loudly condemned -- not only by members of the UN and the media, but
by any and all allies of Turkey -- and freedom of expression -- in the West.
*Uzay Bulut, a Turkish journalist, is a Distinguished Senior Fellow at the
Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
UK: The Push to End Free Speech
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/September 17/2019
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14329/britain-criticism-of-islam
"We are concerned that the definition... could be used to challenge legitimate
free speech on the historical or theological actions of Islamic states. There is
also a risk it could also undermine counter-terrorism powers, which seek to
tackle extremism or prevent terrorism." — Martin Hewitt, Chair, National Police
Chiefs' Council.
Islam represents an idea, not a nationality or an ethnicity. The conventional
purpose of most hate-speech laws is to protect people from hatred, not ideas.
The new proposed definition would criminalize criticism of Islam. Considering
the origins of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims, that is
probably the whole point.
"[A]n alternative definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred should be specific and
narrow. It should focus on addressing bigotry directed at individuals, and avoid
censoring debate or freedom of expression on religion. Finally, a comprehensive
definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred must take intra-Muslim hatred into account to
protect those who want to speak freely or express themselves differently." —
Nikita Malik, Forbes, May 20, 2019.
Martin Hewitt, Chair of Britain's National Police Chiefs' Council, recently
said: "We are concerned that the definition... could be used to challenge
legitimate free speech on the historical or theological actions... There is also
a risk it could also undermine counter-terrorism powers, which seek to tackle
extremism or prevent terrorism." (Photo by Anthony Devlin - WPA Pool / Getty
Images)
In April 2018, Britain's All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims began
work on establishing a "working definition of Islamophobia that can be widely
accepted by Muslims, political parties and the government".
In December 2018, the group concluded its work with a "Report on the inquiry
into a working definition of Islamophobia / anti-Muslim hatred." The report
defines "Islamophobia" as a form of racism, conflating religion with ethnic
origin or nationality: "Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism
that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness."[1]
The report, furthermore, claims that a definition of Islamophobia is
"instrumental" to "the political will and institutional determination to tackle
it."
Most political parties, including Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish
Conservatives, have adopted the broadened definition of Islamophobia, but it has
not been adopted by the government. According to a government spokesperson:
"We are conscious that the [all-party parliamentary group's] proposed definition
has not been broadly accepted – unlike the IHRA definition of antisemitism
before it was adopted by the UK government and other international organisations
and governments. This is a matter that needs further careful consideration."
The National Police Chiefs' Council, which represents the leaders of law
enforcement in England and Wales, have also expressed concern with the broadened
definition. Its chair, Martin Hewitt, said:
"We take all reports of hate crime very seriously and will investigate them
thoroughly. However, we have some concerns about the proposed definition of
Islamophobia made by the all-party parliamentary group on British Muslims. We
are concerned that the definition is too broad as currently drafted, could cause
confusion for officers enforcing it and could be used to challenge legitimate
free speech on the historical or theological actions of Islamic states. There is
also a risk it could also undermine counter-terrorism powers, which seek to
tackle extremism or prevent terrorism".
Richard Walton, a former head of Counter-Terrorism Command of the Metropolitan
Police, wrote:
"Adopting the definition would hand the initiative to those who have been trying
to dismantle the Government's Countering Violent Extremism programme for years;
it is no surprise to see many of those same campaigners and radical groups have
been closely involved in the APPG's work in developing the definition (as
authors or sources)... how could the police or anyone else disprove that they
had targeted an expression of 'perceived Muslimness'?...
"If the Government accepts the APPG definition of Islamophobia, all of these
[anti-terrorism] powers are more likely to be challenged by anti-Prevent
campaigners and their supporters who would seek to label police officers 'Islamophobic'
(and, therefore, racist)...
"... Whole government departments, the entire police service, intelligence
agencies, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), judiciary and HM Prison and
Probation Service could be branded and labelled 'institutionally Islamophobic'
by anti-Prevent campaign groups. It would be an allegation that would be
impossible to refute, owing to the indistinct and imprecise nature of the APPG
definition..."
Similarly, the UK government, according to a Buzzfeed report, is concerned that
defining Islamophobia as a form of racism "could mean people who criticise
aspects of Islam might be prosecuted under discrimination laws."
The UK government is right, of course. Islam represents an idea, not a
nationality or an ethnicity. The conventional purpose of most hate-speech laws
is to protect people from hatred, not ideas. The new proposed definition would
criminalize criticism of Islam.
