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

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Bible Quotations For Today
Whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 10/34-39/:"‘Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household. Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it."

The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles
Acts of the Apostles 10/44-48/:"While Peter was still speaking, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astounded that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles, for they heard them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter said, ‘Can anyone withhold the water for baptizing these people who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?’ So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they invited him to stay for several days."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 06-07/17
Military families condemn $10M settlement to Omar Khadr/Calgary Herald/Published on: July 4, 2017
It’s Goodbye Qatar/Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
Doha to Surrender in the Dark/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
Will El País Stop Its "Spanish Inquisition"/Masha Gabriel/Gatestone Institute/July 06/17
Germany's Quest for 'Liberal' Islam/Vijeta Uniyal/Gatestone Institute/July 06/17
Baghdadi was here/Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
Various dimensions of the fight against extremist ideology/Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
Are the winds of change blowing in Iran/Hamid Bahrami/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
Managing Escalation Dynamics with Iran in Syria -- and Beyond/Michael Eisenstadt/The Washington Institute/July 06/17
Simmering Trouble in Oil-Rich Shia Area Complicates Riyadh's Concerns/Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/July 06/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 06-07/17
Report: Army Panel to Probe Detainees Death, Sarraf to Declare Outcome
Calls for ‘Independent Inquiry’ into Death of 4 Syrian Detainees in Lebanon
Lebanon: Ministers Disagree over Return of Syrian Refugees
UN: Return of Refugees to Syria Should Be Marked with Safety, Dignity
'Presidential Envoy' Ibrahim to Coordinate with Damascus on Refugees
Syria Ambassador Says No Refugee Return without 'Dialogue with Syrian State'
Human Rights Minister Urges Army, Judiciary to Probe Detainees Deaths
100 Cleared of Terror Suspicions, Militants Shelled as Jihadist Escapes Bomb
Report: Army Panel to Probe Detainees Death, Sarraf to Declare Outcome
Aoun pledges continuous efforts to bolster economy
Sami Gemayel meets Nehmeh Mahfoud, utters support for his trade union list
Loyalty to Resistance: Baabda meeting urgs government to work seriously
Hariri meets UN Habitat Director
Choucair calls for inquiry into deaths of Syrian detainees
UN Habitat Executive Director in Beirut
Hariri receives US Ambassador, Mufti Chaar
Ibrahim meets with new ICRC Lebanon new head

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 06-07/17
US Ready to Work with Russia on Syria ‘No-fly Zones’
Astana Falters…Opposition Worried About ‘Separation of South’
Gargash: Qatar’s Crisis Will Go On
Quartet: Qatar’s Response is Negative… its Destructive Role not Tolerated
Saudi official: 23,000 accounts created by Qatar to attack Saudi Arabia
Egypt’s FM Says Arab States Cannot Accept Qatar’s Destructive Role
Long-Term Mosul Reconstruction to Take more than a Year and Cost Billions of Dollars
3 dead in suicide bombing in central Syria
Haniyeh Says Hamas Ready to Hold Presidential, Legislative Polls
Haftar Forces Announce Total Liberation of Benghazi
Desperate Civilians Flee Last ISIS Pocket in Mosul but Up to 20,000 Remain Trapped
Putin and Netanyahu discuss demilitarized zone in southern Syria
Trump Says Russia 'Could Have' Interfered with U.S. Vote
Macron Meets Abbas, Voices Support for Two-State Solution

Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 06-07/17
Report: Army Panel to Probe Detainees Death, Sarraf to Declare Outcome
Naharnet/July 06/17/The government has decided to ask the Army Command to form a panel of inquiry into the death of at least four Syrian detainees in the army's custody, a media report said on Thursday. Prime Minister Saad Hariri raised the issue during Wednesday's Cabinet session, noting that the army's announcement that four detainees had died due to chronic health problems has “raised question marks” in Lebanon and abroad, al-Hayat newspaper reported. “It was decided to ask the Army Command to form a panel of inquiry into the circumstances of their deaths,” the daily said. “Defense Minister Yacoub Sarraf would then brief Cabinet on the outcome before announcing the results in a press conference,” al-Hayat added. A Syrian opposition group and international and local human rights organizations had on Wednesday called for a quick investigation into the death of the four detainees.
The four were detained in a sweeping security raid last week in refugee settlements in and around the border town of Arsal that netted 355 Syrians. Troops were met with a string of suicide attacks and grenades that left seven of them wounded and a Syrian child dead.
The army's announcement that four detainees died due to "chronic health problems aggravated by weather conditions" sparked swift allegations that the four Syrian men were tortured to death, particularly after images emerged depicting a body with a bruised neck and bloody face.
Lawyer Nabil Halabi, who heads the Lebanese Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (LIFE), said there were indications as many as 10 refugees had died under torture. The Syrian National Coalition, a Turkey-based opposition group, alleged that Lebanese authorities were rushing the funerals without carrying out autopsies to determine the cause of death. In Arsal on Wednesday, Syrian refugees blocked a road to prevent the return of the bodies of the four for burial, demanding that autopsies take place first. According to photos seen by The Associated Press, two of the bodies showed heavy bruising on the face and abdomen — which Halabi said was consistent with beatings. The army over the weekend dismissed allegations of abuse, saying mass detentions were necessary to combat terrorism. There has been no official response from the military to the accusations that followed the deaths.

Calls for ‘Independent Inquiry’ into Death of 4 Syrian Detainees in Lebanon
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/Beirut, London- Human rights organizations called on Wednesday for an independent probe after the Lebanese army announced that four Syrian nationals, who were arrested last week during raids on refugee encampments in the border town of Arsal, have died in custody. Last week, five suicide bombers blew themselves up in Arsal in response to pre-emptive raids by the Lebanese army, which had received information about terrorist attacks being plotting in the area. During the raids, soldiers arrested more than 300 people. But, on Wednesday, the army said in a statement that four Syrian nationals who were arrested in Arsal have died “after they suffered from chronic health issues that were aggravated due to the climatic conditions.” The announcement came following photos published on Wednesday showing dozens of Syrian refugees, stripped to the waist and handcuffed, while lying on the ground and covered with stones. The photos showed Lebanese soldiers standing next to them. Commenting on the development, Lama Fakih, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said: “The army acknowledged not one but four deaths in custody without revealing the chain of events that led to these deaths. A formal, transparent, and independent investigation must be launched and in case of wrongdoing those responsible for the deaths should be held accountable.” Human rights lawyer Nabil Halabi also called for an independent probe.The Lebanese army did not issue an immediate reply to Fakih’s statement and the calls for such independent investigations. Meanwhile, in the wake of the cabinet session held on Wednesday, President Michel Aoun was quoted as praising “the performance of the army and the security forces,” warning “against the transformation of Syrian refugee camps into hosts for terrorists.”
Prime Minister Saad Hariri also mentioned during the cabinet session the “death of four arrested Syrian refugees at a hospital.”

Lebanon: Ministers Disagree over Return of Syrian Refugees
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Beirut – Lebanon’s cabinet session held on Wednesday at the Baabda Palace saw disagreements between ministers over the return of the displaced Syrians to their country. While ministers, who support Bashar Assad, called for cooperation with the Syrian regime to achieve the quick return of refugees, other ministers from the so-called March 14 alliance have rejected any political negotiation with Assad, stressing the need for a return process that would be held under security, political and humanitarian guarantees by the United Nations. Wednesday’s cabinet session was chaired by President Michel Aoun, and followed tense remarks by ministers, some of whom warned against “handing over the refugees to the regime that had abandoned them, and drove them to flee death.” However, Prime Minister Saad Hariri urged the March 14 ministers to avoid raising the refugee file during the session, noting at the beginning of the meeting that the issue of communication with the Syrian regime was controversial. “We want the return of the refugees to their country today before tomorrow, but it is the responsibility of the United Nations, which has to put a safe plan for this return,” Hariri said, adding that an agreement was reached over the need to put the files that create differences aside. This has not stopped Minister Ali Qanso from stating during the meeting: “Should the Lebanese government fail to cooperate with the Syrian regime, displaced will not return to Syria.” His comments sparked strong criticism by Minister Michel Pharaon, who told Asharq Al-Awsat that Qanso’s remarks were “provocative and involve threats.” During the meeting, Hariri announced he would be visiting the United States to meet US President Donald Trump. He will also travel in August to France and Russia on official visits.
For his part, Aoun commended the judiciary to play a key role in reducing security breaches and stressed the need for coordination with the country’s security forces. In a news conference following the session, Information Minister Melhem Riachi said that the president raised recent security issues in the country, praising the role of the Lebanese Army and the security forces and warned against refugee camps “being transformed into hubs for terrorism.”

