LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
August 07/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today
You cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 23/13-15/:"‘But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven. For you do not go in yourselves, and when others are going in, you stop them. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cross sea and land to make a single convert, and you make the new convert twice as much a child of hell as yourselves."

What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus
Acts of the Apostles 21/01-14/:"When we had parted from them and set sail, we came by a straight course to Cos, and the next day to Rhodes, and from there to Patara. When we found a ship bound for Phoenicia, we went on board and set sail. We came in sight of Cyprus; and leaving it on our left, we sailed to Syria and landed at Tyre, because the ship was to unload its cargo there. We looked up the disciples and stayed there for seven days. Through the Spirit they told Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. When our days there were ended, we left and proceeded on our journey; and all of them, with wives and children, escorted us outside the city. There we knelt down on the beach and prayed and said farewell to one another. Then we went on board the ship, and they returned home. When we had finished the voyage from Tyre, we arrived at Ptolemais; and we greeted the believers and stayed with them for one day. The next day we left and came to Caesarea; and we went into the house of Philip the evangelist, one of the seven, and stayed with him. He had four unmarried daughters who had the gift of prophecy.While we were staying there for several days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. He came to us and took Paul’s belt, bound his own feet and hands with it, and said, ‘Thus says the Holy Spirit, "This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles." ’When we heard this, we and the people there urged him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, ‘What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’Since he would not be persuaded, we remained silent except to say, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’"


Question: "Why did Jesus teach in parables?"
GotQuestions.org/Answer: It has been said that a parable is an earthly story with a heavenly meaning. The Lord Jesus frequently used parables as a means of illustrating profound, divine truths. Stories such as these are easily remembered, the characters bold, and the symbolism rich in meaning. Parables were a common form of teaching in Judaism. Before a certain point in His ministry, Jesus had employed many graphic analogies using common things that would be familiar to everyone (salt, bread, sheep, etc.) and their meaning was fairly clear in the context of His teaching. Parables required more explanation, and at one point in His ministry, Jesus began to teach using parables exclusively.
The question is why Jesus would let most people wonder about the meaning of His parables. The first instance of this is in His telling the parable of the seed and the soils. Before He interpreted this parable, He drew His disciples away from the crowd. They said to Him, "Why do You speak to them in parables?" Jesus answered them, "To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. For whoever has, to him more shall be given, and he will have an abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has shall be taken away from him. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says,
‘Hearing you will hear and shall not understand, And seeing you will see and not perceive; For the hearts of this people have grown dull. Their ears are hard of hearing, And their eyes they have closed, Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn, So that I should heal them.’ But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it" (Matthew 13:10-17).
From this point on in Jesus’ ministry, when He spoke in parables, He explained them only to His disciples. But those who had continually rejected His message were left in their spiritual blindness to wonder as to His meaning. He made a clear distinction between those who had been given “ears to hear” and those who persisted in unbelief—ever hearing, but never actually perceiving and “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7). The disciples had been given the gift of spiritual discernment by which things of the spirit were made clear to them. Because they accepted truth from Jesus, they were given more and more truth. The same is true today of believers who have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit who guides us into all truth (John 16:13). He has opened our eyes to the light of truth and our ears to the sweet words of eternal life.
Our Lord Jesus understood that truth is not sweet music to all ears. Simply put, there are those who have neither interest nor regard in the deep things of God. So why, then, did He speak in parables? To those with a genuine hunger for God, the parable is both an effective and memorable vehicle for the conveyance of divine truths. Our Lord’s parables contain great volumes of truth in very few words—and His parables, rich in imagery, are not easily forgotten. So, then, the parable is a blessing to those with willing ears. But to those with dull hearts and ears that are slow to hear, the parable is also an instrument of both judgment and mercy.

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 06-07/17
Despite Trump claim, Hezbollah operation boosts Lebanon role/ Zeina Karam/Washington Post/ AP August 06/17
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia Between Two Crises/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/17
France: Churches Vanish, Mosques Spring Up/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/August 06/17
Islamist Spies Infiltrating the West to Terrorize Christians/Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/August 06/17
Britain, Brexit and the Spirit of Dunkirk/Amir Taheri/Gatestone Institute/August 06/17
Kuwait - A case study in futility of accommodating the Iranian regime/Ali al-Shihabi/Al Arabiya/August 06/17/
Qatar and the opposing Arab quartet: Why the standoff will prolong/Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/August 06/17/
From the Mahdi state to the Caliphate state/Mohammed Al Shaikh/Al Arabiya/August 06/17
Rapprochement of Saudi-Iraqi ties for a more stable Middle East/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/August 06/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on August 06-07/17
Lebanese Army Refuses to Coordinate with Damascus in Battle Against ISIS
Army 'Won't Coordinate with Anyone' Militarily in Border Assault
Army Seizes Control of Hills in Ras Baalbek-Fakiha Outskirts amid Heavy Shelling
Report: West Dismayed Hizbullah Not Army Staged Arsal Offensive
Sarraf: Where is the problem with military coordination with Syria if it serves national interest?
Army takes control of advanced positions in Ras Baalbeck, Fekha outskirts
Army takes control of Ras Baalbek hilltops
Bassil: Arsal and its outskirts were occupied because political decision for liberation was absent
Berri Confident in Lebanese Army’s Ability to Fight ISIS as Military Denies Working with Syria
Rouhani congratulates Berri on Lebanon's victory over terrorism
Rahi calls for State liberation from political interference
Despite Trump claim, Hezbollah operation boosts Lebanon role

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 06-07/17
4 Dead, 8 Hurt as Soldier Opens Fire on Iran Military Base
Man Carrying Knife Arrested at Eiffel Tower
Syria Army Takes Last IS-Held Homs Town, Advances on Deir Ezzor
Saudi Arabia: Our position on Syria’s future is firm, no place for Assad
Bahrain: We reject attacks on Saudi Arabia & Qatar’s attempts to politicize Hajj
Two months after Arab states cut ties with Qatar, no end to crisis in sight
Australia Accuses ISIS of a Foiled Aircraft Attack Plot
Australian Police Release Man Arrested in Plot to Bomb Plane
Afghan officials seize truck with 16 tonnes of explosives
UK prepared to pay 40bneuro Brexit bill: report

Latest Lebanese Related News published on August 06-07/17
Lebanese Army Refuses to Coordinate with Damascus in Battle Against ISIS
Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/17/Beirut- The final preparations for the upcoming Lebanese Army battle against ISIS at the eastern borders with Syria have already been triggered after the completion of a swap deal between Nusra Front and “Hezbollah” and the deportation of Nusra militants from Jurud Arsal to Idlib. On Saturday, the Lebanese Army intensely shelled ISIS positions in Jurud Ras Baalbek and Al-Kaa ahead of launching a military operation against the terrorist group, which observers said was just days away. “Army units continued Saturday to target terrorist organizations in the area of Ras Baalbek, firing rocket and heavy artillery shells, destroying a number of fortifications and vehicles and causing definite casualties among terrorists,” said a statement by the Army Command. Therefore, the Army counts on the intense battle against ISIS to push the terrorist organization to reveal the fate of nine Lebanese soldiers kidnapped in 2014. Also on Saturday, the war media of “Hezbollah” revealed the latest battle map of the Lebanese-Syrian border, showing positions controlled by each of the Lebanese Army, the Syrian forces and ISIS militants at the eastern borders. “Our concern about the fate of the nine Lebanese soldiers constitutes the basic element in all what is currently happening. There should be a certain kind of pressure exerted on the terrorist organizations to reopen negotiations and release the soldiers,” Defense Minister Yaacoub Sarraf said on Saturday. Meanwhile, a military source told Reuters that the Lebanese army will not coordinate with the Syrian army to fight against ISIS in the Lebanese-Syrian border zone, rejecting a media report published by Al-Joumhuriya newspaper on Saturday saying that the Lebanese army has been coordinating the upcoming battle against ISIS in Ras Baalbek outskirts with Syrian regime military. The source said the Lebanese army had the military capability to confront and defeat the group without any regional or international support.

Army 'Won't Coordinate with Anyone' Militarily in Border Assault
Naharnet/August 06/17/The Lebanese army “does not need anyone’s support in the military operation it intends to launch to oust the militants of the Islamic State group from the outskirts of the towns of al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek,” a military source has said.
In remarks to al-Hayat newspaper published Sunday, the source also denied reports of possible assistance from the warplanes of Russia or the U.S.-led coalition.
“The Army Command is in constant communication with the U.S. side, which has been meeting its needs in terms of arms and ammunition, and it has not asked for assistance from the coalition’s fighter jets,” the source said. Al-Mustaqbal newspaper meanwhile quoted senior military sources as saying that “the Lebanese army will not coordinate with anyone, neither with the Syrian army nor with others, seeing as it possesses enough military capabilities to liberate the outskirts.” “The zero hour will only be set by Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, not by anyone else,” the sources added.
Also on Sunday, ad-Diyar newspaper reported that the army would attack the IS group “from the Lebanese side” and that the Syrian army and Hizbullah would pounce on the jihadists from the Syrian side in order to “ensure a quick victory in the battle.”
“Meetings are being held between the sides that will take part in the battle in order to coordinate the military operations and this battle cannot be fought without this coordination,” the daily reported. The army has intensified its shelling of IS’ posts in recent days amid reports that an army operation to oust the jihadist group from the border region has become imminent. The military developments follow a Hizbullah offensive that ended the presence of the jihadist al-Nusra Front group in Arsal’s outskirts.