Considering the origins of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on British
Muslims, that is probably the whole point. The APPG on British Muslims,
according to its website, was established in July 2017. The organization is
chaired by MPs Anna Soubry and Wes Streeting and is meant to build on the work
of a former APPG: the APPG on Islamophobia. That came into existence as the
result of a meeting at the House of Commons in March 2010, hosted by, among
others, the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) -- the largest Muslim organization
in the UK, and that claims to be representative of British Muslims. It is linked
to the Muslim Brotherhood[2]. By November 2010, after the APPG on Islamophobia
had been formed, it quickly ran into trouble. The Muslim organization that was
appointed as its secretariat turned out to be the Muslim extremist organization
iENGAGE, which has since changed its name to MEND[3]. Both MEND and the Muslim
Council of Britain are among the many organizations and individuals that
contributed written evidence[4] to the report on a definition of Islamophobia.
Wes Streeting, co-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims,
recently criticized the government's refusal to adopt the new definition:
"What we're up against goes wider than anti-Muslim hatred. It is structural,
often unconscious, bias...It is particularly disappointing to see a noisy chorus
of vocal opposition making arguments in bad faith that accuse us of trying to
use the term Islamophobia to shut down criticism of Islam and introduce
blasphemy laws by the back door. In fact, our report makes it crystal clear that
our definition does not preclude criticism of Islam or Islamic theology. God, if
you believe in such a thing, doesn't need protection from criticism."
Streeting appears to pretend that Islam allows either criticism of Allah and
Mohammed, or free choice of religion.
That is not the case: Sharia law prohibits questioning, seeming to regard it as
a form of blasphemy:
"O you who have believed, do not ask about things which, if they are shown to
you, will distress you. But if you ask about them while the Qur'an is being
revealed, they will be shown to you. Allah has pardoned that which is past; and
Allah is Forgiving and Forbearing." [Qur'an 5:101, Sahih International
translation]
"A people asked such [questions] before you; then they became thereby
disbelievers." [Qur'an 5:102, Sahih International translation]
The prohibition against questioning also seems why several Muslim organizations,
such as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), fight for the
introduction of blasphemy laws in the West, to prevent questioning Islam.
The proposed definition also does not take into account the threats ex-Muslims
receive from Muslims (here, here, here and here), and how the definition would
only make life more difficult for those Muslims who dare to leave or speak out.
According to Nikita Malik, writing in Forbes:
"The term Islamophobia has a broad meaning that can easily be used to restrict
free and fair discussion about the Islamic religion and Islamist extremism.
Instead, an alternative definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred should be specific and
narrow. It should focus on addressing bigotry directed at individuals, and avoid
censoring debate or freedom of expression on religion. Finally, a comprehensive
definition of Anti-Muslim Hatred must take intra-Muslim hatred into account to
protect those who want to speak freely or express themselves differently."
Whether that will happen remains to be seen.
*Judith Bergman, a columnist, lawyer and political analyst, is a Distinguished
Senior Fellow at Gatestone Institute.
[1] Report on the inquiry into a working definition of Islamophobia /
anti-Muslim hatred, p 11 and p 50.
[2] A 2015 UK government report found that the Muslim Brotherhood "played an
important role in establishing and then running the Muslim Council of Britain".
[3] MEND is also known as an extremist Muslim organization.
[4] Report on the inquiry into a working definition of Islamophobia /
anti-Muslim hatred, p 61.
© 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.
Iran is an Evil State that Threatens Everyone
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/September 17/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78580/%d8%b9%d8%a8%d8%af-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%ad%d9%85%d9%86-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%b4%d8%af-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%af%d9%88%d9%84%d8%a9-%d8%a7%d8%a8%d9%84%d9%8a%d8%b3%d9%8a%d8%a9-%d8%aa/
Talk during the past two decades about Iran’s plan to control the region and
threaten the sovereignty of all its states has not been just an exaggeration
inspired by the repetitive crises involving Tehran.
The story began in the years that followed the Iranian revolution. Taking
advantage of premeditated crises, the regime built an empire of armed militias
that has become the biggest of its kind in the world today. It has invested all
its capabilities in these militias, and established numerous armed and trained
organizations in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, as well as Afghanistan; all
working under the command of the Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), well beyond
the authority of their respective governments.