UN: Return of Refugees to Syria Should Be Marked with Safety, Dignity
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag reiterated on Wednesday the UN position that any return of refugees to the country of origin be voluntary and be done in conditions of safety and dignity. Kaag said: “This is a central principle of international law. Whether or not it will be possible to have in Syria in the near future areas where refugees will be willing to go back, it’s something impossible to answer right now. We seem to be far from having it at that level, because the situation remains very fragile and the conflict continues in a very dramatic way.” Kaag added that there is no talk of the permanent settlement of refugees in Lebanon. “It is always temporary,” she stressed. In turn, Lazzarini focused on the UN’s support to Lebanon’s stability and socio-economic stabilization, including from the impact of the Syrian crisis and over 1 million Syrian refugees in Lebanon. “When we met in Brussels (in April), we said collectively what we have done has not been sufficient to reverse the tide. …Hence, we need to have a new approach to complement our collective effort in the country,” he said. Kaag and Lazzarini were speaking in a dialogue they held with the Beirut-based media on the UN’s role and priorities in Lebanon. The focus was on the UN’s “whole of Lebanon approach” that takes into consideration support for Lebanon’s peace and security, stability, and stabilization. Special Coordinator Kaag underlined the focus on prevention in the UN’s work for Lebanon. “Prevention is not only conflict prevention. It is more than that. It is really looking at combating poverty, prevention of violent extremism, working with the security apparatus, strengthening in particular respect and compliance with all human rights standards and norms, conventions,” she said.
She also welcomed the progress made in the reactivation and functioning of state institutions following the election of President Michel Aoun and the formation of the government. “Prevention also means that we continue to seek opportunities to make progress on the implementation of Security Council Resolution 1701,” Kaag said. She added that she will be briefing the UN Security Council on 20 July on Lebanon as a whole as well as the implementation of resolution 1701. She said one of the messages will be the need for both parties to avoid rhetoric or any step that could lead to miscalculation in a volatile regional environment. She referred to efforts through the International Support Group for Lebanon, including particularly to support the Lebanese Armed Forces. Regarding the events of last Friday in Arsal and developments since then, Kaag said, “We are in contact with the Lebanese authorities to ascertain the conditions of arrest but also the demise of four detainees so far. We do not have exact data. But it is also important to remember that the UN condemns all acts of terror or attempts at acts of terrorism.”There is also always a need to make a clear distinction between militants and civilians and the importance of continued protection and assistance and respect for the human rights of all, she said.“We extend our continued appreciation and gratitude not only to the Lebanese Armed Forces and Security apparatus but also to the Lebanese people in hosting the Palestine refugees as well as the Syrian refugees. We need also to be mindful of the fact that the refugees are civilians who are being shielded, thanks to Lebanese generosity from conflict just across the border,” Kaag added. Regarding the funding for Lebanon, Lazzarini said Lebanon received in 2016 about $1.6 billion of international assistance, primarily humanitarian grants but also some development grants. In Brussels, the international community committed the same for 2017, he said. But he noted the slow disbursement of grants and commitments made and stressed the need for predictability.

'Presidential Envoy' Ibrahim to Coordinate with Damascus on Refugees
Naharnet/July 06/17/A “near-final” agreement has been reached among the various political parties on the “inevitability of dialogue with the Syrian side” on the issue of returning refugees to their country, a media report said on Thursday. “There is an inclination to task General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to politically coordinate with the Syrian government on the refugee file – not in his security capacity but rather in his capacity as a presidential envoy,” al-Akhbar newspaper reported. “The government will maintain its dissociation policy and it would later agree to any solutions that the 'presidential envoy' would reach, knowing that he enjoys good ties with the various local and external parties that are concerned with the crisis,” the daily added. Sources close to Hizbullah, the Free Patriotic Movement, AMAL Movement and their allies meanwhile told the newspaper that Prime Minister Saad Hariri “is yet to give his final approval to this exit, which could spare him embarrassment with Riyadh, which is rejecting any political communication with Damascus.”During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Hariri had called for avoiding debate on the issue of communicating with the Syrian regime seeing as it is “controversial.”“The government wants the Syrian refugees to be returned home as soon as possible, but we consider that the United Nations' responsibility,” the PM added. Several officials of Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement are strongly opposed to any communication with Damascus, especially State Minister for Refugee Affairs Moein al-Merehbi. Political disagreements prevented Cabinet from taking any decision on the file during the session. Several political parties, especially Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, have called for coordinating the return of the displaced with the Syrian government.

Syria Ambassador Says No Refugee Return without 'Dialogue with Syrian State'
Naharnet/July 06/17/Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon Ali Abdul Karim Ali has stressed that Syrian refugees in Lebanon cannot return home without “dialogue between the Lebanese and Syrian states.”“Whoever tries to ignore this fact would be acting as if they are trying to construct a building without any foundations,” Ali said in remarks published Thursday in ad-Diyar newspaper, noting that “political pragmatism and the Lebanese interest – more than the Syrian interest – require cooperation and coordination on the refugee file.”He added: “Some forces that are rejecting dialogue with Syria are acting arrogantly and trying to disregard the realities of history and geography.”And slamming the opponents of coordination with Damascus as “irresponsible” officials who “talk empty words,” Ali accused them of seeking to “satisfy Saudi Arabia and regional and international forces.”Urging the Lebanese parties to “resort to the treaties that regulate the relation between the two states and to the special ties that bind them,” the envoy noted that “the rejection of dialogue with the Syrian state harms Lebanon primarily, because it reflects contradictions among the components of the Lebanese government.”
“The stances of President Michel Aoun on the resistance and the crisis in Syria are well-known and we share them,” Ali pointed out. Turning to Prime Minister Saad Hariri, the ambassador asked: “How can Hariri stress on every occasion that Lebanon will be the launchpad for rebuilding Syria and then he says that he does not want to talk to Damascus... Does Hariri think that he will 'parachute into Syria?'”And in remarks to al-Akhbar newspaper, Ali underlined that “Syria will not accept mediations, but rather official communication to resolve this crisis that is threatening Lebanon.”“Some parties that are rejecting coordination with Syria today are largely responsible for tempting the Syrian refugees and pushing them to leave Syria in order to use them as a card for pressuring the Syrian government,” the ambassador went on to say. Al-Akhbar reported Thursday that “there is an inclination to task General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim to politically coordinate with the Syrian government on the refugee file – not in his security capacity but rather in his capacity as a presidential envoy.”During a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, Hariri called for avoiding debate on the issue of communicating with the Syrian regime seeing as it is “controversial.”“The government wants the Syrian refugees to be returned home as soon as possible, but we consider that the United Nations' responsibility,” the PM said. Several officials of Hariri's al-Mustaqbal Movement are strongly opposed to any communication with Damascus, especially State Minister for Refugee Affairs Moein al-Merehbi. The Lebanese Forces is also opposed to such a move. Political disagreements prevented Cabinet from taking any decision on the file during the session. Several political parties, especially Hizbullah and the Free Patriotic Movement, have called for coordinating the return of the displaced with the Syrian government.