Army Seizes Control of Hills in Ras Baalbek-Fakiha Outskirts amid Heavy Shelling
Naharnet/August 06/17/The army was on Sunday firing heavy artillery at the posts of the jihadist Islamic State group in the outskirts of the eastern border towns of Ras Baalbek and al-Fakiha, the National News Agency said. “The sounds of shelling are echoing across all towns in northern Bekaa,” NNA said. LBCI television meanwhile reported, quoting military sources, that “army units consisted of infantry, armored vehicles, tanks and artillery have seized control of the Dhalil al-Aqraa Hill in the outskirts between Ras Baalbek and al-Fakiha.”The army also seized control of the al-Zunnar Fort, which separates between Wadi Hmayyed and the Shbib area in the northern outskirts of Arsal, the sources said. “The Dhalil al-Aqraa Hill is one of the most important hills that overlook IS’ outposts,” the sources noted. The army has hoisted Lebanese flags on the two posts, amid “ongoing heavy clashes” and army troops were scouring the area, LBCI said. The operation involved artillery shelling of IS’ outposts, the TV network added. The army has intensified its shelling of the jihadist group’s posts in recent days amid reports that an army operation to oust IS from the border region has become imminent. The developments follow a Hizbullah offensive that ended the presence of the jihadist al-Nusra Front group in Arsal’s outskirts.

Report: West Dismayed Hizbullah Not Army Staged Arsal Offensive
Naharnet/August 06/17/As Hizbullah’s offensive got underway in the outskirts of the border town of Arsal last month, Western nations offering aid to the Lebanese army, including the U.S. and the UK, “expressed dismay” that the operation was being carried out by Hizbullah and not the army, a media report published Sunday said. “The representatives of these countries noted that their nations were assisting the army so that it assumes the mission, not Hizbullah,” al-Hayat newspaper quoted “well-informed political sources” as saying.
“The representatives of these nations were later told that the Lebanese army would fight the battle against the Islamic State group and that it was preparing to end it soon, which prompted the U.S. side to increase its assistance,” the sources added.
The army has intensified its shelling of the jihadist group’s posts in recent days amid reports that an army operation to oust IS from the border region has become imminent. The military developments follow a Hizbullah offensive that ended the presence of the jihadist al-Nusra Front group in Arsal’s outskirts. Nusra was al-Qaida’s Syria affiliate before announcing a break of ties and rebranding to Fateh al-Sham Front.

Sarraf: Where is the problem with military coordination with Syria if it serves national interest?
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Minister of Defense, Yaacoub Sarraf, on Sunday, denied the existence of any military coordination between Lebanon and Syria, wondering about the reasons that prevent such cooperation. "There is no military coordination between Lebanon and Syria due to political differences," said Sarraf, wondering about the absence of such military coordination if it serves national interest. Sarraf, whose positions came during an interview to "Voice of Lebanon" Radio Station, reiterated absolute support to the Lebanese Army, saying that the "army is now stronger than ever, and everyone is standing united behind the military institution to liberate Lebanese outskirts from terrorists." Commenting on the possibility of requesting support from the US to fight along with the Lebanese Army in the upcoming battle in Ras Baalbek and Qaa outskirts, the minister emphasized that the "army will not ask for help from anyone."

Army takes control of advanced positions in Ras Baalbeck, Fekha outskirts
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - The Lebanese Army succeeded in taking hold of advanced positions in the northeastern outskirts of Ras Baalbeck and Fekha region, after carrying out a significant military operation against "Daesh" terrorists, National News Agency Correspondent said on Sunday.

Army takes control of Ras Baalbek hilltops
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Lebanese Army units succeeded Sunday in taking over Njasa and Dawar Zinnar Hilltops located nearby Wadi Shbib in-between Arsal and Ras Baalbak outskirts, in addition to Dalil al-Aqraa Hilltop situated in the outskirts of Ras Baalbak-Fakha region, considered to be amongst the most important locations overlooking "Daesh" positions, NNA correspondent in Hermel reported.

Bassil: Arsal and its outskirts were occupied because political decision for liberation was absent
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Free Patriotic Movement Head, Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil deemed Sunday that the region of Arsal and its outskirts was occupied three years ago due to the absence of any political decision to liberate it. "Today, the political decision that the Lebanese army would carry out this mission alone has been revived, after it was prevented from doing so in 2014," he added. Bassil's words came during the inauguration of the Free Patriotic Movement's branch in Upper Tannourine in presence of a crowd of citizens and dignitaries. "Each one of us is affiliated to a village, a family and a casa, but we are veering towards the larger project, namely the project of the State in which lies our real salvation. This State is recovering today with great difficulty," said Bassil. "Every day we detect the restoration of power through the government, and we have seen what a strong president and a strong government can give to the State," he underscored. "This is the natural course that will lead us to a strong decision to develop the country, its prosperity and success. We are working together to eliminate the dangers, which are many, including the economic threat. Through the Lebanese people's strength and self-initiative, these threats will be eliminated," emphasized Bassil, hoping for a brighter future through the joint efforts, unity and determination of the Lebanese.

Berri Confident in Lebanese Army’s Ability to Fight ISIS as Military Denies Working with Syria
Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/17/Lebanese Speaker Nabih Berri voiced on Friday his confidence in the ability of the army in “completing the battle to cleanse the outskirts of Arsal from terrorism, especially since the remaining areas are still under ISIS control.”He told reporters while visiting Tehran: “Our army is among the best in the region and it has demonstrated high fighting competence in its battle against terror.”The timing of this battle lies however in the hands of the military, which knows when to launch it, he added. The “victory” against the al-Nusra Front extremists in the northeastern region of Arsal is not new to the resistance group “Hezbollah,” he said, “but it had struck a victory against the Israeli enemy in July 2006.”“The development is a major turning point on the national level that is equal and even expands on the 2006 victory,” Berri declared. Meanwhile, Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf urged against “getting embroiled into military and security analyses and speculation that are based on inaccurate information.” He stressed that the military has the sole authority in determining the time and place of any duty that is tasked to it. On Saturday, a military source told Reuters that the army will not coordinate with the Syrian regime forces to fight ISIS in Arsal, rejecting a local media report of direct military cooperation between the two. The source said the army had the military capability to confront and defeat the terrorist group without any regional or international support. The presence of ISIS and Nusra militants in pockets on Lebanon’s border is the biggest military spillover into the country from Syria’s civil war. An offensive launched last month by “Hezbollah” forced Nusra extremists to leave for a rebel-held area in northwest Syria under an evacuation deal. The Lebanese army did not take part in that offensive, but has been widely expected to lead an attack against the ISIS pocket. On Friday “Hezbollah” leader Hassan Nasrallah said an assault on ISIS in the border zone would begin in a few days. He said the Lebanese army would attack ISIS from the Lebanese side of the border, while “Hezbollah” and the Syrian regime forces would simultaneously attack from the Syrian side. On Saturday, Lebanese newspaper al-Joumhouria reported from sources that direct military coordination had occurred between the Syrian forces and Lebanese army regarding the upcoming offensive against ISIS. The military source said the Lebanese army had been attacking ISIS for some time, by preventing it spreading further and cutting supply routes.

Rouhani congratulates Berri on Lebanon's victory over terrorism
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Iranian President, Sheikh Hassan Rouhani, congratulated Sunday House Speaker Nabih Berri on Lebanon's victory over terrorism in the outskirts of Arsal. "The victories achieved by Lebanon with its people, army and resistance, whether over the Zionist entity or terrorism, have glorified Lebanon's position in the region," said Rouhani during his meeting with Speaker Berri this morning. In turn, the Speaker congratulated the Iranian President on his oath-taking for a renewed mandate, praising "the wide international presence witnessed in Tehran yesterday, which proved that Iran is neither besieged nor isolated." Referring to Lebanon's victories of 2006 over the Israeli enemy and 2017 over terrorism, Berri highlighted the role of "Lebanese national unity, resistance and army in yielding such victories.""The victory over terrorism in Arsal's outskirts has united the Lebanese even more," he added. Over the regional situation, Speaker Berri expressed concern over division plots aimed against Iraq and Syria, while praising the Palestinian people's intifadah in al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem, stressing on Palestinian unity. During their mutual talks, Rouhani thanked Berri for his visit that embodies the depth of the kind relations linking both the Lebanese and Iranian people together."We attach great importance to your role in the strengthening and advancement of Lebanon and its stability, and in the consolidation of Iranian-Lebanese relations, which is very important to us," said Rouhani. "Iran stands by the Lebanese people in their resistance against terrorism and the Israeli enemy," Rouhani underscored, adding "facts have proved that the Lebanese have no choice but to resist these threats." Following his encounter with President Rouhani, the Speaker held talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif over latest developments in Lebanon and the region. Zarif also congratulated the Lebanese people, army and resistance on their victory over terrorism, saying: "The Lebanese people always give lessons in resistance, and that through resistance we can always win over our enemies."

Rahi calls for State liberation from political interference
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Maronite Patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi urged politicians to liberate the State's institutions from political interference, in order to ensure a better life for Lebanese citizens. "I call for the establishment of the State with its institutions and departments based on efficiency and ethics, away from any political interference and discrimination," Rahi said during Sunday's Mass service at "Our Lady of the Hill" Church in Mount Lebanon's Deir al-Qamar. President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, and a number of political and security figures attended the Mass service.
In his sermon, Patriarch Rahi highlighted the need for "boosting education in public and private schools, protecting public funds by stopping waste expenditure, theft and corruption, and establishing a free, honest and responsible justice system." He also urged officials to speed-up the process of implementing administrative, regional and sectoral decentralization.