In the few days preceding Saturday’s attack on the Saudi oil facility at Abqaiq,
information received from Iraq indicated that three armed organizations had been
planning operations against US targets in Iraq. This reinforces the possibility
that the attack against Saudi Arabia was launched from Iraq, the country that is
no longer able to control the militias on its territory due to the infiltration
of the IRGC. The IRGC has the upper hand in Iraq thanks to several militias that
take their funding from the Iraqi government and instructions from Tehran. The
same “scenario” is replicated in Lebanon, Syria and Yemen: A failed or weak
centralized state, while militias control sovereign decisions in favor of
Tehran.
The massive attack on the oil facilities does not only target Saudi Arabia, but
rather the whole region and even the world, which Tehran wants to acknowledge
its dominance, accept its decisions and prepare for a new phase of Iranian
hegemony in the region.
Should we blame ourselves for failing to work on confronting Iran, directly or
by proxy, in recent years? Should we blame Washington and the rest of the world
powers that have major interests in the region?
The truth is that it has not been difficult for us to assess the Iranian project
since the 1980s, and its confrontation was always based on a defensive strategy.
There are those who failed to understand what was happening on the ground, and
got lost in believing theories that had nothing to do with the reality we live
in.
Today, the story is evident and the picture is complete. Iran effectively
controls Sanaa, Baghdad, Damascus and Beirut and is working on dominating the
Gulf and the rest of the region. The options for confronting Tehran are few
because it does not operate in a direct manner, while issuing false denial
statements and holding its affiliated organizations, such as the Houthis in
Yemen, Asa’ib Ahl Al-Haq in Iraq and Hezbollah in Lebanon, responsible. However,
the situation no longer requires much to convince the region’s states of the
truth that the attack on Abqaiq was orchestrated by Tehran, and is one of the
battles it seeks to ignite.
Can the attack on Abqaiq be a result of the US strangling of Iran? No, it is not
the result of the economic blockade on Iran; but the opposite is true. One of
the reasons behind the economic sanctions, and the rejection of the nuclear
agreement (the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) was Iran’s insistence on
implementing its project: Expanding its power and threatening the region’s
states. The pro-Iran rebel armed militias in Iraq and Lebanon emerged years
before the nuclear agreement and the sanctions, not vice versa.
The conclusion is that Iran is an evil state with a large project. Its ideology
and ambitions resemble those of al-Qaeda and ISIS; its danger threatens
everyone. Without a united front determined to confront it, it will only expand
and flourish.
Yes, Iran Was Behind the Saudi Oil Attack. Now What?
Eli Lake/Bloomberg/September 17/2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/78585/%d8%a5%d9%8a%d9%84%d9%8a-%d9%84%d9%8a%d9%83-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d9%88%d8%b1%d8%a7%d8%a1-%d8%a7%d9%84%d9%87%d8%ac%d9%88%d9%85-%d8%b9%d9%84%d9%89-%d9%85%d9%86%d8%b4%d8%a2%d8%aa-%d8%a7%d9%84/
Following the Houthi attack on Saturday on Saudi Aramco’s crude-oil processing
facility, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo made an obvious and necessary point:
Blame Iran.
It is obvious because the Houthi rebels in Yemen lack the drones, missiles or
expertise to attack infrastructure inside Saudi Arabia. In 2018, a United
Nations panel of experts on Yemen examined the debris of missiles fired from
Houthi-controlled areas of Yemen into Saudi Arabia and concluded there was high
probability the weapons were shipped in components from Iran. As one Hezbollah
commander told two George Washington University analysts in 2016: “Who do you
think fires Tochka missiles into Saudi Arabia? It’s not the Houthis in their
sandals, it’s us.” Hezbollah, of course, is a subsidiary of Iran’s Revolutionary
Guard Corps.
Pompeo’s response is necessary because, historically, Iran pretends to seek
peace as it makes war. This is why it sent Foreign Minister Javad Zarif to
France last month to plead with the world’s great economic powers as it
escalated its proxy war against Saudi Arabia. Iranian diplomacy depends on its
adversaries treating the aggression of its proxies as distinct from its
statecraft.
What is surprising is that Pompeo’s remarks have already drawn fire from leading
Democrats. Even Senator Chris Murphy’s more nuanced view (or at least as much
nuance as is possible in a tweet) gets the big picture wrong — and it’s worth
dwelling on why.