Human Rights Minister Urges Army, Judiciary to Probe Detainees Deaths
Naharnet/July 06/17/State Minister for Human Rights Ayman Choucair on Thursday called on the army and the judiciary to probe the recent deaths of at least four Syrian detainees in army custody. “The military institution has offered hefty sacrifices to protect the country, fight terrorism and eradicate extremism, and this is something that every Lebanese citizen is proud of,” Choucair said in a statement. “But all agencies tasked with enforcing the law and protecting security should abide by the detention norms that are stipulated by the law and should respect the rights of any detainee during interrogation,” the minister added, citing Lebanon's Code of Criminal Procedure and “the international laws that Lebanon has been signatory of since around 17 years.”“Accordingly, and in order to preserve the army's image and prevent any possibly malicious rumors, we call on the Army Command and the relevant judicial authorities to launch a transparent investigation into all the pictures and reports that were recently circulated regarding the latest arrests in Arsal, and to determine the causes that led to the death of a number of detainees,” Choucair went on to say. He also underscored that a government decision to “task the army with probing the detainees' death circumstances would be a proof of keenness on transparency and on clarifying the issue to the public opinion.”Media reports said Thursday that the government has decided to ask the Army Command to form a panel of inquiry into the deaths, after Prime Minister Saad Hariri raised the issue during Wednesday's Cabinet session. “Defense Minister Yacoub Sarraf would then brief Cabinet on the outcome before announcing the results in a press conference,” al-Hayat newspaper said. A Syrian opposition group and international and local human rights organizations had on Wednesday called for a quick investigation into the death of the four detainees. The four were detained in a sweeping security raid last week in refugee settlements in and around the border town of Arsal that netted 355 Syrians. Troops were met with a string of suicide attacks and grenades that left seven of them wounded and a Syrian child dead. The army's announcement that four detainees died due to "chronic health problems aggravated by weather conditions" sparked swift allegations that the four Syrian men were tortured to death, particularly after images emerged depicting a body with a bruised neck and bloody face.
In remarks to The Associated Press over the weekend, an unnamed military official had dismissed allegations of abuse, saying mass detentions were necessary to combat terrorism. There has been no official response from the army to the accusations that followed the deaths.

100 Cleared of Terror Suspicions, Militants Shelled as Jihadist Escapes Bomb
Naharnet/July 06/17/The army on Wednesday cleared 100 detainees held in the latest Arsal raids of terror suspicions, as it bombed militant posts in the outskirts of the northeastern border town. “Following interrogations, 15 Syrian detainees were freed while 85 others were referred to the General Directorate of General Security for entering Lebanon illegally,” an army statement said. The 100 men were detained in a sweeping security raid last week in refugee settlements in and around Arsal that netted 355 Syrians. Troops were met with a string of suicide attacks and grenades during the raid, which resulted in the wounding of seven soldiers and the death of a Syrian girl. On Tuesday, the army announced that four of the detainees had died in its custody due to “chronic health problems aggravated by weather conditions.” The announcement sparked swift allegations that the four Syrian men were tortured to death, particularly after images emerged depicting a body with a bruised neck and bloody face. Separately, a senior official of the jihadist group Fateh al-Sham Front, Abu Khaled al-Talli, escaped a bomb blast in the vicinity of the al-Malahi area in Arsal's outskirts, media reports said. Also on Wednesday, the army fired heavy weapons at militant posts in Arsal's outskirts. Militants from Fateh al-Sham and the rival Islamic State group are entrenched in the town's outskirts and other areas on the Lebanese-Syrian border. The army regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian army have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border. The two groups overran Arsal in 2014 before being ousted after days of deadly battles. They also abducted more than 30 troops and policemen of whom four were executed and nine remain in IS captivity.

Report: Army Panel to Probe Detainees Death, Sarraf to Declare Outcome
Naharnet/July 06/17/The government has decided to ask the Army Command to form a panel of inquiry into the death of at least four Syrian detainees in the army's custody, a media report said on Thursday. Prime Minister Saad Hariri raised the issue during Wednesday's Cabinet session, noting that the army's announcement that four detainees had died due to chronic health problems has “raised question marks” in Lebanon and abroad, al-Hayat newspaper reported. “It was decided to ask the Army Command to form a panel of inquiry into the circumstances of their deaths,” the daily said. “Defense Minister Yacoub Sarraf would then brief Cabinet on the outcome before announcing the results in a press conference,” al-Hayat added. A Syrian opposition group and international and local human rights organizations had on Wednesday called for a quick investigation into the death of the four detainees. The four were detained in a sweeping security raid last week in refugee settlements in and around the border town of Arsal that netted 355 Syrians. Troops were met with a string of suicide attacks and grenades that left seven of them wounded and a Syrian child dead. The army's announcement that four detainees died due to "chronic health problems aggravated by weather conditions" sparked swift allegations that the four Syrian men were tortured to death, particularly after images emerged depicting a body with a bruised neck and bloody face. Lawyer Nabil Halabi, who heads the Lebanese Institute for Democracy and Human Rights (LIFE), said there were indications as many as 10 refugees had died under torture. The Syrian National Coalition, a Turkey-based opposition group, alleged that Lebanese authorities were rushing the funerals without carrying out autopsies to determine the cause of death. In Arsal on Wednesday, Syrian refugees blocked a road to prevent the return of the bodies of the four for burial, demanding that autopsies take place first. According to photos seen by The Associated Press, two of the bodies showed heavy bruising on the face and abdomen — which Halabi said was consistent with beatings. The army over the weekend dismissed allegations of abuse, saying mass detentions were necessary to combat terrorism. There has been no official response from the military to the accusations that followed the deaths.

Aoun pledges continuous efforts to bolster economy
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, on Thursday vowed continuous efforts to strengthen the Lebanese economy to counter the repercussions of the mounting regional and international crises. President Aoun pointed out the improvement observed in the balance of payments during the past six months, which could hopefully boost growth rate, according to World Bank estimates. President Aoun's words came during his meeting at the Baabda palace with a delegation of the newly elected Board of the Association of Banks in Lebanon, led by its head Joseph Torbey. Talks reportedly touched on the crucial role of the banking sector in Lebanon and the work of the Association in the coming stage. Aoun congratulated the new Board on their election, wishing them success in their endeavors. The President lauded the pivotal role played by the Banks in the advancement of the Lebanese economy. On the other hand, in the framework of enhancing the presence of international institutions and companies in Lebanon and their contribution to investment in development projects, Aoun received a delegation from the leading French Bollore Group in the fields of transportation, communication and electricity.
The delegation briefed Aoun on the work of the Group, which was founded in 1822 and consists of 54,000 workers in 155 countries, including Lebanon. The Group expressed desire to invest in Lebanon in the fields of maritime transport and communications, in the aim of strengthening Lebanese-French cooperation in the economic field. Later, Aoun met with Board of Directors of the Social Welfare Foundation for Childhood Safety, Sisobel, led by Fadia Safi.The delegation briefed the President on the humanitarian and social work undertaken by the Foundation.

Sami Gemayel meets Nehmeh Mahfoud, utters support for his trade union list
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - Leader of the Kataeb party, MP Sami Gemayel, announced on Thursday his support for the trade union list chaired by Nehmeh Mahfoud during the trade union elections that will take place next Sunday. Gemayel made these remarks when meeting with the president of the union of private school teachers, Nehmeh Mahfoud, at the party's Saifi headquarters, whereby he stressed the need for trade union work to be independent from political power. He then called on teachers in Lebanon to vote massively for their rights and the salary scale, saying that fighting corruption and the transaction of power-generating ships would ensure revenues for the salary scale. Mahfoud, for his part, highlighted attempts by the political authority to seize independent trade union work, calling on teachers to vote next Sunday for the preservation of their rights.He finally rejected the procrastination in the salary scale file.

Loyalty to Resistance: Baabda meeting urgs government to work seriously
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - The Loyalty to the Resistance parliamentary bloc believes that the Baabda meeting, held upon the invitation of the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, urges the Government and State institutions to work seriously and provide vital services to citizens. The bloc has called on the government to take advantage of the prevailing atmosphere in order to control the security and economic situations and to find solutions to pending files. Conferees also welcomed the Army's remarkable and heroic preventive operations against terrorists.

Hariri meets UN Habitat Director
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri received on Thursday the Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat), Joan Clos, and the Minister of State for Planning, Michel Pharaon. Discussions focused on the situation in Lebanon, as well as on the activities of the United Nations Program in Lebanon.

Choucair calls for inquiry into deaths of Syrian detainees
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - Minister of State for Human Rights Affairs, Ayman Choucair, called on the army command and concerned judiciary to open a transparent probe into the circumstances of the recent arrests in Arsal and the death of several detainees. "To preserve the army's image and to prevent any rumors that may be malicious, we ask the competent leadership and judiciary to open a transparent investigation into all the recently circulated pictures and news about the recent arrests in Arsal and the reasons that led to the death of a number of detainees," Minister Choucair said in a statement on Thursday. Choucair said that the government's decision to ask the army to investigate the circumstances of the death of detainees is only evidence of keenness on maintaining transparency. On the other hand, Choucair met at his ministerial office with British Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo Shorter, with talks reportedly touching on the general situation in Lebanon, and human rights in particular. The meeting took place in the presence of Embassy's Political Advior, Fadi Maoushi, and the Director of the Human Rights Institute at the Bar Association Attorney Elisabeth Sioufi.