Despite Trump claim, Hezbollah operation boosts Lebanon role
By Zeina Karam/Washington Post/ AP August 06/17
BEIRUT — As President Donald Trump recently stood beside the Lebanese prime minister praising his government for standing up to Hezbollah, the Iranian-backed militants were busy demonstrating just how wrong he was. They were clearing the country’s eastern frontier from al-Qaida fighters in a sweeping offensive and negotiating a complex prisoner deal with the group. Far from being an ally in the fight against Hezbollah, the Lebanese government headed by Saad Hariri is based on a partnership with the Shiite group, whose clout and dominance in the tiny country is on the rise.
“Lebanon is on the front lines in the fight against (the Islamic State group), al-Qaida and Hezbollah,” Trump said at the press conference in Washington, lighting up social media with comments from Lebanese who ridiculed his perceived ignorance of Lebanese politics.
The Lebanese government headed by Hariri was formed in December following an extended paralysis and a presidential vacuum that lasted nearly three years. Hariri, a Sunni politician squarely opposed to Hezbollah and Assad, was made prime minister only after an overall bargain was reached with Hezbollah that included the election of Michel Aoun, a Christian and Hezbollah ally, as president. Aoun has repeatedly said that Hezbollah’s arms complement those of the Lebanese military.
Trump aside, there is much about Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon that is sometimes difficult for outsiders to understand.
This Saturday, July 29, 2017 photo, Hezbollah fighters stand on their army vehicle at the site where clashes erupted between Hezbollah and al-Qaida-linked fighters in Wadi al-Kheil or al-Kheil Valley in the Lebanon-Syria border. When President Trump praised the Lebanese government for fighting Hezbollah last week, the Iranian-backed group was busy demonstrating just how wrong he was, clearing the country’s eastern frontier from al-Qaida and negotiating a complex prisoners swap with the militant group alongside the Lebanese government. (Bilal Hussein/Associated Press)
The Iranian proxy is the single most potent military and political force in Lebanon, with an arsenal surpassing that of the country’s army. By many accounts, Hezbollah has brought disaster to the country by engaging in destructive wars with Israel, and, as Trump himself noted, it has fueled the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria where it has sent thousands of its fighters to shore up President Bashar Assad’s forces.
But to its many supporters, the group is a stabilizing force in a fragile country with a historically weak central government that has been repeatedly battered by Israel and struggled against Sunni militancy, particularly since the eruption of the Syrian civil war.
The party, founded in the early 80s to fight Israeli occupation of parts of Lebanon, enjoys a support base that extends well beyond its Shiite constituency. It has been a mainstay of Lebanese politics for the past few decades, taking part in governments and offering state-within-a-state services to followers in its strongholds without trying to impose its religious views on the country’s pluralist society.
The group has its own secure telecommunications network and a reach that extends across vital Lebanese installations and infrastructure, as well as veto power in the Lebanese cabinet.
Its decision to send fighters to Syria in 2013 remains highly controversial in Lebanon, but the group has to a large extent successfully portrayed its presence as a necessity to protect Lebanon from militant groups including Islamic State and al-Qaida, which proliferated in Syria and overran the border with Lebanon in 2014.
This week, the group took credit for ending the presence of al-Qaida elements in the border area, following a week-long military offensive and then a negotiated settlement that saw hundreds of al-Qaida-linked militants, their families and thousands of civilians, return to Syria. The Lebanese military, which has received more than $1 billion in U.S. security assistance in the past decade, took a back seat in the operation.
Hariri recognized Hezbollah’s role — criticized by its opponents in Lebanon — saying that the end result was what mattered and calling it “a big achievement.”
“We have our opinion and Hezbollah has its opinion, but in the end, we met on a consensus that concerns the Lebanese people for the (good of) the Lebanese economy, security and stability,” he said.
In a clear distribution of roles, the army is now expected to spearhead an upcoming fight in another section of the border, this time against Islamic State group militants.
Declaring victory Friday night, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah said the army was perfectly capable of winning that fight but offered his support should it be needed.
“We are at the service of the Lebanese army and under its command ... if they ask for any help we will help,” he said in a televised speech.
It is this complex relationship between Lebanese governments and Hezbollah that foreigners often find so baffling.
“Both Lebanon and Hezbollah occupy a grey area: Lebanon isn’t really a state, and Hezbollah isn’t a terrorist group — or isn’t only a terrorist group, depending on your view,” said Faysal Itani, a senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Rafik Hariri Center for the Middle East, explaining the misperceptions.
“So the American tendency is either to treat Hezbollah as controlling the state of Lebanon, or to see Lebanon as a sovereign entity fighting a terrorist group. Both are false.”
Hariri, whose father, former Premier Rafik Hariri was assassinated with a ton of explosives in 2005 in a bombing some blamed on Hezbollah, has a tough balancing act to maintain. Hezbollah and its allies brought down a previous government headed by Hariri in 2011 by resigning while he was in Washington meeting the U.S. president.
During his visit to Washington, Hariri responded to questions about his uneasy coalition with Hezbollah, describing it as necessity to shield Lebanon from slipping into renewed civil war.
Following Trump’s press conference, during which he described Hezbollah as a “menace to the Lebanese state” and the entire region, Nasrallah said he would not comment so as not to embarrass the Lebanese delegation headed by Hariri while it was still in Washington.
Hezbollah displayed its clout when it invited journalists on a border tour after ousting al-Qaida militants from the area, parading its fighters, armored personnel carriers and missiles on the barren mountains in surreal displays of confidence that stressed that Hezbollah, and not the U.S., was fighting terrorism.
What's most important from where the world meets Washington
During the offensive and on the tour, the group repeatedly stuck the yellow Hezbollah flag next to the Lebanese flag, suggesting the two cannot be separated.
Israeli officials have used such displays to emphasize that there’s no line between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah, particularly with Aoun’s election as president, suggesting the Lebanese state will pay heavily in any future war between Israel and Hezbollah.
Itani said Hezbollah has been infiltrating and co-opting parts of the Lebanese government for over 20 years.
“I do not see them as separate from the Lebanese government,” he said.
Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/despite-trump-claim-hezbollah-operation-boosts-lebanon-role/2017/08/06/890c562c-7a7a-11e7-8c17-533c52b2f014_story.html?utm_term=.4f74ab5d2964

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on August 06-07/17
4 Dead, 8 Hurt as Soldier Opens Fire on Iran Military Base
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 06/17/At least four soldiers were killed and eight injured when one of their colleagues opened fire on a military air base in southern Tehran on Sunday, the Iranian military said in a statement. The incident was "probably related to psychological problems of the soldier who suddenly started firing on his comrades," the statement said. It took place on a shooting range, and could also have been the result of a gun misfiring, the statement added. "The injured were transported to a medical center and an investigation has been opened," it said. State television reported a similar incident last month when a serviceman opened fire at a barracks in Abyek, around 40 kilometers northwest of Tehran, killing three and injuring six. The gunman in that incident, who had reportedly been denied a transfer to his home town, shot himself but survived his injuries, according to the ISNA news agency.
Military service of two years is mandatory for Iranian men when they turn 19.

Man Carrying Knife Arrested at Eiffel Tower
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 06/17/A man carrying a knife was arrested as he tried to force his way into the Eiffel Tower, the company that runs the Paris landmark said Sunday. The man, who was apparently alone, was "very quickly overpowered and arrested" and nobody was hurt, the statement added. The incident happened at 11:30 pm (2130 GMT) Saturday night, about half an hour before the Tower normally stops admitting visitors. After the arrest, police at the site checked the venue and called for it to be evacuated at around 00:30, 15 minutes before the Eiffel Tower normally closes, the statement added. The would-be intruder was wearing a Paris Saint-Germain football shirt and at the time of the incident the tower was lit up with the team colours of PSG. A screen near the bottom of the tower displayed a message welcoming Brazilian star Neymar to the club. France has been under a state of emergency since the November 2015 attacks on Paris restaurants, a concert venue and a sporty stadium that left 130 people dead. Since the first wave of terror attacks in January 2015, 239 people have been killed.

Syria Army Takes Last IS-Held Homs Town, Advances on Deir Ezzor
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/August 06/17/Syrian government troops advanced overnight against the Islamic State group in the country's north and center, drawing closer to the key battleground of Deir Ezzor, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the army had made "significant progress" south of Raqa city. "There is now just four kilometers between regime forces and the town of Madan, which is the last town controlled by IS in the Raqa countryside," the Observatory said. Madan lies next to the border between Raqa province and Deir Ezzor, an eastern province that is mostly held by IS. Jihadists have besieged government forces and civilians inside the provincial capital Deir Ezzor city since 2015. Syrian loyalist troops are battling IS in the south of Raqa province separately from an offensive by the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a militia that is fighting the jihadists inside Raqa city. The regime is also fighting IS in central Homs province, where overnight they captured the last jihadist-held town in the area, the Observatory said. The capture of al-Sukhna opens the route for government troops to advance towards Deir Ezzor on a second axis. There was no official confirmation of Sukhna's capture from Syria's government. State news agency SANA said the army had surrounded the town from three sides. Since May, Syria's army has been conducting a broad military campaign with Russian support to recapture the vast Badia desert region that separates the capital Damascus from Deir Ezzor. The Observatory said at least 64 IS fighters were killed in clashes with the regime and air strikes across the Badia region on Saturday. Among the dead were 30 killed in the fight for al-Sukhna, the monitor said. Already defeated in its Iraqi bastion of Mosul, IS is facing multiple assaults in Syria.The SDF now control more than half of Raqa city, a key IS stronghold.

Syrian Opposition Summit Scheduled for October
Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/17/London- Extensive contacts kicked off lately in support of the High Negotiations Committee (HNC) efforts to hold a broad opposition meeting next October that could reach a political vision and a unified delegation ahead of engaging in serious talks with Damascus for implementing UNSC Resolution 2254 and achieving a political transition in the country.The latest HNC meeting started in Riyadh and were followed by a new wave of active international and regional contacts. Several opposition groups, in addition to the team of UN envoy Staffan de Mistura, have repeatedly called for a broad opposition summit that unifies the Syrian opposition statements and form a delegation that should negotiate with Damascus based on the Riyadh summit held at the end of 2015. The upcoming Summit aims to approve the opposition’s new vision, strategy and structure, and unify its branches, which include parties that attended the Moscow and Cairo platforms, founder of the Tomorrow Movement Ahmad Jabra, in addition to opposition figures and representatives from the armed factions. The opposition Summit might also include Kurdish figures and forces, and local councils that were formed following the de-escalation deals in the southwest of Syria under a US-Russian-Jordanian patronage, and in Damascus’ Ghouta and the countryside of Homs under Russian support and Egyptian mediation. The opposition hopes that with the support of the US, Russia and other regional states, Damascus will be left with one option: engage in talks with one unified opposition, implement Resolution 2254 and reach a smooth and correct political transition that realizes the hopes of the Syrian people in having a unified Syria. According to some sources, talks held at the HNC level still focus on the principles related to the upcoming Summit, in addition to the position of those attending it, regarding head of Syrian regime Bashar Assad.