Murphy starts by lamenting the secretary’s “irresponsible simplification” of
“Houthis=Iran.” He is smart enough to acknowledge that Iran “is backing the
Houthis and has been a bad actor.” He then strikes a note of naivete. “The
Saudis and Houthis are at war,” he tweeted. “The Saudis attack the Houthis and
the Houthis attack back.”
This kind of neutralism is regrettable for a few reasons. To start, the sheer
scale and devastation of Saturday’s attack (the Saudis estimate that half of
their oil production has been taken out) counts as an escalation. The effects
are not limited to Yemen or the Persian Gulf. The world economy will suffer.
And while Murphy is correct to criticize Saudi brutality, as he has in the past,
the two sides in this regional conflict are not equivalent. Iran is a
revisionist power, challenging the status quo throughout the Levant and the
Gulf. The US and its allies are trying to keep Iran in check. The US has tried
to pressure Saudi Arabia to de-escalate, whereas Iran is pushing the Houthis to
dig in.
Fortunately, Murphy and other Democrats will not decide how to respond to this
latest aggression. This decision falls to President Donald Trump. And now is a
good time to re-evaluate his recent push to negotiate with Iran. The president
could start by reaffirming Pompeo’s 12 conditions for sanctions relief for Iran.
Last month, Trump pared them down to three, narrowly related to its nuclear
program. Indeed, the Houthi attack on Saudi Arabia shows just how important it
is that any future deal commit the Iranian regime to ending its adventures in
the Middle East.
Trump also now needs to reconsider military options to deter future escalations.
As I have reported, US intelligence agencies have mapped the precise locations
of Iranian bases and commanders in Yemen and the Middle East. If Trump wants to
respond militarily without attacking Iranian territory, he has many targets
outside the country.
If Trump continues to pursue negotiations with Iran’s regime, he will be
inviting more attacks on America’s allies. This is exactly the strategy — and
the consequences — followed and paid by his predecessor, Barack Obama, in his
second term. During and after the negotiations for the nuclear deal, Iran armed
and trained its proxies in Syria and later in Yemen. The Middle East is now
paying for these mistakes. Trump would be a fool to repeat them.
Boris Johnson Still Has a Fighting Chance
Therese Raphael/Bloomberg/September 17/2019
Is Boris Johnson about to be thrown into a Brexit briar patch — and is that just
where he wants to be?
The story of Brer Rabbit is a well-known trickster tale in American folklore. In
one episode, Brer Fox has finally got Brer Rabbit trapped and is deciding how to
finish him off; he wants the worst possible fate for a foe who has constantly
outwitted him.
Brer Rabbit begs for mercy. “Drown me! Roast me! Hang me! Only please don’t
throw me into the briar patch,” he pleads. And that’s exactly what the fox does,
to Brer Rabbit’s delight. You see, says a smug rabbit as he combs his fur later,
“I was bred and born in the briar patch, Brer Fox.”
It’s far easier to picture the amply built, politically agile Boris Johnson as a
bear, or even a fox, than a scrawny rabbit. But there’s no question that the
British prime minister’s opponents appear to have him cornered. He seems to have
miscalculated repeatedly as he tries to deliver Brexit by Halloween. He’s being
forced to request a Brexit extension, is unable to call an election, is stuck
without a majority and his party is in open warfare.
That’s not even all. Scotland’s high court declared his suspension of Parliament
illegal, leaving the UK Supreme Court to decide the matter next week. Thanks to
another constitutional sleight of hand, Johnson was also forced to release
sensitive government information about the possible impact of a no-deal Brexit,
including shortages of food, fuel and water, and public disorder.
This looks bad, politically fatal even. Johnson’s many opponents in Parliament
have scored victory after victory. But assuming they’ve struck a killing blow is
dangerous. While Johnson’s opponents are celebrating his difficulties, they may
be sending him straight to where he’s most comfortable: his own version of the
briar patch.
The conventional wisdom is that if Johnson is forced to ask for, and accept, an
extension to the Oct. 31 Brexit deadline, it would be a devastating climbdown
after he said he’d rather be “dead in a ditch” than do so. But would British
leave voters really blame Johnson? It’s not certain they would. Polls show a
more polarized public, with Brexiters increasingly inclined to excuse almost any
behavior to get the UK’s European Union departure over the line.
Johnson will look to weaponize any extension, claiming it is a remainer trick to
stop the “will of the people.” The EU might even struggle to approve a delay if
Johnson promises to be difficult, or risk looking as if it has taken sides in
Britain’s domestic political wars. Any of that would help Johnson’s campaign of
blame.