UN Habitat Executive Director in Beirut
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - The Executive Director of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), Dr. Joan Clos, arrived at Rafic Hariri International Airport where he was received by the Minister of State for Planning, Michel Pharaon, and the UN-Habitat Program Director, Tariq Osseiran, on a two-day official visit, in the light of accelerated urban expansion. On the other hand, under the patronage of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and in partnership with the UN program, Pharaon is organizing the launching ceremony of the National Urban Policy Project on Friday at the Grand Serail.

Hariri receives US Ambassador, Mufti Chaar
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA/The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri received today at the Grand Serail the US Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard. The meeting focused on the latest developments, bilateral relations, and the preparations for the visit of Prime Minister Hariri to Washington at the end of this month. Hariri received the Mufti of Tripoli and the North Malek Chaar who said after the meeting: "We discussed the security, social and reli After the meeting, Father Germanos said: "The goal of the visit is to thank Prime Minister Hariri for sponsoring and attending the university graduation ceremony last Saturday and for delivering an important speech on the occasion."

Ibrahim meets with new ICRC Lebanon new head
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim on Thursday met with the new head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Lebanon, Christophe Martin, who came on a courtesy visit upon his assumption of his duties.
Both sides discussed means of cooperation and coordination between the General Security Directorate General and the International Red Cross. Major General Ibrahim wished Martin all success in his new mission.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 06-07/17
US Ready to Work with Russia on Syria ‘No-fly Zones’
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/The United States is willing to work with Russia on establishing “no-fly zones” in Syria, the top US diplomat said Wednesday, ahead of President Donald Trump’s meeting with Russian leader Vladimir Putin later this week. In a wide-ranging statement, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said Russia had a “special responsibility” to help create stability on the ground — or risk hobbling the fight against ISIS. Citing past cooperation in creating deconfliction zones in Syria, Tillerson made a strong case for both countries — in spite of their “unresolved differences on a number of issues” — to work together in Syria. “The United States is prepared to explore the possibility of establishing with Russia joint mechanisms for ensuring stability, including no-fly zones, on the ground ceasefire observers, and coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance,” he said. Tillerson issued his statement before joining Trump in Europe, where the US leader will meet Putin for the first time on Friday on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Hamburg, Germany. Syria will loom large in their discussions. It also came as US-backed fighters inched forwards in Raqqa’s Old City, in what Washington sees as a milestone in the campaign to defeat ISIS in its de facto Syrian capital. He said that Russia, as an ally of Bashar Assad and a participant in the conflict, “has a responsibility to ensure that the needs of the Syrian people are met and that no faction in Syria illegitimately re-takes or occupies areas liberated from ISIS’ or other terrorist groups’ control.” Tillerson added that Russia has “an obligation to prevent any further use of chemical weapons of any kind by the Assad regime.”

Astana Falters…Opposition Worried About ‘Separation of South’
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Moscow, Beirut- The fifth round of the Astana talks aimed at ending the Syrian conflict concluded on Wednesday without making any progress, but only approved to transfer all disputed issues to a joint working group. Russia’s chief negotiator at the Astana talks, Alexander Lavrentiev said: “We have not yet managed directly to establish the de-escalation zones,” which he said exist de facto. But, he added: “We have finally succeeded in adopting the regulations on the joint working group. Now it has all the powers to tackle the current issues.”During the meeting, the Syrian regime objected that Turkey participates with the other guarantor countries, Iran and Russia, in monitoring the “de-escalation zones” in Syria, while the opposition rejected Iran’s involvement in supervising those same zones. Last May, Russia, Turkey, and Iran agreed on a ceasefire deal that calls for the creation of four de-escalation zones; one in the Idlib province, one in Eastern Ghouta, one north the city of Homs and another in southern Syria. However, those guarantor states were still discussing the delimitation or mechanisms needed to enforce the deal. A delegation of Syria’s armed opposition said on Wednesday it informed Stuart Jones, the acting assistant US Secretary of State, their “refusal to transfer the ceasefire issue into two detached agreements to separate the southern and northern fronts in Syria, a development that could threaten the unity of opposition factions.” Lately, the three guarantor states had agreed on separating the “southern front” that includes Deraa, Quneitra and the countryside of Sweida from the deal. For his part, Syrian chief negotiator Bashar al-Ja’afari blamed Wednesday Ankara for the failure of the Astana talks. “The Turkish delegation objected the adoption of any documents related to the implementation of mechanisms of the agreement on the de-escalation zones,” he said. However, a source from the Syrian opposition said it was not reasonable to hold Turkey alone responsible for the failure of Astana’s fifth round of talks. The source confirmed that the armed Syrian opposition rejects Iran playing any role in the deal. Meanwhile, Ahmed Beri, chief of staff of the Free Syrian Army, accused the US of hampering the negotiations and said Washington has banned the “Southern Front” factions from attending the talks. At the end of Wednesday’s meeting at the Kazakh capital, the guarantor countries also agreed to hold the next round of the talks during the last week of August, and that Russia, Turkey, and Iran would meet in Tehran on August 1-2 in an effort to settle the outstanding disagreements on the zones.

Gargash: Qatar’s Crisis Will Go On
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Dubai, London- UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar al-Gargash has said the seriousness of the Cairo quadruple conference indicates that the crisis will be extended, adding it will damage Qatar, its position and reputation. Gargash said following the joint news conference held by foreign ministers of anti-terrorism states – Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE and Bahrain – that the official Qatari response deserved the neglect it received at the conference, stressing “the goal is greater than wrangling polemics over materials that changes Doha’s orientation in its incitement and support for extremism and terrorism.” In his tweet, he considered that the Cairo meeting is another significant step in confronting Doha’s support to extremism and terrorism. He added that the next steps will increase the isolation of Qatar, and “its position will be with Iran and many terrorist organizations.”He also wondered in the same context about the wisdom of such complacency with extremism and terrorism. “The Cairo meeting is the beginning of a difficult and necessary road, a path that saves Qatar from its illusions and sins – Qatari policy that supports extremism and terrorism cannot continue,” Gargash added. Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani said on Wednesday “We welcome any serious efforts to resolve our differences with our neighbors.” He added that these countries should not expect Qatar to take the first step, stressing that his country would not show complacency in the region’s security.
The Qatari FM said that suspending the state’s membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council GCC is unlikely since such a decision can’t be taken but in consensus.

Quartet: Qatar’s Response is Negative… its Destructive Role not Tolerated
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Cairo- The foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the UAE and Bahrain expressed on Wednesday regret over Qatar’s response to their demands to combat extremism and terrorism in all its forms. In a joint statement issued following a meeting held on Wednesday in Cairo, the four foreign ministers said the response received by Qatar was “negative” and shows negligence, lack of seriousness in dealing with the roots of the problem and a “lack of understanding” of the gravity of the situation. They added that it is no longer possible to tolerate the destructive role being played by Doha. The ministers agreed to follow up on the issue and hold their next meeting in Manama. Their joint statement also listed six principles needed to solve the crisis, adding that the demands proposed to Qatar came in this regard. For his part, Saudi Foreign Minister Adel bin Ahmed Al-Jubeir said: “Turkey told us it will remain neutral from the crisis, and we hope they will stick to that position.” At a press conference held following the meeting in Cairo, Jubeir said: “For any country dealing with Iran, the result is very negative.” Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said the four countries reiterated the necessity to combat terrorism and to dry up its sources. “There will be zero tolerance with any state sponsoring extremism and terrorism. There is no place for such states in the international community,” he said. UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan regretted the fact that for the past two decades, Doha has taken the path of destruction and chaos. Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Khalid bin Ahmed bin Mohammed Al Khalifa said: “Our role is to stand in the face of ISIS’ terrorism, as well as the terrorism that comes from Iran.”Asked about the possibility of discontinuing Qatar’s membership in the Gulf Cooperation Council, Sheikh Khalid said: “This is for the GCC to discuss.”Also on Wednesday, the White House announced that a telephone conversation was held between US President Donald Trump and his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fatah el-Sisi. The White House said Trump reiterated the need for all countries “to stop terrorist financing and discredit extremist ideology.”