Saudi Arabia: Our position on Syria’s future is firm, no place for Assad
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 6 August 2017/An official source at the Saudi Foreign Ministry has said reports by several media outlets quoting Riyadh’s Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir regarding the Syrian crisis as “inaccurate”. Saudi Press Agency (SPA) quoted the source as saying: “The firm position of the Kingdom on the Syrian crisis is based on the principles of the Geneva 1 Declaration and UN Security Council Resolution 2254, which provides for the formation of a transitional authority to govern the country, the drafting of a new constitution and the preparation of elections for a new future for Syria which will have no place for Bashar al-Assad”. The source confirmed Saudi Arabia’s support for the High Negotiations Committee (HNC), the procedures it is considering to expand the participation of its members, and the unification of the opposition.

Bahrain: We reject attacks on Saudi Arabia & Qatar’s attempts to politicize Hajj
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Sunday, 6 August 2017/Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa has emphasized Manama’s stance against any attacks on Saudi Arabia and reiterated their condemnation of Qatar’s attempt to politicize this year’s Hajj pilgrimage. In an interview with Al Arabiya News Channel’s Panorama political talk show, Al-Khalifa reiterated that there is no siege of Qatar, but “rather a boycott”. “Using the term ‘siege’ has serious connotations within in international law, but it is important to note that the actions taken against Qatar is simply a boycott to protect our nation’s security and sovereignty,” Al-Khalifa told Al Arabiya. Bahrain, along with Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, decided to economically and diplomatically boycott Qatar two months ago over Doha’s history of supporting and financing terror groups over the years and issued them with a list of 13 demands to abide by. The demands include closing a Turkish military base in Qatar and shutting down the Al Jazeera pan-Arab television network, which Doha also rejected. Qatar's Gulf critics accuse Al Jazeera of being a platform for extremists and an agent of interference in their affairs. The network has rejected the accusations and said it will maintain its editorial independence. “We will not negotiate with Qatar on the 13 demands, but we will discuss on how to implement them,” Al-Khalifa said.

Two months after Arab states cut ties with Qatar, no end to crisis in sight
The prolonged crisis has affected Qatar’s economy after land-based commerce has been suspended. (Shutterstock)
By Jaber Al Joodi/Al Arabiya/August 06/17/It’s been 60 days since Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut ties with Qatar. These four countries, however, still have the door open for Doha to return to the Gulf’s embrace on condition that it responds to the 13 demands which stipulate that Qatar ends its support of terrorism and stops the work of inciting television channels. Qatar, however, has been perceived by these Arab states as stubborn. On a practical level, the four states believe that Qatar has escaped the issue by obstructing the Kuwaiti mediation in the crisis and promoted a lie that a “blockade” has been imposed against it. They also believe that Doha was bold enough to make an attempt at politicizing hajj and prevented its citizens from performing the annual pilgrimage. It also submitted a complaint to internationalize the crisis but international organizations did not strongly react to that. The past 60 days showed the depth of relations between Qatar and Iran and showed that Doha prefers Tehran over its Gulf neighbors as it dispatched Qatar’s Economy and Commerce Minister Sheikh Ahmed bin Jassim Al-Thani to attend the ceremony when Hassan Rowhani was sworn in as president for the second time. The prolonged crisis has affected Qatar’s economy after land-based commerce has been suspended through its only land route and after aerial and naval activity has been undermined. According to Qatar’s Central Bank, the net international reserves plunged by $10.4 billion in June. This is in addition to fears over holding the World Cup in 2022, especially amid corruption allegations. There have been also attempts to politicize sports through the recent deal that saw Brazilian footballer Neymar Jr. be brought by Qatari-owned French club Paris Saint Germain.

Australia Accuses ISIS of a Foiled Aircraft Attack Plot
Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/17/Sydney, London- Australian Federal Police said a senior ISIS commander sent parts to construct an improvised explosive device (IED) for the two men arrested for their attempt to bring down Etihad Airways flight coming from Sydney Airport. According to CNN, the two suspects are: Khaled Khayat and Mahmoud Khayat. “This is one of the most sophisticated plots that have ever been attempted on Australian soil,” Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Michael Phelan said. “We’ll be alleging that the person who was to carry the IED on the plane had no idea he was going to be carrying an IED,” Phelan said. “I want to make it quite clear – it never got near screening. I don’t want anyone to suggest that it penetrated airport security layers because it did not,” Phelan added. Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Airways said on Friday it was helping Australian Federal Police with an investigation, that the police began, into a plot to bring down a plane, resulting in stricter security screening at Australian airports. Four men were arrested in several suburbs in Sydney Saturday on charges of planning for the attack inside the airplane. US officials, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity, said a foreign intelligence service had intercepted communications between the plotters in Sydney and members of the ISIS in Syria – the officials declined to identify the foreign intelligence service. Another US official said the target appeared to have been a commercial flight from Sydney to the Gulf. Australia is an ally of US and has dispatched forces to Afghanistan and Iraq – it has been in a state of alert since 2014 following attacks by extremists returning from the Middle East.

Australian Police Release Man Arrested in Plot to Bomb Plane
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - A man arrested in connection with what Australian authorities say was a plot to bring down a plane was released from police custody on Sunday after being charged with a weapons offense. Khaled Merhi, 39, who was arrested on July 29 along with three other men in raids across Sydney, was charged with possession of a prohibited weapon and granted bail, Australian Federal Police said in a statement. He was not charged with any terrorism-related offenses. Two of the men arrested alongside Merhi — 49-year-old Khaled Khayat and 32-year-old Mahmoud Khayat — were charged last week with two counts of planning a terrorist act. Police say they were involved in an aborted attempt to place an improvised explosive device on an Etihad Airways flight out of Sydney last month in a plot directed by the Islamic State group. One other man arrested during the raids was released without charge last week. Police say the plot involved a sophisticated attempt to get a device containing military-grade explosives on board an Etihad flight. Khaled Khayat has been accused of bringing the device to Sydney airport on July 15 in a piece of luggage that police say he asked his brother to take with him on the flight. For unknown reasons, the bag never got past the check-in counter. Police say Khayat's brother had no idea the bag contained explosives. Merhi is scheduled to appear in court on Aug. 24. ---AP

Afghan officials seize truck with 16 tonnes of explosives
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Afghan intelligence officials said Sunday they seized a truck in Kabul carrying more than 16 tonnes of explosives hidden in boxes marked as poultry feed, months after a truck bomb killed about 150 people. The truck, with Pakistani license plates, was seized in District 9 of the capital, the National Directorate of Security said in a statement, adding that five people were arrested. "It was loaded with explosives to make bombs, suicide vests and conduct terrorist activities in Kabul," the statement said, adding that 16,500 kg of explosives was seized. On May 31 a massive truck bomb ripped through the Afghan capital's diplomatic quarter during the morning rush hour, killing about 150 and wounding around 400 people, mostly civilians. No group claimed responsibility for the attack that was caused by over 1,500 kg of explosives hidden in a sewage truck, according to Western officials. Taliban militants rarely claim responsibility for attacks that kill large numbers of civilians. The militants have intensified their attacks since they launched their "spring offensive" in late April, with civilians bearing the brunt of the conflict. According to UN figures, more than 26,500 civilians have died and nearly 49,000 have been injured as a result of armed conflict in Afghanistan since January 2009. ---AFP

UK prepared to pay 40bneuro Brexit bill: report
Sun 06 Aug 2017/NNA - Britain is prepared to pay up to 40 billion euros ($47 billion) to the European Union to settle its accounts when it leaves the bloc, the Sunday Telegraph newspaper reported. It is the first time the British side has put a figure even unofficially on the so-called divorce bill, one of the biggest sticking points in the Brexit negotiations. However, it falls well short of the $118 billion sum discussed in Brussels. The newspaper report, based on unnamed government sources, said Britain would pay this only if the EU agrees to negotiate the financial settlement as part of a future trade deal. Brussels has said progress must be made on the divorce bill, as well as the rights of European citizens living in Britain and the Irish border issue, before any talks can start on a free trade agreement. EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has warned that the trade negotiations, which Britain hopes will start in October, may be pushed back to December because Britain is stalling on the bill, diplomats said last month. British officials are looking at proposing a transition deal where Britain would continue to make net payments to the EU of $12 billion a year for up to three years after it leaves in March 2019, the Telegraph reported. ---AFP