He has other options, too. He might refuse to comply with Parliament’s order to
delay Brexit, or resign, leaving Labour’s hard-left leader Jeremy Corbyn to try
to stitch together a government to request an extension. And, as Bloomberg
reported Thursday, there’s always the prospect that an EU outlier such as
Hungary might block another Brexit delay, which requires unanimous approval.
The Labour Party took the decision (against Corbyn’s instincts) to deny Johnson
an October election because it didn’t want to give him what he wanted: a
national vote that could have galvanized Britain’s Brexiters to return Johnson’s
Conservatives with a mandate to crash out of the EU if necessary. But an October
election would have been awkward for the prime minister. He would have had to
choose between a pact with Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, which wants a no-deal
departure, and retaining more moderate Tory voters.
The more time that passes, the more Parliament looks unable to decide what it
wants — and the more Labour’s own Brexit divisions are exposed — then the more
Johnson’s appeal to get Brexit done may resonate with weary British voters.
Certainly Parliament’s suspension (or prorogation) has put Johnson back where
he’s happiest, out of the House of Commons and in sole charge of the prime
ministerial bullhorn. He can’t legislate, but he can make announcements, and
they’ll be reported by the media while MPs have lost their forum. He can engage
in a flurry of diplomacy and make lavish spending promises.
A decision against his prorogation by the Supreme Court would be embarrassing,
of course. It would make it harder to avoid the legislation demanding that he
pursue a Brexit extension. But legal setbacks and moral outrage don’t
necessarily translate into voter rejection. Indeed, a loss would let him portray
the Scottish (and possibly English) judges as part of an anti-Brexit
establishment; while a reconvened Parliament would bombard him with
uncomfortable questions and committee hearings, it would help his electoral
platform (“the people versus Parliament”) to show lawmakers standing in the way
of Brexit.
None of this suggests that Johnson, or his adviser Dominic Cummings, are at all
happy with this state of affairs. They clearly blundered. Nor is this a healthy
place for Britain’s economy or its polity.
Johnson’s team is betting that voters will reward him ultimately for showing
leadership and doing whatever it takes to quit the EU. But that’s a huge gamble
and would require the Tories to compensate for what will certainly be lost seats
in Scotland, London and other remain-supporting parts of the country.
Prorogation has also helped unite the opposition to no deal and it’s hard to
rule out electoral pacts on that side.
Even Brer Rabbit foolishly got himself stuck and was at the mercy of Brer Fox.
Much depends then on what Johnson’s opponents do next. In an interview with the
Evening Standard on Thursday, the now-exiled moderate Tory lawmaker Oliver
Letwin dangled a possibility. He said a cross-party alliance is prepared to
withhold an election until after either a deal is agreed or a second referendum
held.
That’s an interesting proposition. In one scenario, Johnson would have delivered
Brexit and could fight an election on centrist, pro-growth turf against a
socialist opposition without having to worry as much about losing support to
Farage (as long as any Brexit deal was robust enough for his taste). While the
alternative route of a new referendum may not be ideal, campaigning is where
Johnson is happiest. The prime minister’s enemies may feel they have him where
they want him, but Johnson’s hide is thick enough to withstand a few thorns. You
can’t count him out yet.
Stand up to Iran’s oil market terrorism
Mark Dubowitz/Brenda Shaffer/Washington Examiner/September 17/ 2019
The global oil market lost more supply on Saturday than on any single day in its
recorded history. As soon as the markets opened, prices spiked more in one day
than at any time since 1991. All of this from a single attack by the Islamic
Republic of Iran on Saudi Arabia’s main oil processing facilities. This is a
stark reminder that the United States cannot afford to ignore the security of
the Gulf and its shipping lanes despite America’s newfound status as an energy
superpower.
While the full details of Saturday’s attack are still emerging, Iran has two
main goals. First, it wants to force the Trump administration to pull back from
its “maximum pressure” policy, which has plunged Iran into a deep recession,
inflationary spiral, and currency crisis. Second, the mullahs want the fear of
an oil-driven global recession to push European and Asian countries to resume
the purchase of Iranian oil in defiance of U.S. sanctions.
Iranian provocations began to escalate in May, with disabling attacks on foreign
tankers, the downing of a U.S. drone, and even taking hostage a British-flagged
tanker. Attacks designed to scare the oil market are likely to continue. As a
result, oil prices are likely to remain elevated for several weeks, if not more.