Saudi official: 23,000 accounts created by Qatar to attack Saudi Arabia
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 6 July 2017/Saud al-Qahtani, Advisor of the Saudi Royal court and the General Supervisor of the Center for Studies and Information Affairs at minister rank, revealed that a study listed more than 23,000 fake twitter accounts launched by Qatar to attack Saudi Arabia, following the disclosure of hostile schemes by Qatari authorities. “The results of the study are very important and exciting,” he said. Qahtani tweeted: “It is interesting to note that the accounts in question use the same terms, one or more times in every six tweets, such as: “pretending to be Saudi”, “how much are you paid”, “you are slaves,” etc.”“All terms are used to attack the leadership of Saudi Arabia by the so-called Saudi dissidents, which were used in the accounts thatr we examined,” he said. Al-Qahtani pointed out that the fake accounts also repeat phrases such as: “glory to Tamim,” where 43% of the profile photos have Tamim’s face, and 9% of them have Hamad and Tamim’s picture from Okaz newspaper. The content analysis conducted by Al-Qahtani for the texts tweeted, highlight many “non-Gulf” words used. Such as (lek Aini) “You have my eyes,” (Jinan) “this is crazy,” (Ghoor) “go away,” etc.
Al-Qahtani said that a specialized team has studied the source of these accounts and the places where they come from, and concluded that 32% comes from Qatar, 28% from Lebanon, 24% from Turkey and 12% from Iraq. The study revealed links between the fake accounts and accounts that stir public opinion or spread rumors in Saudi Arabia. One of every six tweets, is shared between these accounts suggesting that there is a unified management behind all of them. The study also confirmed that 94% of the false accounts do not use a real profile picture, and 4% of them utilize stolen images from social media sites, while 2% were not verified. The study also confirmed that 82% of these accounts use false aliases, and the remaining 18% couldn’t be verified. The false accounts of the Saudi dissidents abroad were almost completely mobilized to defend the Qatari authority, adding to its lack of credibility.The researchers also analyzed the continuous reference to Prince Mohammed bin Nayef. The results revealed that 86% of the accounts attributed contentious words to the prince in order to create a divide among the citizens.

Egypt’s FM Says Arab States Cannot Accept Qatar’s Destructive Role
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said on Wednesday that the four Arab states spending their efforts in the fight against terrorism “cannot accept Qatar’s destructive role,” adding that the international community must also be responsible in combating terrorism.
“The response the four states got was overall negative and lacked any content. We find it did not provide a basis for Qatar to retreat from its policies,” Shoukry said. The top diplomat also said the situation no longer concerns accusing Qatar of supporting terrorism, since there are solid evidence and “witness” accounts on Doha’s involvement. The minister said the four Arab states have decided to continue their coordination and discussion to consolidate Arab national security. He said discussion with Qatar will continue and an expected meeting will be held in Manama. Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Minister Adel Al-Jubeir said upcoming discussions will take place on Qatar and any upcoming measures will be implemented in the right time. “The boycott will remain,” he said at a news conference in Cairo after meeting with his counterparts from Egypt, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates over the crisis. UAE’s foreign minister also said there needs to be an international effort to clear the region from those who support terrorism. “The four countries received Qatar’s response through the mediation of Kuwait before the end of the extended period requested by His Highness Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, Amir of Kuwait,” read their joint statement, adding “a joint response will be released in a timely manner.”Saudi FM Adel al-Jubeir received in Jeddah Qatar’s response to the 13 demands listed by Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in order to stop Doha’s support and finance of terrorism. Asked if GCC will expel Qatar, Bahrain’s Foreign Minister Khalid bin Ahmed Al-Khalifa said it is not the right place to discuss this issue. The Bahraini minister, meanwhile, said the Qatar-backed Muslim Brotherhood must be held accountable for bloodshed in Egypt. Khalifa also said Wednesday’s meeting on Qatar was for coordination and a “clear, studied” decision to be taken later.

Long-Term Mosul Reconstruction to Take more than a Year and Cost Billions of Dollars
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Erbil- Mosul’s basic infrastruture will cost more than $1 billion to repair after the US-backed Iraqi offensive to retake the city from ISIS, a senior UN official said on Wednesday, but stressed that long-term reconstruction would cost many billions of dollars. An initial assessment showed that “stabilization”, which includes repairing water, sewage and electricity infrastructure and reopening schools and hospitals, would cost more than twice initial estimates, Lise Grande, the United Nations’ Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq, told Reuters in an interview. The extent of damage was far greater than expected and much worse in the western half of the city than in the east, which was retaken from ISIS six months ago, she said. “In western Mosul what we’re seeing is the worst damage of the entire conflict. In those neighborhoods where the fighting has been the fiercest, we’re looking at levels of damage incomparable to anything else that has happened in Iraq so far.” Stabilization in eastern Mosul could be done in two months but it would take more than a year in the west, Grande said, and long-term reconstruction would cost many billions of dollars. All parts of the city have incurred light or moderate damage in the offensive, but six neighbo rhoods, including the historic Old City, 17 July district, and areas in and around Mosul airport, have been almost completely destroyed, and it would take years for these to return to normal, Grande said. “For families that come from other neighborhoods that are moderately destroyed, I think we can expect that many of them will try to go back and they’ll do the best they can to try to rebuild,” she said. About 900,000 people have fled the fighting, with more than a third in camps outside the city and the rest living with family and friends in other neighbourhoods. Grande said that surpassed the worst case scenario envisioned by the UN before the offensive began. “What that shows is that the level of damage is far higher than we expected, and that’s why the cost of stabilization is far higher.” Iraqi commanders have predicted final victory in Mosul this week after a grinding eight-month assault on the once two-million-strong city which has pushed ISIS into an area no more than 300 meters by 500 meters beside theTigris River. On Wednesday, Iraqi police deployed snipers on rooftops to provide cover to advancing troops. A statement released by the police command said that Iraqi forces have killed 57 terrorists and four snipers and have destroyed three ISIS bases.

3 dead in suicide bombing in central Syria
Thu 06 Jul 2017/NNA - A suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of a bus station in the central city of Hama on Thursday, killing at least three people and wounding 11, according to Syrian state-run TV. The midday explosion occurred at the usually busy station where buses depart to Mesiaf, in the Hama countryside. Explosions are rare in the city, which is controlled by President Bashar Assad's forces. Al-Ikhbariya TV quoted Hama governor, Mohammad al-Hazouri, saying that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the entrance of the bus station while being insplected by security forces, killing two women and a man and wounding 11 others, two of them in critical condition. Hama saw some of the largest protests against Assad in 2011 that were quickly quelled. The city has remained under the control of government forces throughout the country's civil war, now in its seventh year. Assad, who rarely travels outside his capital stronghold of Damascus, attended prayers at a mosque in Hama on the first day of the three-day Muslim al-Fitr holiday late last month. -- AP

Haniyeh Says Hamas Ready to Hold Presidential, Legislative Polls
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Ramallah – Head of Hamas Polibureau Ismail Haniyeh called on Wednesday for forming a Palestinian national unity government and holding general elections across the Palestinian territories. “Hamas is ready to participate in presidential and legislative elections,” Haniyeh said, in his first public speech following his election as Hamas leader in May. He also underlined the necessity to draft a “clear and unified political program that is based on common denominators and on the goals, rights and aspirations of our people,” as well as forming a national unity government that “meets all its obligations in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, and its task is to prepare for the holding of legislative and presidential elections”. Speaking before leaders from Hamas and other Palestinian factions, Haniyeh stressed the need to eliminate all punitive measures against Gaza and its people, and to “stop cooperation and security coordination with the Israeli enemy”. The Hamas leader rejected demands by the Palestinian Authority to dissolve the administrative committee in Gaza, saying: “When the government assumes its responsibilities in Gaza Strip, there won’t be an excuse for the presence of the administrative committee; then, its role will end.”He added that in the wake of measures taken by President Mahmoud Abbas against Hamas, the movement has resorted to Egypt “to save Gaza and provide elements for a decent life.”He noted in this regard that Egyptian officials have issued instructions for a series of procedures to resolve the crises in the Hamas-led region. “Our delegations’ visits to sisterly Egypt have confirmed this fact; we have found our Egyptian brothers all ready to deal with crises in Gaza,” Haniyeh stated. Hamas has recently sought help from Cairo and was also is in contact with Mohammed Dahlan’s movement in Egypt. Dahlan, who is based in the United Arab Emirates, has facilitated a deal to ship Egyptian fuel into Gaza to ease severe electricity cuts. Haniyeh confirmed that along with Hamas-Egypt talks, meetings were held with Dahlan’s aides “that led to understandings that will reflect positively on our people in Gaza.”