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on August 06-07/17
Kuwait, Saudi Arabia Between Two Crises
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/August 06/17
Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd, may he rest in peace, could have tried to do like Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa, Qatar’s crown prince back then and its real ruler.
Following the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait back then, during the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) meeting in Doha, Sheikh Hamad tried to blackmail the five GCC leaders at the summit when he refused to discuss the liberation of Kuwait unless they acknowledge Qatar’s rights to the Hawar and Fasht al-Dibal islands from Bahrain.
King Fahd was the first one to storm out of the room in anger considering this an insulting bargain. Saddam Hussein’s invasion of Kuwait was a precious bargaining chance to anyone.
Whereas Saudi Arabia saw its support to Kuwait as being loyal to pledges, respecting the GCC principles and protecting states from chaos, no matter the reasons or motives behind the disputes.
Of course, it was within Riyadh’s interest to defeat Saddam, yet the less risky option was to co-exist with Saddam.
It would not have been possible to confront the invasion without Saudi Arabia’s desire and approval. The kingdom hosted half a million soldiers, including 200,000 US soldiers, who liberated Kuwait in four days.
King Fahd is a historical figure because he is the one who tolerated threats and managed the confrontation with Saddam who was quick to cancel Kuwait’s identity and flag, destroyed its legitimacy, created an alternative legitimacy and replaced its currency.
The king was keen on maintaining the ruling family of Sabah and its unity given that it is the symbol of Kuwait’s legitimacy.
King Fahd hosted the family in Taif city, a secure location away from Saddam’s attacks and intelligence agents.
He allowed the Kuwaiti government in exile to fully operate from the city and contributed to reviving Kuwait’s symbols by issuing the dinar and publishing some dailies and reestablishing its channels.
Kuwaiti military personnel, including the pilots who heroically fought from Ali al-Salem Air Base against Saddam’s invasion, all gathered in Saudi Arabia. King Fahd also supported the resistance against the invasion.
The most dangerous decision King Fahd made was summoning US troops to Saudi Arabia, thus personally taking a huge responsibility. Several high ranking royal family members asked him whether he was sure of his decision to bring the US into the kingdom, and if he was capable of getting them out later on.
As the US troops arrived and war preparations were underway, supporters of Saddam in Saudi Arabia voiced their protests against Saudi Arabia. Led by Hasan al-Turabi from Sudan and Rashid al-Ghannoushi from Tunisia, Muslim Brotherhood launched several inciting campaigns against the kingdom accusing it of apostasy. They used the media and recorded their statements on cassettes or distributed them via fax.
Saddam’s ally in Yemen, Ali Saleh threatened Saudi Arabia which prompted the king to freeze relations with him and deport around 2 million Yemenis.
For the first time in Riyadh, protests erupted out against the Saudi government and young clerics spoke out against fighting to liberate Kuwait saying it is not right to fight for Kuwait which does not rule according to God’s sharia.
People protested in several Arab capitals against Saudi Arabia, and not against Kuwait. Many Arab governments supported Saddam. Even during the urgent Arab League session in Cairo, only a small majority of 12 countries supported Kuwait’s cause.
Despite objections, Former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak played a significant role in refusing attempts to confuse the cause and imposed voting by raising hands instead of making a consensus decision.
King Fahd risked his countries’ stability given that the chances of liberating Kuwait were slim and with possibilities of no war or that it would last for a long time, like Iran’s war. There was also the possibility of defeat or incomplete victory or even Saddam not entirely leaving Kuwait. It was also possible that Saudi Arabia will not come out of the war safe.
King Fahd could have done like Sheikh Hamad of Qatar and bargained with Saddam in exchange for Kuwait, but he didn’t. He was a brave leader who made a historical decision to stand by Kuwait and we are all proud of his decision.
It is surprising to hear some Kuwaiti voices supporting Qatar instead of condemning its actions that threaten the security and existence of four countries.
Indeed, Kuwait has a moral debt to repay and we expect it to honor part of it. Whereas, if interests and not morals are driving Qatar’s support, then we advise them to open their eyes, think well and balance between their future interests: what’s more important and Qatar’s promises and perishing temptations.
Kuwait is not stable. It is the country which needs GCC’s unity and stability the most.
Saddam is gone and his successors are much worse and more evil.

France: Churches Vanish, Mosques Spring Up
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/August 06/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57688
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10777/france-churches-mosques
In the last 30 years, more mosques and Muslim prayer centers have been built in France than all the Catholic churches built in the last century.
The Church of Santa Rita used to stand in the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris. A few weeks after Father Hamel was murdered by Islamic terrorists, the French police cleared the church. It is now a parking lot. Police dragged the priests out by their legs as a Mass was being celebrated.
In France there are laws protecting old trees. But the state is free to flatten old Christian churches. The vacuums created in the French landscape are already being filled by the booming mosques. Cowardly French authorities would never treat Islam as they are now treating Christianity.
"France is not a random space... fifteen centuries of history and geography determined its personality. Inscribed in the depths of our landscape, the churches, the cathedrals and other places of pilgrimage give meaning and form to our patriotism. Let us demand our civil authorities to respect it". Two years ago, the French journalist Denis Tillinac promoted this appeal, signed by dozens of French personalities, after some French imams requested the conversion of abandoned churches into mosques.
A year later, terrorists who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State assaulted the Catholic parishioners in the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, murdering an elderly priest, Father Jacques Hamel, at the foot of the altar. An outpouring of great emotion followed the most serious attack on a Christian symbol in Europe since the Second World War.
After that attack, the French authorities prevented many Islamist plots against the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Last June, police shot a Muslim man outside the cathedral after he tried to attack them with a hammer. Another terror cell of French women, guided by Islamic State commanders in Syria, had previously been foiled before they could attack Notre Dame. France's most famous Catholic house of worship is a prime target for the jihadists. A t the same time, France has been dismissing the religious and cultural heritage of France's Catholic patrimony, which, in a time of religious clashes and revival, should instead be protected as treasures and sources of strength.
Last month, around the time of the first anniversary of the murder of Father Hamel, a wrecking crew demolished the famed Chapel of Saint Martin in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, built in 1880-1886 and deconsecrated in 2015. A parking lot will replace the old Christian building. Photographs and videos posted on social networks, in scenes reminiscent of ISIS' vandalism of churches in Mosul, show the cross being ripped from the church and the church destroyed. A few days earlier, in Rouen, not far from where Father Hamel had been killed, the local authorities ordered the destruction of the Saint-Nicaise Church's presbytery, for "safety reasons".
The Chapel of Saint Martin in Sablé-sur-Sarthe, France, pictured shortly before it was demolished on July 17, 2017. (Image source: Simon de l'Ouest/Wikimedia Commons)
In 1907, the French state appropriated all church property, and now an increasing numbers of local authorities are deciding they cannot or will not renovate their churches. French mayors call this process "deconstruction".
The year of Father Hamel's martyrdom, France was very busy demolishing churches. The Patrimoine-en-blog website, a platform providing a regular inventory of demolished churches, reports seven demolished churches in France in 2016 alone, and two in the first half of 2017. Along with these destroyed Christian buildings, 26 churches were put up for sale in 2016, and 12 churches were listed for sale in 2015. In 2017, many churches were converted to offices, apartments, "entertainment centers", gyms and art galleries.
The picture is not promising for French Catholicism:
"Over the past two years, Christian associations have sold nearly 40 churches throughout the country, at prices ranging from 100,000 to 400,000 euros. Twenty-seven other churches have been demolished. According to the Catholic Church, more than 1,000 churches are to be sold or demolished throughout France".
According to a report from the Observatory of Religious Heritage, presented at the French Senate, France could lose "5,000 to 10,000 religious buildings by 2030". Every year, 20 churches are sold and converted in France. The art historian Didier Rykner, who runs La Tribune de l'Art, said that "not since the Second World War have we seen churches reduced to rubble".
These authorities and mayors, so lenient when it comes to presenting economic reasons for destroying churches, are always generous when it comes to mosques. "Nearly 2,400 mosques today, compared to 1,500 in 2003, is the most visible sign of the rapid growth of Islam in France, a consequence of a population of immigrant origin and the process of strong re-Islamization", noted an report by the magazine Valeurs Actuelles.
When it comes to Islam, neutrality is abandoned. For example, "the municipality of Évreux voted for the provision of 5000 square-meters of land, for one symbolic euro, for the project of the Union of the Muslim Faith". The author and journalist Élisabeth Schemla detailed how French mayors have become "builders of mosques". This is how, in the last 30 years, more mosques and Muslim prayer centers have been built in France than all the Catholic churches built in the last century.
The Church of Santa Rita used to stand in the fifteenth arrondissement of Paris. A few weeks after Father Hamel was assassinated by the Islamic terrorists, the French police cleared the church. It is now a parking lot. Police dragged out the priests by their legs as a Mass was being celebrated. "When France is moved by the martyrdom of Jacques Hamel and [then Prime Minister] Manuel Valls speaks of financing mosques and training imams, we do not understand that churches are abandoned to their sad fate and demolished", Eloise Lenesley wrote at the time in Le Figaro.
In France, there are laws protecting old trees from indiscriminate cutting. But the state is free to flatten old Christian churches. The vacuums created in the French landscape are already being filled by the booming mosques.
Cowardly French authorities would never treat Islam as they are now treating Christianity. Marine Le Pen pointedly asked: "What if we built parking lots on top of Salafist mosques, instead of our churches?"
*Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author.
© 2017 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.