In the short run, one of the major beneficiaries of the Iranian attack is
Russia, which will get a revenue boost from higher oil prices and is best
prepared to grab greater market share, with Saudi Arabian production halved.
Looking ahead, there are three main lessons to learn from Saturday’s attack.
First, Saudi Arabia’s critical infrastructure is vulnerable, a weakness common
to many other oil installations around the globe. Many of these installations
are operated by commercial companies, whose coordination with government defense
and security forces is often quite poor.
Second, even though it has rapidly risen to become the world’s top oil producer,
the U.S. is not immune to the effects of higher oil prices, including a possible
global recession. American oil-producing regions like Texas, North Dakota, and
Pennsylvania among others will get an economic boost from the price surge, yet
many Americans will be worse off. Sustained high oil prices frequently trigger
recession. The only factor that has held the oil price from jumping even higher
seems to be the weak global demand for oil, itself a sign of a potential
emerging recession.
Third, the attack underscores a reality too often ignored by President Trump:
only the U.S. military can guarantee the free flow of Middle Eastern energy to
the global market. Washington’s allies can and should do more to help, but
American forces are in a class of their own. Plus, taking the lead is in
America’s interest, because a global recession will hit the U.S. economy hard.
At times, previous administrations have tolerated the Islamic Republic’s
provocations in the Gulf, hoping restraint would prevent a direct conflict. It
never worked then and is not working now. During the last six months, Iran has
attacked vessels in the Gulf and made transit insecure. Other than a reported
U.S. cyberattack, Iran has not paid a significant price for its aggression.
Predictably, Tehran remains undeterred.
The U.S. and its allies should therefore expect more attacks, whose target may
be a major oil facility in another country, for example the UAE or one beyond
the Gulf. Tehran may use its own forces or its proxies (including Lebanese
Hezbollah, Iraqi Shiite militias or the Houthis in Yemen) to carry out the next
operation. Other producers need to prepare. Since oil is traded globally,
knocking out substantial production anywhere will help achieve Iran’s goal of
higher prices. Still, prices remain moderate for the moment, at $65-$70 per
barrel for Brent crude, whereas prices topped $100 on several occasions in 2014.
To limit the upwards pressure on price, Trump announced his administration will
work to relieve pipeline bottlenecks within the U.S. This could provide
important relief to the market, but it is not clear that the government can
actually facilitate change, and certainly not quickly.
In addition, the U.S. should work with oil- and gas-producing allies to improve
the security of their infrastructure. Iran’s ability to disrupt the Gulf’s sea
lanes affects the natural gas trade as well, since liquid natural gas moves by
sea. The new growing global liquid natural gas trade enhances global energy
security, but also creates a whole new set of security challenges, for which the
U.S. needs to develop a strategy.
As both an energy and military superpower, the United States is best positioned
to guarantee the free flow of energy, continued global prosperity, and enhanced
stability in the world’s most volatile region.
*Mark Dubowitz is the CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies in
Washington, D.C. Prof. Brenda Shaffer is an international energy expert, and the
author of the book Energy Politics, used in over 200 university courses on the
geopolitics of energy.
A Credibility Test for U.S.-Saudi Defense Relations and
Iran Deterrence
Michael Knights/The Washington Institute/September 17/2019
The suspected missile attack is the most significant strike on Gulf energy
targets in decades, and consequences need to be levied on Iran, whether in the
military or diplomatic spheres.
The September 14 attack on Saudi targets in Abqaiq and Khurais—one of the
world’s largest oil refinery complexes and the kingdom’s third-largest oil
field, respectively—could take up to 5.7 million barrels per day off the global
market for the next several months. This makes it the most comprehensive blow
against the global energy sector since Iraq’s seizure of Kuwait in 1990 and the
subsequent destruction of both countries’ energy infrastructures. Now, as then,
U.S. and international commitment to the security of global energy supplies is
being tested.
ANATOMY OF THE ATTACK
The strike was highly effective from a military perspective. The weapons hit at
around 4 a.m. local time and appear to have struck from a northerly or
northwesterly direction. This fits with a string of reporting that suggests
related air defense alerts and engine sounds were concentrated in areas of the
northern Persian Gulf, as opposed to an ingress route from Yemen. Strong U.S.
government statements have ruled out Yemen (on September 14) and Iraq (on
September 16), so the focus is narrowing to a direct strike originating from
Iran.