Haftar Forces Announce Total Liberation of Benghazi
Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17/Cairo – The Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar announced on Wednesday the liberation of the last strongholds of armed groups in Saberi, north of Benghazi. Brigadier General Ismail al-Baraki, commander of the Saberi Operations Room, said that the military operations have ended completely in this zone, which was the last in Benghazi. As soon as the news was announced, the city saw major celebrations and festivities. On Saturday, LNA spokesman Khalifa al-Abidi had reported “significant progress” in the Benghazi battle, adding that the “terrorists” were besieged in an area of two square kilometers. Meanwhile, press sources reported that a random shell landed on a beach in the Libyan capital on Wednesday evening, killing five people, including one child, and injuring 25 others. While Libya’s National Accord Government, which is supposed to take over matters in the Libyan capital, did not provide any official explanation for the incident, security sources have reported that armed battles between security forces and illegal armed groups occurred at the same time of the bomb explosion. The interior ministry in the government led by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj announced that it had launched an urgent investigation into the incident in Tripoli, which has led to several deaths and injuries. In a statement, the ministry said that continuous measures were taken to arrest and prosecute illegal armed groups, which are responsible for security incidents in the capital. Tripoli hospitals reported that 32 people were injured in the beach accident. “The casualties are the result of clashes on Tuesday between a security unit and outlaws who fired a shell that fell on a beach in front of Mitiga airport,” Abdulsalam Ashour, a deputy interior minister in Sarraj’s government, said. Tripoli is home to several armed groups, some of which share control of Mitiga airport and the surrounding area. They occasionally clash in wars over the control of smuggling businesses and localized disputes.

Desperate Civilians Flee Last ISIS Pocket in Mosul but Up to 20,000 Remain Trapped
Up to 20,000 civilians are trapped in the last ISIS-held areas in Mosul’s Old City, which Iraqi forces are battling to retake, UN humanitarian coordinator in Iraq Lise Grande said Thursday. “Our estimate at this stage is that in the final pockets of the Old City, there could be as many as 15,000 civilians, possibly even as high as 20,000,” Grande told Agence France Presse. “The people that are still trapped inside of these pockets are in terrible condition,” facing shortages of food, she said. “They’re in extreme danger from bombardment, from artillery crossfire. The (ISIS) fighters that are still there are still directly targeting civilians if they try and leave.”Those in the historic Old City, have been besieged and under fire for longer than those in any other part of Mosul, and the toll is apparent. Children are emerging bone thin and severely dehydrated, elderly people are collapsing en route. In many cases there is nothing to eat besides boiled wheat. At a mustering point less than a kilometer from the frontline, residents rattled off the latest prices of basic goods which they said had become prohibitively expensive in the past three months: a kilogram of lentils for 60,000 Iraqi dinars ($51), rice for 25,000 and flour for 22,000.
Mohammed Taher, a young man from the Makawi area of the Old City, said Russian-speaking ISIS militants spread out across the neighborhood had impeded civilian movement. “It was a prison,” he said. “Five days ago they locked the door on us. They said, ‘Don’t come out, die inside’. But the army came and freed us.”Shop-owner Adnan dragged himself from the rubble two days in a row after the houses he was sheltering in were bombed, one after the other. “ISIS forced us out of our home, so we moved to a relative’s house nearby. Yesterday the house was bombed,” he said after the army evacuated him on Monday. “We moved to my cousin’s house and this morning it was also bombed.” Adnan, who has shrapnel lodged in his skull from an earlier mortar attack, said he survived, with others, by hiding in the houses’ underground cellars. A European medic at a field hospital said he has seen more severe trauma cases among civilians fleeing the fighting in the past week than he had in 20 years of service back home. From the mustering point, camouflaged army lorries carry the evacuees across the Tigris river to a security screening center in the shadow of the Nineveh Oberoi Hotel, a former five-star hotel which ISIS once used to house foreign militants and suicide bombers. More than 4,000 people have passed through that screening center since mid-May, said Lieutenant Colonel Khalid al-Jabouri, who runs the site. In that time, security forces have detained around 400 suspected ISIS members, he said.
“They are wanted so they cross with the civilians like they are one of them,” he told Reuters. More than eight months since the start of the operation to retake Mosul from the terrorist group, Iraqi forces have pushed ISIS into a shrinking rectangle no more than 300 by 500 meters beside the Tigris river, but slowed their advance on Tuesday out of caution for the civilians trapped there alongside the militants.

Putin and Netanyahu discuss demilitarized zone in southern Syria
Ynetnews/July 06/17/According to report in British Times, the Israeli prime minister and the Russian president spoke on the phone on security situation in southern Syria and Israeli requests for demilitarized zone near border.Israel is pressing the United States and Russia to secure a demilitarized zone in southern Syria where Hezbollah and other militant organizations backed by Iran will not be able to operate, according a report in the British Times Thursday. According to the report, Israel is also closely following the talks between the United States and Russia in Amman in regards to the future of southern Syria.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin even spoke on the phone on Thursday. According to the Kremlin, Netanyahu requested the phone call and the two leaders continued their exchange of views on Russian-Israeli cooperation.
In regards to joint efforts to combat international terrorism, the Kremlin reported that the two leaders discussed the situation in Syria and the Middle East. The Times also reported that the proposed demilitarized zone will be roughly 50km east of the Israeli border towards the city of Daraa—which is reportedly at the center of US-Russian talks—and onward to the city of As-Suwayda. Israel is worried that Hezbollah and other hostile militant groups will take up position in southern Syria close to the border. As such, according to the report, Israel is supplying weapons to rebels and attempting to gain support among Syrians by providing humanitarian aid and medical care to wounded rebels and civilians..

Trump Says Russia 'Could Have' Interfered with U.S. Vote
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 06/17/U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday conceded that Russia may have interfered in the 2016 election that brought him to power but said other countries may also have been involved. "I've said it very simply. I think it could very well have been Russia. I think it could well have been other countries. I won't be specific. But I think a lot of people interfere," Trump said during a visit to Warsaw. "Nobody really knows. Nobody really knows for sure," he said, challenging U.S. intelligence agencies which suspect Russian President Vladimir Putin orchestrated a sweeping campaign to tilt the November vote in Trump's favor. "I remember when I was sitting back listening about Iraq. Weapons of mass destruction. How everybody was 100 percent sure that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction. Guess what -- that led to one big mess," Trump said of intelligence claims that prompted the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in 2003. He also lashed out at his predecessor Barack Obama over the vote meddling allegations, saying: "My big question is why did Obama do nothing about it from August until November? It wasn't because he choked."
Trump's comments came on the eve of a G20 summit in Germany where he is due to meet Putin.

Macron Meets Abbas, Voices Support for Two-State Solution
Agence France PresseNaharnet/July 06/17/French President Emmanuel Macron said he supported a two-state solution to end the Middle East conflict as he welcomed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas to the Elysee Palace Wednesday. Speaking publicly on the issue for the first time, Macron said any deal "must recognize the legitimate rights of the Palestinians to have an independent state, but also ensure Israel's security.""There is no viable alternative to a two-state solution," he said, adding "but today this solution is under threat both on the ground and in people's minds."  The U.N. reported in June that Israel had announced a substantial increase in settlements in the past three months despite a United Nations resolution demanding a halt to the Jewish outposts in occupied Palestinian territory. Macron said that "France has always condemned the continuation of settlement building, which is illegal under international law, and has reached an unprecedented level since the beginning of the year." His comments come after Donald Trump called on Israelis and Palestinians to make compromises for peace, saying he was "personally committed" to helping Israel reach a deal with the Palestinians. Speaking during a trip to the Middle East in May, the U.S. President did not specifically mention the two-state solution, long the focus of international efforts and U.S. Middle East diplomacy. Both Macron and Abbas said they would support Trump in his efforts to end the impasse. President Abbas reaffirmed his wish to "work with Donald Trump to conclude a historic peace agreement based on a two-state solution."