Islamist Spies Infiltrating the West to Terrorize Christians
Majid Rafizadeh/Gatestone Institute/August 06/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57685
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10760/iran-spies-terrorize-christians
A key mission clearly stipulated in Iran's constitution, is to export its Islamist ideology, and actively ensure the continuous infiltration and expansion of Islamist values throughout the world. That is why the Revolutionary Guards established a special force, the Quds Force and Basij, with a publicly-announced mission of becoming engaged in extraterritorial operations -- religiously, ideologically, militarily and politically.
These Islamist spies normally come to the West, and particularly the US, under various guises, including seeking education, engaging in research, or for health-related purposes. They target specific US embassies, universities, research centers, or hospitals to obtain visas. Their ability to present themselves as ideal candidates for help creates the appearance of safety; meanwhile, their intentions may be to cause widespread harm.
When Dehnavi was blocked at the Boston airport, many pro-Iranian regime agents in the US resorted to various methods, including using mainstream liberal media outlets, in an attempt to ensure his entrance into America. They devised a fake narrative of injustice and depicted this high-ranking Basiji military agent as an innocent man who should be allowed into the US. How was this man even able to obtain a US visa?
The continuing persecution, imprisonment, murder and torture of non-Muslims is now well-documented and visible on a daily basis. In particular, Christians, Jews, Yazidis, Kurds, Hindus and Baha'is are victimized under Islamist rule. This issue requires attention and correction, but it is not the only threat that is coming from these tyrannical state and non-state actors.
Islamist organizations are dispatching their agents beyond their borders, to the West, particularly the US, in order to monitor, threaten, and terrorize non-Muslims.
Recent reports from European refugee camps indicate that radical agents and spies, including from one of the most powerful Islamist establishments, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), have infiltrated Europe, in part to monitor Christians, particularly those who have fled their nations out of fear of torture, imprisonment and persecution.
IRGC leaders and its intelligence services have frequently boasted about having agents and spies in Washington, DC and other Western capitals. The IRGC's major affiliates are the elite branch of the Quds Force and Basij, an ideological militia group.
One of the core missions of the IRGC, like other Islamist establishments, and as stipulated in Iran's constitution, is to safeguard Islamic as well as revolutionary values (including anti-Semitic and anti-American principles) in their homeland. The other key mission which is also clearly stipulated in its constitution, is to export Iran's Islamist ideology, and actively ensure the continuous infiltration and expansion of Islamists values throughout the world. That is why the IRGC established a special force, the Quds Force and Basij, with a publicly-announced mission of becoming engaged in extraterritorial operations -- religiously, ideologically, militarily and politically.
It is critical to point out that the Islamist mission of radical Muslim organizations anywhere in the world is not limited to their city, country, or region. This is because they do not recognize "man-made" nation-state systems; they do not recognize boundaries and governments. They believe that the whole world, since its inception, is in reality the divine possession of Islam. They believe that states, particularly Western governments, have taken their Allah-given lands, eternally belonging to Islam; and that non-believers have wronged their God, Allah, by misrepresenting Moses, Abraham and Jesus to create false religions such as Judaism and Christianity. They believe it is their sacred mission to recapture, by any means, everything -- the universe – which they believe has been taken from them.
"By any means" can include suicide attacks that slaughter hundreds, even thousands, of people, including Muslims; endless incitement to violence among strangers and neighbors, and all available ways of manipulating soft power.
These Islamist spies usually come to the West, and particularly the US, under various guises; these include seeking education, engaging in research, or for health-related purposes. They target specific US embassies, universities, research centers, or hospitals to obtain visas. Many people point out that these individuals also seek the assistance and sponsorship of the Iranian regime's assets in the US to facilitate their process. Their ability to present themselves as ideal candidates for help creates the appearance of safety; meanwhile, their intentions may be to cause widespread harm.
Mohsen Dehnavi, for instance, was recently deported by US border officials. Dehnavi happened to be an Iranian military agent; an active and high-ranking member of the Basij; previously, head of the student branch of the Basij at Iran's Sharif University; a loyalist to Ayatollah Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Iranian regime, and had personally received gifts from Khamenei.
US border officials recently deported Mohsen Dehnavi, an Iranian military agent who is an active and high-ranking member of the Basij paramilitary. He was previously head of the student branch of the Basij at Iran's Sharif University (pictured above, photo by Behrooz Rezvani/Wikimedia Commons).
The life-long slogan of members of Basij is, "Death to America" and "Death to Israel". A dedicated member of the Basij will closely monitor non-Muslims and do absolutely anything to please the Islamist Supreme Leader. There is no act of violence too great for the Basij. Those who commit murder are considered heroes of their faith. The Basij and the IRGC's goal is violence, and the destruction of anyone with a belief different from their own.
How was this man even able to obtain a US visa?
In a surprising and rare move, US border officials did not automatically accept this Iranian's US visa as a green light to enter the US. If it were not for their questioning and taking a second a look at his background, he would be operating freely in the US -- with consequences that could have been tragic.
The question is: How many people like him already are already operating freely in the US, as IRGC officials repeatedly claim? An extremist Muslim Basiji such as Dehnavi has been charged with the mission of safeguarding Islamist values, suppressing dissidents, and closely monitoring non-Muslims, primarily Christians. When Dehnavi was blocked at the Boston airport, many pro-Iranian regime agents in the US resorted to various methods, including turning to mainstream liberal media outlets, in an attempt to ensure his entrance into America. They devised a fake narrative of injustice and depicted this high-ranking Basiji military agent as an innocent man who should be allowed into the US. Their goal was to manipulate the hearts of Americans, who would be willing to fight for this man's cause and welcome him with open arms to the country that his organization has vowed to destroy.
Through steady, gradual infiltration, Islamist organizations create Islamist militias and proxies. The entrance to the US of Islamist agents, spies, and sympathizers with extremist institutions, such as Iran's regime or the Muslim Brotherhood, should not be taken lightly; it should be monitored closely on different levels by US officials, consulates and embassies. Having an impressive resumé, having a scholarship or fellowship from an American institution, or even claiming to have defected from an Islamist organization does not mean that it is safe to hand someone a visa and allow him into the country. In addition, as above, even having a visa should not mean that border officials cease investigating -- closely and meticulously -- a person's background for a second time.
Otherwise this trend is sure to grow -- exponentially.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is president of the International American Council on the Middle East. He is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist, business advisor, and author of "Peaceful Reformation in Iran's Islam". He can be reached at Dr.Rafizadeh@Post.Harvard.Edu.
*© 2017 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.

Britain, Brexit and the Spirit of Dunkirk
Amir Taheri/Gatestone Institute/August 06/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10780/brexit-dunkirk
For the past two weeks "Dunkirk" has been top of the box office in cinemas throughout the United Kingdom. The film is a fictional rendition of the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from the Dunkirk, in France, in May 1940, as Hitler's invading divisions blitzed their way towards Paris.
The evacuation involved over 400,000 soldiers, including many Frenchmen and troops recruited in British Empire and Commonwealth units such as Canada and Australia.
The greatest retreat in the history of warfare, the Dunkirk operation prevented the Germans from annihilating the bulk of the British army, giving London the chance to prepare to fight another day.
French and British soldiers, who were evacuated from Dunkirk, on board ships berthing at Dover, England on May 31, 1940. (Image source: Imperial War Museum/Wikimedia Commons)
At first glance, there was little heroism in such a vast force fleeing without fighting; armies usually retreat after they have fought and lost a battle. And, yet, what came to be known as "the spirit of Dunkirk" was truly heroic as thousands of ordinary Brits, defying Hitler's vast war machine, made their way to the beaches of Dunkirk, often aboard small fishing boats and dinghies and even a few floating bath-tubs, to help bring the stranded soldiers back to England.
Over the following decades "the spirit of Dunkirk" came to indicate a key characteristic of the British: fighting when their backs are to the wall.
Not surprisingly, therefore, those who campaigned for Britain leaving the European Union last year have seized on the excitement created by the new film to inject a bit of heroism in their narrative.
"Yes," they say," Britain is heading for tough times outside the European Union. But, helped by the Spirit of Dunkirk, it shall overcome all hurdles."
One leading campaigner for "Brexit" has even demanded that the new film be shown in schools to boost the morale of the young whose lives will be most affected by leaving the EU.
However, it is hard to draw a parallel between Brexit and Dunkirk, if only because the EU can't be equated with Nazi Germany. Nor was the UK at war with the EU, an alliance of democratic nations which Britain played a leading role in the creation of its latest version.
The question the Brits faced in Dunkirk was one of life and death. As a member of the EU, however, Britain has enjoyed membership in the biggest economic bloc in the world, alongside most of its NATO allies.
Advocates of Brexit have cited four reasons why the UK should leave.
The first is "regaining lost national sovereignty".
However, in its White Paper published earlier this year, the government solemnly declared that Britain never lost sovereignty. Membership of the EU meant a sharing of -- and not a loss of -- sovereignty. Britain already shares sovereignty in many international and regional organizations including NATO, the United Nations, the Commonwealth, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank, among many others.
If sharing sovereignty is equated with its loss, the UK should withdraw from more than 120 organizations, something that even "fully sovereign" North Korea hasn't done.
In any case, EU membership involves sharing sovereignty on a limited number of issues linked to commerce, industrial standards, agriculture and working conditions. It does not even extend to such matters as taxation and interest rates, let alone issues of national security, defense and foreign policies.
The fact that Britain can leave the EU or any other international organ of which it is a member shows that shared sovereignty does not mean loss of sovereignty. The claim of loss of sovereignty is bogus.
The second reason cited by Brexiteers, with the catch-phrase "control of borders," is equally bogus.
Anyone entering the UK knows that he must show a passport or identity card and be formally admitted into the country. EU citizens have the right to enter the territory of any member state without a visa to visit, look for a job, study or simply reside.
But under the 2007 Treaty of Lisbon, they cannot stay beyond a three-month limit unless they can prove they have a job, are in full-time education or have independent means of support.
Member states can, and in many cases do, expel those EU citizens who do not fulfill any of the stated conditions. In other words, all members, including the UK, already have the right and the power to decide how many EU citizens they wish to host.
The third bogus claim is about "rule by unelected officials in Brussels."
However, the Council of Ministers is the EU's main decision-making and legislative body, and is composed of ministers from member states, all of whom are democratically elected.
It forms the union's legislative body together with the European Parliament which is also directly elected by voters in all member states. When it comes to the so-called "Brussels bureaucracy," it is necessary to remember that it is composed of individuals appointed by elected governments of member states, in the same way that civil servants are appointed in each country, with clear patterns of accountability.
There is nothing that the "Brussels bureaucracy" can do without the approval of the governments of member states and their parliaments.
The final reason cited by Brexiteers is the claim that the UK, outside the EU, would be better able to make trade deals with "the rest of the world."
However, the UK is already trading with over 190 countries, many of which have full or partial trade deals with the EU, deals that the UK has played a key role in shaping. It is not because of EU membership that the UK exports to the United States half as much as Germany does.
The reason is that Germans produce goods that Americans want to buy and the Brits don't, because the UK has specialized in service industries at the expense of manufacturing. Being in or out of the EU need not alter that fact.
In other words, there are no objective reasons to necessitate Britain's exit from the EU, whereas the Dunkirk retreat was an inescapable necessity.
However, when it comes to Brexit, it would be foolish to ignore the non-objective, emotional, factors.
Many Brits feel there are too many foreigners in their country and blame EU citizens for declining standards in their National Health Service, a shortage of affordable housing, pressure on schools and even traffic jams.
Dunkirk was about running away, only to return. Will Brexit repeat that?
**Amir Taheri, formerly editor of Iran's premier newspaper, Kayhan, before the Iranian revolution of 1979, is a prominent author based on Europe. He is the Chairman of Gatestone Europe.
**This article first appeared in Asharq Al Awsat and is reprinted here with the kind permission of the author.
© 2017 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.