These factors—plus the lack of attempted air defense interception by numerous
overlapping Hawk and Patriot missile batteries—suggest a low-level cruise
missile attack that hugged the ground at altitudes of under 300 feet. The
footage seen thus far shows only one crashed missile, indicating that the
arrival rate was very high, possibly even 95 percent, and that routes were
carefully planned to avoid obstacles such as power lines and communication
towers.
Seventeen individual impact points were struck at the Abqaiq facility, with a
smaller number (perhaps as low as two) at Khurais. The weapons were highly
accurate—for instance, all twelve of the thirty-meter-wide spheroid gas-oil
separation tanks at Abqaiq were hit almost dead center. Much thinner
stabilization towers were also accurately struck.
There are even indications of finesse in the strike’s “weaponeering,” the
technical term for munition selection and modification. Some “aimpoints” were
clearly hit with large explosive payloads consistent with an Iranian cruise
missile such as the 700-kilometer-range Ya-Ali. Yet the gas-oil separation tanks
appear to have been struck with high-velocity kinetic force sans explosions,
perhaps signaling an effort to damage but not permanently destroy them. Similar
finesse was visible in Iran’s May 12 attacks in the Fujairah anchorage off the
United Arab Emirates, where four ships had their hulls expertly holed without
causing the vessels to spill oil, sink, or suffer massive fires.
The full level of damage inflicted this Saturday is unknown so far, but
considering the range of facilities struck and the long lead times for
manufacturing such specialized equipment, the impact on Saudi oil processing
capacity could extend into the four-, six-, or even twelve-month timeframe,
forcing the kingdom to discontinue offering Arab Light and Arab Super Light
grades. This extraordinary outcome would deeply shock oil markets and the Saudi
leadership alike. And from a military perspective, no energy sector has been
struck so effectively since the U.S. coalition’s precision bombing of Iraq in
1991.
SURMISING IRAN’S GOALS
Tehran’s intentions are always difficult to read given the wide spectrum of
players within its security and diplomatic establishment. Assuming, however,
that early indications of a major cruise missile attack launched from Iranian
territory prove correct, the strike is a very bold gamble by the country’s
leadership. Iran can count on public skepticism to afford it some deniability
under any circumstances, but an attack of this magnitude stands a much greater
chance of provoking very severe diplomatic and military consequences. If
significant portions of the intelligence community conclude that the world’s
most important energy site has been hit by unprecedentedly advanced weapons
launched directly from Iran or by the regime’s proxies, the finding would
challenge not only Riyadh and Washington, but the entire global energy
community, including China.
One possibility is that Iranian security officials have decided they can keep
testing U.S. and Saudi resolve without major consequences, perhaps with the goal
of shaking or shattering both their trust in each other and their determination
to confront Tehran. After all, the regime’s gradually escalating thrusts have
all been issued with no real riposte, from the May 12 Fujairah attacks to the
May 14 attack on Saudi Arabia’s East-West Pipeline, the June 14 daylight attack
on two tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, and the June 20 shootdown of a U.S.
drone. More immediately, Tehran may aim to compel the West into granting it
sanctions relief in exchange for reducing such attacks and freezing its recent
acceleration of nuclear activities. If so, it may believe that Abqaiq will
merely strengthen its leverage rather than changing the game altogether.
THE NEED FOR MEANINGFUL CONSEQUENCES
Even if Iran is uninterested in direct talks with the United States at the
moment, it does seem keen on obtaining sanctions relief and a credit line in the
near term, so it may be susceptible to a diplomatic full court press. Another
justification for substantial international action lies in the scope of the
latest attack—Iran has deliberately gone much further than its previous
provocations, and if it avoids consequences once again, it may decide it has a
free pass to go even further, whether against Saudi Arabia, Israel, or other
U.S. partners. And on the wider geopolitical front, other known global
provocateurs will be watching how Washington responds, including Russia (with an
eye to Ukraine and election processes around the world), China (thinking of
Taiwan), and North Korea (looking at U.S. resolve on weapons testing and other
security issues).