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 06-07/17
Military families condemn $10M settlement to Omar Khadr
Calgary Herald/Published on: July 4, 2017
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/military-families-condemn-10m-settlement-to-omar-khadr
Some military families who lost loved ones in Afghanistan are condemning news that the federal government has agreed to pay a multimillion-dollar settlement to former Guantanamo Bay inmate and Canadian citizen Omar Khadr.
The $10.5-million settlement and official apology from the government drew a swift reaction Tuesday, with some military families calling the deal a disgrace.
“It’s totally disgraceful, totally disrespectful,” said Murray Marshall, whose son, Sapper Steven Marshall, was killed in Afghanistan in 2009.
“The kids that served and the families of the fallen, these are outstanding people and now we’re turning our back on all that. I can’t imagine what they’re thinking now.”
Khadr, who now lives in Edmonton, spent 10 years in a Guantanamo Bay prison cell after he was seriously injured in a firefight and captured from the rubble of a bombed out compound in Afghanistan in July 2002.
He was 15 when he was accused of throwing a grenade that killed U.S. special forces soldier Christopher Speer. Khadr pleaded guilty in 2010 before a controversial American military commission to charges that included Speer’s murder, and was sentenced to a further eight years in custody. He later said he confessed to get out of Guantanamo Bay.
In 2004, Khadr launched a $20-million lawsuit alleging Ottawa violated international law by not protecting its citizen. He was later allowed to claim that Canada conspired with the U.S. in abusing him.
However, even military families who acknowledge the possibility that Khadr’s rights may have been violated while he was detained said Tuesday that they were uncomfortable with the settlement.
“We all feel compelled about the case of human rights and I do hope that those are addressed in his situation. However, I don’t feel that a compensation package in that amount is a good use of Canada’s finances,” said Rachel Herbert, sister of Cpl. Nathan Hornburg, a Calgary soldier who was killed in Afghanistan in 2007.
“I think there are a lot of better ways that we could address the human-rights violations in his case.”
Echoing the concerns of some military families Tuesday, conservative politicians slammed the government for a settlement that they argued was insulting to serving soldiers and veterans.
“When a Canadian soldier is injured in battle, the government provides a disability award up to a maximum of $360,000,” Calgary MP Michelle Rempel said in a tweet. “Despite this, the current government is willing to provide $10 million to a convicted terrorist.”
But legal experts and rights advocates say that those angry over the settlement should question the Canadian authorities that permitted Khadr’s rights to be violated in the first place.
“If government officials don’t want to be paying out this kind of money, then they need to protect people’s civil liberties far better,” said Kelly Ernst with the Rocky Mountain Civil Liberties Association.
“It’s easy to take people’s civil liberties away because we feel like it or it feels more safe, but there are consequences for that — the Supreme Court and other courts are going to say, well, no, this isn’t constitutional.”
Rights advocates point to a 2010 ruling by the Supreme Court of Canada that said Canadian intelligence officials had obtained evidence from Khadr under “oppressive circumstances,” such as sleep deprivation, during interrogations at Guantanamo Bay in 2003, and shared the evidence with U.S agents and prosecutors.
“Here’s a case that maybe is a good case for governments to wake up and smell the civil liberties,” Ernst said.
— With files from The Canadian Press

It’s Goodbye Qatar!
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
The only surprise that didn’t happen on Wednesday was a positive Qatari response to Kuwaiti emir’s mediation that could have ended the current crisis. The negative response was nothing new; it was expected just like all other reactions that came from Qatar after Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt severed ties with it a month ago. All that is needed from Qatar is to stop its aggressive policies and attitudes and become a rational state. What is requested from it is already applied by other states, this is the best response to Qatar’s repeated statements that the demands violate its sovereignty.
This is the truth said, a truth that is being manipulated by Doha to serve vanity.
It is important to mention that when the four countries decided to take this decisive and bold step, they were fully aware that the road to ending Qatar’s rashness and aggressive attitude will be long and bumpy.
Patience is what these four states have, unlike their rebellious neighbor. Qatar has been warned first then boycotted before being isolated – economic procedures were natural and a small part of a due bill that has accumulated with time – though late.
The upcoming stage will witness a quadruple insistence on the return of Qatar to normalcy and its persistence to stay out of line will no longer be an option after 5 June.
Unfortunately, the main Qatari goal to shake Saudi’s stability and divide it should always be recalled – this was the dream of the former emir who has proven that Qatari leaders are following his path.
Disregarding this destructive purpose, it wouldn’t be easy to analyze the Qatari attitude. Let go of attempts to simplify the dispute as if it is only related to the relations with Iran and Al Jazeera – these are only tools to a bigger project.
This shows that Qatar is incapable of getting rid of suspicious ties to which the regime has linked itself for two decades and that the next phase would be more difficult to Doha, as it won’t be able to benefit from free mutual interests and features anymore while it conspires against its neighbors.
Simple. You are posing a threat on my security and stability and planning to destroy my country. It is time to be faced with two options: you either come to your senses and rehabilitate your political dogma or endure consequences and pay a costly price.
One highly important point is that action taken against Doha doesn’t follow Qatar’s path. No support was given to terrorist groups to implement destructive activities in Qatar and no intelligence acts were conducted inside the country to undermine its national security.
This is part of what Qatar has been doing in the region for years. The only thing these states did was to practice their right in depriving Qatar of the interests it made use of for a long time. It is weird how Doha insists on its destructive policy in the region and at the same time wants to act as a brotherly country.
The steps taken against Qatar were smart and rational because they were carefully studied and no term in the international law was violated – Qatar that has chosen to keep the current situation as it is and not resolve the dispute should anticipate more sanctions from the four states.
Soon, the cost of carrying out commercial activities in Qatar will increase especially among its international partners.
Since day one of the crisis the four states had a basic message: it is time to close the open door of evil with Qatar. The response stressed that Doha is capable of managing its affairs without the need of its neighboring and brotherly countries. Let Qatar walk alone and days will prove who can’t but return. Qatar will come back later on – whether it likes it or not – after the chaos created by its policies and destructive dogma is settled.

Doha to Surrender in the Dark
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=56830
Doha’s upcoming moves can be easily predicted like an open book as it has taken the same steps in similar previous crises. It is keen on spreading the propaganda of rejection and showing heroic TV stances that do not match with its capabilities and do not reflect the true decisions it intends to take.
We heard yesterday Qatar’s decision to reject the demands of the four boycotting countries, but do not believe what you have heard because Doha will secretly surrender later on. This is what Qatar did in its conflict with Saudi Arabia in 2013 and repeated it the following year.
Qatar has exaggerated its tenacious attitude on media, and again, through some mediators, it agreed later on to the demands behind closed doors. It knocked the door of the Emir of Kuwait, asking him again to intervene and stop the crisis on the diplomatic and borders levels.
When Doha agreed to meet all the demands that year, including silencing its al-Jazeera channel, it did not complain that it was a violation of its sovereignty. Emir of Qatar’s only condition back then was not to announce the details of the agreement. Indeed, Saudi Arabia kept it confidential until the last crisis broke out a few weeks ago and most of the information was revealed.
Today, authorities in Doha announced their rejection through media celebrations and propaganda. It would be good if Qatar sticks to its stances; however, you will hear soon, in a month or two, that it has sent secret mediators with a short message stating that Doha is ready to accept all 13 demands. Hypocrisy will be shown again!
Qatar cares about its appearance; it wants the world to see that it rejected the demands and then it will be ready to compromise behind the scenes. A Qatari source, well aware of the situation, advised me not to believe anything and said that Qatar would also be ready to get rid of its al-Jazeera channel and even fire a number of its employees. It would then announce selling the channel and the buyer would be one of its supporters.
In my opinion, it is wrong to include al-Jazeera in the demands. It is just a media tool for the government’s policy. Everyone knows that it is no longer influential.
The Qatari maneuvers will be repeated in a different way. Last time, the Emir promised to undertake commitments that are kind of similar to today’s demands.
The previous list also included the abstention from financing Saudi extremist religious groups, funding rebels against the government that are managed from abroad, paying Saudi clerics, academics and media figures hired by Qatari government to work against Saudi Arabia and waging media inciting campaigns, including al-Jazeera in addition to other demands.
Qatar has literally carried out its commitments, but in fact, it did not do so. Al-Jazeera has stopped criticizing Saudi Arabia for three consecutive years and was always praising Saudi officials, but at the same time, it opened two TV stations in London that carried out incitement against Riyadh, targeting in particular radical Islamic groups.
After al-Jazeera stopped criticizing Saudi Arabia, based on the agreement between the two governments, it dedicated most of the stations’ time to incite against Egyptian authorities.
Qatari authorities have also stopped paying Saudi nationals as per the previous agreement, but they opened new bank accounts for them through institutions affiliated to them and raised the number of those under the Qatari financial cover from tens to hundreds.
As for the demands to abstain from sheltering Saudi Islamic extremists on its territories, Qatar deported them to live in Turkey at its expenses up till today; there are also those who stayed in Qatar after being granted the citizenship!
In my opinion, this is a decisive crisis. Saudi Arabia is not alone as it is supported by Egypt, the UAE, and Bahrain, which grants it a stronger diplomatic position.
There are also other regional governments that have supported the boycotting countries, and their positions against Qatar will be expressed clearly in future diplomatic and economic meetings. All these countries insist on their position against the reconciliation and against accepting any commitment from the Doha regime as they want Qatar to feel the same danger it has caused to other governments in the region by insisting on funding terrorist and extremist groups.