Kuwait - A case study in futility of accommodating the Iranian regime
Ali al-Shihabi/Al Arabiya/August 06/17/
On July 20, 2017, the Kuwaiti government ordered the expulsion of three-quarters of Iran’s diplomatic staff, including Ambassador Alireza Enayati, as well as the closure of the Islamic Republic’s cultural, trade, and military missions in Kuwait City. Kuwait’s decision followed last month’s Supreme Court ruling that found 21 Shiite nationals and one Iranian citizen guilty of plotting “hostile acts” against the state, smuggling explosives and weapons, and receiving training and support from Iran and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. Following the conviction, sixteen members of this “Abdali cell” (named after the border town where the cell members gathered) escaped from prison to Iran. Despite evidence to the contrary, the Islamic Republic dismissed allegations of support for the Abdali cell as “baseless,” blaming the expulsions on “the pressure of Saudi interventionist policies.”The eviction order for Enayati and his staff also caught many Gulf watchers off guard. Kuwait had never expelled an ambassador before and, irrespective of the Abdali conflagration, has consistently strived to balance its loyalties to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) with a policy of constructive engagement with Iran.
Emir’s diplomacy
For example, even though the Abdali cell was first uncovered in 2015, Kuwait’s Emir has made several significant diplomatic pushes to deescalate rising tensions between the GCC and Tehran, the latest coming in January of this year. Why, then, did Kuwait suddenly reverse course? Did the Emir, in fact, succumb to Saudi and GCC pressure to isolate Tehran, or was there another reason for halting his country’s overtures toward the Islamic Republic? It is a common refrain in Western policy-making circles that the Saudi Arabia–Iran “cold war” is driven, in part, by Riyadh’s viewing the Iran issue as zero-sum: a win for the Islamic Republic is a loss for Saudi Arabia. Riyadh and the GCC would harvest enormous political and economic dividends, the narrative goes, if only they would put aside their suspicions and work toward normalized relations with Tehran. After all, the narrative continues, that engagement would empower Iranian “moderates” at the expense of the “hard-liners.” And the stronger Iranian “moderates” become, the more common ground emerges between Tehran and the GCC, and the larger the peace dividend for all parties.
Seductive language .
Such language is always seductive in its reasonableness, particularly because Iranian diplomats cleverly play on it by making positive remarks in English about Iran’s intentions to Western media to create an illusion that such a possibility exists. This tactic makes it all the more difficult for Saudi Arabia to explain to Western observers that the Kingdom bases its policies for dealing with the Islamic Republic on what Tehran does, rather than on what it says in English (indeed, Iran’s Persian-language rhetoric is a much more honest reflection of regime thinking). Despite Saudi objections, there is one Gulf country that has pursued a policy of accommodation with Tehran. For the past decade, Kuwait has worked assiduously to develop robust bilateral ties with the Islamic Republic and mediate a larger rapprochement between Iran and the GCC. While it is true that Saudi Arabia expressed support for the Emir’s decision to expel the Iranian ambassador, Kuwait’s unique demographics, political structure, and foreign policy effectively prevented Riyadh from orchestrating that expulsion. For that, Tehran has only itself to blame. The case of Kuwait is particularly illustrative because, in light of the Abdali incident, it unequivocally demonstrates to Western supporters of the accommodationist approach what the Saudis have been trying to communicate for decades: that adopting such a policy vis-à-vis an ideologically driven revolutionary state bent on regional hegemony is flawed, dangerous, and ultimately untenable.
Authentic Kuwaiti identity
Kuwait occupies a unique position in the Gulf. Of the country’s 1.3 million citizens, as many as one-third are Shiite. Most of these are nationals, the descendants of seafaring Arab communities from Kuwait, Bahrain, and eastern Saudi Arabia, and émigrés from southern Iraq and Iran who resettled in the state beginning in the early 1600s. Over time, these diverse communities developed a cohesive and authentic Kuwaiti identity and became deeply integrated into the state’s social, political, and economic framework. Shiite and Sunni fought side by side against Saddam Hussein. Al-Qurain Martyrs’ Museum, a converted home that was destroyed by the Iraqi army, commemorates a band of Sunni and Shiite resistance fighters who perished together. Shite have won as many as 17 seats in the 50-member National Assembly (they currently occupy six), own conglomerates such as the Marafie Group, and play prominent commercial roles in a number of key industry sectors such as transport, construction, and retail.
Because of this long history, the sectarian divide in Kuwait, although present, is not nearly as pronounced as it is elsewhere in the region. In 2015, an ISIS attack on the Imam al-Sadiq Mosque killed 27 Shiite worshippers and wounded 277. In the immediate aftermath, the octogenarian Emir made a highly symbolic visit to the site, where he challenged ISIS’s attempt to stoke sectarian tension in his country. “National unity,” he said, “is a protective fence for the security of the nation.”In response to the Emir’s speech, thousands of Sunnis and Shiites took part in a mass funeral procession for the victims, while Kuwaiti social media accounts circulated images of both groups visiting and praying in each other’s mosques in a show of national solidarity.
Sunni–Shiite relationship
That is not to say that Kuwait’s Sunni–Shiite relationship is without its difficulties. Despite their coexisting for centuries, divergent ideologies compete within and between both groups, and all of these currents play against each other in Kuwait’s National Assembly, the Gulf’s most powerful parliamentary body. While the National Assembly’s legislative powers are limited according to Western standards, Kuwait’s members of parliament (MPs) are public figures who can override the Prime Minister and his cabinet, whom the Emir appoints, as well as the Emir himself. In addition, almost all MPs are freely elected. Because of this, their legitimacy does not depend on the goodwill of the ruler but on the support of constituents with clearly defined interests. As regional sectarian tensions escalate, so too does the pressure on MPs to publicly defend their coreligionists.
Because of this unique demographic and institutional combination, ruling Kuwait is about balancing competing interests at home and abroad. For example, in 2014 the government sided with the Saudi-led coalition fighting Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen, but in 2016, Kuwait chose not to follow Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the UAE in severing or downgrading diplomatic ties with the Islamic Republic following attacks on Saudi diplomatic facilities in Tehran and Mashhad. In the former instance, Shiite MPs criticized the Prime Minister and his cabinet for ignoring civilian casualties, and in the latter incident, Salafi MPs chastised the executive body for its inaction, saying that as a result they abetted Iranian expansionism.
Strategic policy component
Kuwait’s foreign policy posture also contains a strategic component. As a small country surrounded by larger and more powerful neighbors in Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia, Kuwait is the Gulf’s natural mediator and honest broker. In this capacity, the current Emir has worked to negotiate an amicable settlement between Qatar and the Arab Quartet. He has gone even farther in seeking positive relations with Iran and negotiating peace between the Islamic Republic and the GCC. Following the election of President Hassan Rouhani, Kuwait’s Deputy Foreign Minister commemorated the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Tehran, where he publicly rebuked the GCC policy of isolating Iran. “We cannot imagine not having talks with Iran considering its weight, size, and role in the region,” he said. The Deputy’s trip paved the way for an official visit by Kuwait’s Emir later that year. Following a meeting there with Supreme Leader Khamenei, the Emir stated, “Kuwait is completely prepared to open a new page in the relations between the two countries,” adding that he would pursue closer economic and financial ties with Tehran. This reset was followed by Kuwaiti efforts to help win support for the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), more commonly known as the Iran nuclear agreement.
In 2007, Kuwait publicly supported Iran’s right to maintain a peaceful nuclear program and publicly opposed a prospective US military strike on the Islamic Republic. Three years later, the Emir called for resolving the nuclear standoff through “dialogue, peaceful means, and adherence to the principles of international legitimacy.”Following the signing of the accord, Kuwait was the only Gulf state to send congratulatory telegrams to all seven heads of state involved in the negotiations. The Emir expressed his hope that this “historic achievement” would “strengthen the security and stability of the area.” He also promised to invest in the Iranian economy and initiated negotiations to purchase Iranian natural gas. Suspicious of Tehran’s intentions, the rest of the GCC was not nearly as sanguine on the deal, with only the UAE offering mild praise for the agreement. Kuwait’s overtures toward Tehran have been matched by the small state’s repeated deviations from Saudi foreign policy. As was previously mentioned, Kuwait refused to cut diplomatic ties with Iran following attacks on Saudi diplomatic facilities in Tehran and Mashhad (although it did, temporarily, expel Tehran’s ambassador).
And, despite publicly backing Riyadh in Yemen, Kuwait has offered virtually no material support for the coalition.
In 2014, it defied Riyadh by reopening its embassy in Assad-controlled Damascus, and in 2011 it declined to participate in the Saudi–Emirati operation in Bahrain.
Kuwait’s independent streak is not a recent phenomenon; in 1963, the Kuwaitis overrode Saudi objections and allowed the Soviet Union, Riyadh’s mortal enemy, to open its only embassy in the Gulf. And yet, Kuwait’s repeated gestures of goodwill toward the Islamic Republic have yielded little good and considerable ill. Long-standing promises of Iranian natural gas reaching Kuwait markets have yet to materialize despite years of negotiations. In fact, in 2015 the Iranian National Oil Company published a pamphlet inviting foreign investment in the disputed Dorra field, which it shares with Kuwait, without informing its smaller neighbor (Kuwait summoned Iran’s ambassador in response).
IRG espionage cell
The Emir’s call for a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue was repaid with the uncovering of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard espionage cell. Following the discovery, Kuwait expelled three Iranian diplomats, recalled its ambassador, and sentenced three of its own residents to death. But, in keeping with its policy of peace through negotiation, Kuwait restored full diplomatic ties with Iran just three months later. The Emir’s call for a peaceful resolution to the nuclear issue was repaid with the uncovering of an Iranian Revolutionary Guard espionage cell. Following the discovery, Kuwait expelled three Iranian diplomats, recalled its ambassador, and sentenced three of its own residents to death. But, in keeping with its policy of peace through negotiation, Kuwait restored full diplomatic ties with Iran just three months later. Even after the discovery of the Abdali cell, Kuwait responded reasonably, dispatching its foreign minister to Tehran with a handwritten note from the Emir to President Rouhani. Upon delivering this message, the foreign minister said that the Emir believed “it’s necessary that the differing views and misunderstandings between the countries of the region should come to an end in a calm atmosphere and through frank dialogue.” According to the Kuwaiti news agency KUNA, the note also established “the elements needed for dialogue,” chiefly, Iran pledging “non-interference in the internal affairs of the Gulf states, respecting their sovereignty, and establishing good neighborly relations.”And yet, despite the identification of an Iranian national among the Abdali cell members, evidence that several cell members trained with Iran’s Lebanese proxy Hezbollah, the discovery of a huge cache of weapons—the largest seized in Kuwait’s history—in several Abdali farmhouses used by cell members, and an unequivocal statement from Kuwait’s Foreign Ministry that the trial proved that “Iranian sides helped and supported the cell members,” Tehran denied any role in the plot. They continued to deny this role even when it was discovered that the 16 cell members who escaped actually “left the country by way of Iranian boats that were waiting for them.”
Last straw
It is likely that this last egregious action, the antithesis of “non-interference,” “respect for sovereignty,” and “good neighborly relations,” rather than Saudi pressure, was the last straw for Kuwait. That Iran is divided between “moderates” and “hard-liners,” and that a policy of accommodation empowers the former at the expense of the latter, is the fundamental pillar of the Iran engagement narrative. It is true that there is a divide between these two camps: Iranian “moderates” believe that engagement with the West is necessary to end sanctions, unleash Iran’s economic potential, and resolve the Islamic Republic’s considerable financial and socioeconomic issues. Iranian “hard-liners” disagree, worried that any move to normalize relations with the United States, even solely on the basis of economic matters, will undercut their influence at home.
But what the Saudis and the GCC have been advancing, and what some Iran watchers ignore, is that, on matters of regional policy, the difference between these two groups is one of tactics, not strategy. Iranian “moderates” argue that a more robust economy will give Tehran the means to continue its policy of revolutionary expansionism, whereas Iranian “hard-liners” posit that Tehran already possesses the means to continue its policy of revolutionary expansionism. Both parties are united behind the principle of revolutionary expansionism because both parties believe that this is the only policy capable of upholding the religio-political legitimacy of the Islamic Republic, which keeps both “moderates” and “hard-liners” in power. Kuwait learned the Iranian approach the hard way. Those Western analysts who continuously criticize Saudi Arabia’s deep mistrust of the Iranian regime would do well to evaluate this “case study” very carefully.