For the sake of reestablishing deterrence, the attack must not go unanswered or
unrecognized. At the same time, Washington should view it as an opportunity to
improve the narrative on U.S. Iran policy. If, as seems likely, neither the
United States nor Saudi Arabia wishes to take prompt military action (e.g., an
equivalent strike on Iran’s Kharg Island export facilities), there are other
ways of signaling firm consequences in the short term while preserving the
option for future military action:
Prove the link to Iran. Washington and Riyadh must first quickly reveal any
clear evidence they have that the latest strike came from Iran, especially
launch data and weapons intelligence. This evidence should first be shared among
a subset of UN members (Britain, France, Germany, and other NATO/G-20 nations),
then openly released when internal consensus has been reached. According to some
reports, the UN Panel of Experts may be tasked with reviewing this weapons
intelligence; if so, U.S. and Saudi officials should be ready to share relevant
data more openly and rapidly than ever, while the UN should plan to reach a
decision in weeks, not months. Furthermore, Security Council members should
commit to treating this review as authoritative, in contrast to previous Panel
of Experts findings on Iranian arms smuggling, which did not inform subsequent
positions issued by the UN secretary-general.
Build coalitions. Although some U.S. politicians support the argument that Saudi
Arabia deserved this strike for its actions in Yemen, Washington has every
reason—strategically and morally—to work with other partners in showing a united
face against this military attack on a UN member state and a key energy
producer. For its part, Riyadh should be encouraged to call in every favor so
that Iran gets hit with a barrage of condemnation through bilateral diplomatic
statements and UN action. Iran’s shocking overreach at Abqaiq is an opportunity
to lessen Washington and Riyadh’s current diplomatic isolation, and the
forthcoming UN General Assembly meetings are an ideal venue for such efforts. If
China can be brought onboard by Saudi entreaties, it will be Russia that finds
itself isolated on Iran issues. Whatever coalition forms in this regard, France
should act as its spokesman.
Issue diplomatic censure with teeth. The Saudis should be encouraged to use
their leverage with Russia and China to push for an emergency session of the UN
Security Council, and to ensure the meeting produces a resolution that not only
condemns Iran’s behavior, but also takes further measures to tighten
international policing of sanctions on Iran. These measures should target the
regime’s arms smuggling activities and missile development programs, and include
a follow-on mechanism for banning Iranian arms sales once Security Council
Resolution 2231 expires in 2021. The United States could also give more space
for European indicatives on energy and maritime security in the Gulf, as well as
open working groups focused on expanding the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
to include all aspects of Iran’s regional activities.
Take covert action that secures U.S. interests and allies. Iran and its proxies
have numerous facilities and personnel across the region that pose a threat to
U.S. interests and the security of U.S. partners, including Israel. Now may be
the time to act more forcefully against some of those assets in order to show
Iran’s hardliners that their Gulf provocations will be met with direct negative
effects. This response could include a robust covert action program involving
rapid cyber retaliation, financial intelligence, sabotage, and kinetic
activities.
Plan collective defense measures. The Abqaiq strike is a humiliating failure for
Saudi Arabia’s air defense system. Many of the components needed to defend
against a cruise missile swarm are in place—radars, missiles batteries, and
antiaircraft cannon—but they were evidently not alert enough or not handled
boldly enough to parry this blow. The United States and other partners should
therefore provide Riyadh with emergency hands-on air defense consultation,
focusing on practical, near-term measures that can make the kingdom more
resistant to cruise missile attacks. These include rapid operation management of
the defense systems in question, more intelligence sharing, confidence-building
efforts that focus on the safe operation of near-automated air defense close to
key infrastructure and cities, plus some symbolic reinforcement with missile
batteries and air defense ships from the United States and other partners.
Finally, the Trump administration and Congress should expedite upgrades that
bring Saudi Patriot systems in line with the PAC-3 standard, and offer to
fast-track the sale of defense batteries designed in part to counter
precision-guided munitions, such as the Avenger and Phalanx/Centurion close-in
systems.
**Michael Knights, a senior fellow with The Washington Institute, has worked on
Gulf military affairs and deterrence dynamics for over twenty years.
Israeli EXIT POLLS
September 17/2019
Likud: 32
Blue and White: 32
Joint List: 12
Yisrael Beytenu: 10
Shas: 9
United Torah Judaism: 8
Yamina: 7
Democratic Camp: 5
Labor-Gesher: 5
Otzma Yehudit: 0
Right-wing bloc without Liberman: 56
Center-left, Arab parties and Liberman: 64
IT LOOKS LIKE BIBI IS 5 SEATS SHORT OF 61
HE WILL HAVE TO CUT A DEAL WITH EITHER LEIBERMAN OR LABOUR