Qatar and the opposing Arab quartet: Why the standoff will prolong
Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/August 06/17/
The meeting of the foreign ministers of the anti-terror quartet countries — Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt — in Manama was decisive. Their readiness to start talks with Doha if it accepts their condition is related to details and does not mean they backed down. It actually proves to some western countries that Qatar is still confused and contradictory and conveys to these countries that their soft positions regarding boycotting Qatar will not resolve the problem of Qatar’s support of terrorism. Qatar is actually exploiting these countries’ stances, which cannot be understood.
These countries have spoken for years about their willingness to combat terrorism which they suffered from during the past years. Despite that, they did not make up their mind about standing by the anti-terror quartet, which has solid evidence that convicts Qatar of supporting terrorist and extremist entities and individuals.The anti-terror quartet foreign ministers did not just call on Qatar to hold talks but also sent a message via the UAE’s foreign minister who said escalatory measures will be taken against Qatar if it does not give up its intransigence and if it refuses to accept the alliance’s conditions. This means that the anti-terror quartet prefers to end the crisis but it will not give up on any of its conditions and will actually escalate the matter. When Western interests clash with the interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, our interests simply come first. We will not submit to any blackmail no matter what the circumstance are.
It seems we’re headed towards escalation as Qatar continues to be arrogant and seeks to escalate the crisis by causing problems and fighting a fierce war through the media, through either Al Jazeera or social media platforms or Western media outlets and writers such as David Hearst who has been alleged to live off Qatari money for years.
Qatar knows its crimes?
I’ve written many articles stating that Qatar’s rulers know the magnitude of the crimes they’ve committed against the countries of the so-called Arab Spring and know that their support of terrorism will not go unpunished and that the punishment will be severe if they accept the alliance’s conditions. Therefore, they want to complicate matters and prolong the crisis as they think it will provide them with a lifeline in the end. However, they are delusional here because the alliance’s countries did not decide to boycott Qatar and then simply retreat and they cannot just retreat under the pressure of influential parties whom Qatar empowers itself through. The alliance’s politicians made it very clear that they will not back down. Western countries saw how the Saudi kingdom made decisions that oppose western interests – such as late King Abdullah’s stance when he stood in Barack Obama’s face and took his historical decision to support Egypt’s army and its people against the Muslim Brotherhood. When Western interests clash with the interests of Saudi Arabia and its allies, our interests simply come first. We will not submit to any blackmail no matter what the circumstance are. So will Qatar back off? Or resume this rhetoric thus forcing the quartet countries to escalate? It’s clear that Doha will continue to be arrogant; the crisis will thus prolong and Doha will lose out in the end.

From the Mahdi state to the Caliphate state!
Mohammed Al Shaikh/Al Arabiya/August 06/17
The peoples of the East generally believe in inherited legends which, over time, turn into an unreliable part of faith. The idea of the Caliphate state which was promoted by the Muslim Brotherhood is a set of inherited mythical fantasies that claim that the Prophet (PBUH) promised the Muslims a Caliphate state which will unite the Muslim world under the same flag. Naturally, this Hadith is challenged by many and is not proven by the authorities and scholars. In fact, the caliphate state is an idea which emerged after the death of the Prophet, and it is improbable that he had recommended it. However, the mixing of some of the Hadiths with fixed historical facts has created a kind of sanctity in the contemporary Islamic mindset. The caliphate state, which they say will materialize at the end of time, is the basis of most of the Muslim political movements. At the forefront of these movements is the Muslim Brotherhood.
Sowing destruction
Among those who adopted this mythical idea is also ISIS, which shed the blood of many people, sowed destruction in countries and displaced people for the sake of the Caliphate state. In the end, all its efforts failed. They based their entire war and propaganda on a Hadith attributed to the Prophet which promised the emergence of this state at the end of time. In fact, it is believed that this state will conquer (Rome) in Europe, as is repeatedly vowed by its advocates. By the way, when Juhayman occupied the Grand Mosque, and pledged allegiance to the person who claimed to be the Mahdi under the Kaaba, he also believed in the heritage of another newly inherited prophesy that predicts that when the Mahdi emerges at the end of time, all the Muslims in the Haram will pledge allegiance to him. Consequently, an army will come from the north to fight his supporters. The defeat of ISIS and the idea of the state of the Caliphate, which some claim will emerge as strong as the Caliphate state in the beginning of Islamic history, requires us to purify our heritage from these myths that are not based on logical context as much as on the logic of miracles. The story describes how the soil would crack and swallow the army and that the Mahdi and his supporters would conquer all. Yet, the truth was something else, something that is far away from myths and legends. The question that we should urgently ask within this context is whether the fall of the so-called Caliphate State, along with the horrendous fall of ISIS, would fortify the Islamic mind and keep it from accepting these inherited heritage legends, which invade the law of logical causality under the pretext of the sanctity of the Prophet and make the miraculous supernatural somehow believable. The defeat of ISIS and the idea of the state of the Caliphate, which some claim will emerge as strong as the Caliphate state in the beginning of Islamic history, requires us to purify our heritage from these myths that are not based on logical context as much as on the logic of miracles. Just like the Juhayman incident and the myth of the Mahdi cost us human and psychological losses at the beginning of the current Hajri century, history is repeating itself. The same idea of the mythical state of the Caliphate cost the whole world human and material losses, which can be seen on the ground. In the end, it turns out that states are not based on desires or metaphysical reasons, but on rational reasons justified by reality, not by the cosmic law and miracles. Hence, young people must realize that they were taken for fools. Indeed, some of the inherited heritage texts are only a form of rational abuse and myths.

Rapprochement of Saudi-Iraqi ties for a more stable Middle East
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/August 06/17
The picture of the Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Iraqi leader Muqtada al-Sadr summarizes the rapprochement between Riyadh and Baghdad and the pace of positive progress of relations between the two countries, in which the two parties appear to prefer a policy of diplomacy, dialogue and communication over one of mistrust, divergence and disagreement. Sadr's visit was preceded by the participation of Iraqi President Fuad Masum at the Arab Islamic American Summit in May, 2017, followed by an official visit by Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abbadi two months later. During the same month, King Salman bin Abdulaziz made a phone call with Prime Minister Abadi congratulating him on the victory of Iraqi forces over ISIS followed by a visit by Iraqi Interior Minister Qasim al-Araji to Saudi Arabia, where he met Prince Mohammed bin Salman. He who follows this timeline, in less than one year, would guess that there is a serious intention from both parties intended to resolve the pending issues between Riyadh and Baghdad, and promote points of understanding between them.
Historical context
The relationship with the popular Muqtada al-Sadr, in addition to his familial and emotional connection with wide segments of the Iraqi and Gulf people, was built over the years and not just recently. A “contact officer” has been coordinating the relations and connections between Saudi Arabia and the “Sadrist movement" as Riyadh believes in the importance of openness to all sectors of the Iraqi people and the need to strengthen the Arabism of Iraq, and linking it to the Gulf region. A Saudi-Iraqi relations based on understanding, dialogue and respect for the sovereignty of the two countries will create a regional safety net and strengthen efforts to fight terrorism and fundamentalism. Many sectarianists and beneficiaries of war would deny any Saud-Iraqi rapprochement, claiming that it is a waste of time, while ignoring the fact that putting out the flames of war and easing the tension is a necessary and urgent interest, not just a choice, a luxury or a point of view. There are wars in more than one country surrounding Saudi Arabia and Iraq. There are sectarian militias and sectarian media, which have affected both Riyadh and Baghdad badly, and negatively affected the relationship not only between the two countries but also all the countries of the region and poisoned the public atmosphere among people with prejudice and hatred speeches. It is in the interest of the two countries to cooperate in order to confront this sectarianism which fills the satellite channels, websites, mosques and worship places, so as not to suffer damage, and then become difficult to uproot them from the minds and souls later on. Many sectarianists and beneficiaries of war would deny any Saud-Iraqi rapprochement, claiming that it is a waste of time, while ignoring the fact that putting out the flames of war and easing the tension is a necessary and urgent interest, not just a choice, a luxury or a point of view. It is the fate of Iraq and Saudi Arabia, with what they have of historical, economical, and political weight and presence inside all Muslims, to do their best to reach a real and strong understandings. The matter will require a lot of time, patience, wisdom and sacrifice. But it would be the way out for the region of what it is experiencing of confusion and terrorism.