Will El País Stop Its "Spanish Inquisition"?
Masha Gabriel/Gatestone Institute/July 06/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10608/el-pais-spain-israel
The paper's opinion section has grown increasingly slanted, with more and more pieces penned by members of blatantly anti-Israel organizations, falsely presented as neutral observers of the conflict.
In spite of numerous pleas to El País, it is only on rare occasions that it has issued corrections to its repeated factual errors and lack of historical context. This indicates that it is not oversight at work, but rather a purposeful effort to defame and delegitimize the Jewish state -- in other words, anti-Semitism.
Over the past year, Spain's flagship newspaper, El País, has reemerged as the anti-Israel publication that it used to be. Until 2009, when it changed its approach to coverage of the Middle East, El País was so openly hostile to the Jewish state that 14 members of the U.S. Congress sent a letter to then-Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, to express concern over the systematic publication of "articles and cartoons conveying crude anti-Semitic canards and stereotypes" in the pages of El País.
That year, the paper began to present a more balanced view of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and even ceased the practice of referring to Tel Aviv -- rather than Jerusalem -- as the Israeli capital. It continued in this vein for the next seven years.
In 2016, however, El País reverted to its old ways, as the following three examples illustrate:
Leila Khaled, a member of the terrorist organization the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) – notorious for taking part in the August 29, 1969 hijacking of TWA Flight 840 on its way from Rome to Tel Aviv, and in the September 6, 1970 attempted hijacking of El Al Flight 219 from Amsterdam to New York – was described by El País as someone who came from "a traumatic life experience: the occupation, which, when she was a child in 1948 [the establishment of the state of Israel], expelled her and her family from Haifa," along with "millions of refugees who were forced to leave their homes."
Ismail Haniyeh, a senior official of Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, was referred to by El País as "moderate" and "pragmatic," while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was described by the paper as the leader of a "radical" and "extremist" government.
It also claimed that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "derives from the occupation of East Jerusalem and the West Bank" and "subsequent blockade of the Gaza Strip," and that since the Six-Day War in 1967, "Israel hasn't stopped colonizing."
Ismail Haniyeh, a senior official of Hamas, the terrorist organization that controls the Gaza Strip, was referred to by El País as "moderate" and "pragmatic," while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was described by the paper as the leader of a "radical" and "extremist" government.
To commemorate last year's Israeli Independence Day -- on May 12, 2016 -- El País devoted many news pieces and features to the 49th anniversary of the "occupation," with no quotes from Israelis, other than those who expressed harsh criticism of their own country.
The following month, on June 30, 2016, Hallel Yaffa Ariel, a 13-year-old Israeli girl, was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist who broke into her bedroom. El País headlined its coverage of the senseless slaughter: "The ravages of the occupation." A separate story on the attack was titled: "Palestinian stabs a 13-year-old settler in her sleep."
After Revista De Medio Oriente, the Spanish site of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA), contacted El País to alert it to the fact that calling Ariel a "settler" in this context was a form of dehumanization, the headline was changed to: "A Palestinian kills a 13-year-old Israeli girl in a settlement." In each case, the implication was that it was the victim's status and location that was responsible for her death. In neither instance was her murderer called a terrorist.
Mere days earlier, a cartoon accompanying an op-ed praising the controversial Israel NGO Breaking the Silence – comprised of IDF veterans whose claims that the Israeli army regularly commits war crimes are not only disputed, but repeatedly have been proven false – is reminiscent of images used by the Nazis.
An El País cartoon, accompanying an op-ed praising the controversial Israel NGO Breaking the Silence, is reminiscent of images used by the Nazis.
In general, the paper's opinion section has grown increasingly slanted, with more and more pieces penned by members of blatantly anti-Israel organizations, falsely presented as neutral observers of the conflict. One of these articles was even tagged with a request that readers donate money to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
Another op-ed particularly worthy of note insinuated that all problems in the Middle East -- including the theocracy in Iran, "jihadist madness," "hatred of the West," the Syrian civil war, the widening of the Sunni-Shiite divide, "Erdogan's despotism" in Turkey and the "end of Kurdish people" -- can be traced to Zionism.
In spite of CAMERA's numerous pleas to El País, it is only on rare occasions that it has issued corrections to its repeated factual errors and lack of historical context. This indicates that it is not oversight at work, but rather a purposeful effort to defame and delegitimize the Jewish state -- in other words, anti-Semitism.
El País is not alone in this practice, which is common in the Spanish-language media. However, since it is the most widely read newspaper among Spanish-speakers, with an edition in the United States, as well -- and as Spanish is the second-most spoken language in the world -- the misleading message that fills its pages on a daily basis is extremely dangerous.
The occasional op-ed presenting a more balanced view -- or isolated feature highlighting successful Israeli start-ups and agri-tech -- cannot begin to counter the paper's constant onslaught against the Jewish state, which extends far beyond Spain's borders. El País must be held accountable.
The time is ripe for members of the U.S. Congress to express renewed concern over the paper's anti-Semitic leanings, by pointing them out to Spain's current prime minister, Mariano Rajoy Brey.
**Masha Gabriel is the director of Revista De Medio Oriente, the Spanish website of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).
© 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.

Germany's Quest for 'Liberal' Islam
Vijeta Uniyal/Gatestone Institute/July 06/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10629/germany-liberal-islam
However, the media-driven PR campaign backfired as the news of the opening of the Berlin 'liberal mosque' reached Muslim communities in Germany and abroad. The liberal utopian dream quickly turned into an Islamist nightmare.
Why do Muslim organizations in Germany fail to mobilize within their communities and denounce Islamist terrorism? Because, if there really is a belief that "international terrorism should not be depicted as a problem belonging to Muslims alone" this view seems to indicate that, in general, Muslims do not see it as their problem.
The newly unveiled 'liberal mosque' in Berlin was supposed to showcase a 'gentler' Islam. An Islam that could be reformed and modernized while it emerges as the dominant demographic force in Europe. German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle touted the opening of the mosque as a "world event in the heart of Berlin."
"Everyone is welcome at Berlin's Ibn Rushd-Goethe Mosque," Deutsche Welle wrote, announcing the grand opening last month. "Women and men shall pray together and preach together at the mosque, while the Koran is to be interpreted 'historically and critically.'"
German reporters and press photographers, eager to give glowing coverage, thronged to witness the mosque's opening on July 16 and easily outnumbered the handful of Muslim worshipers. Deutsche Welle reported: "fervent enthusiasm in the media and political realm."
"For me there is no contradiction in being a Muslim and a feminist at the same time," Seyran Ates, the mosque's female imam told the German reporters.
"With Islam against Islamism," wrote Germany's leading weekly Der Spiegel. "Society in general will lionize [Imam Ates] as the long-awaited voice of Muslims that speaks clearly against Islamist terror," prophesied another German weekly, Die Zeit.
The Washington Post, not to be outdone by German newspapers, hailed the mosque's female founder Ates for "staging a feminist revolution of the Muslim faith."
In what can only be described as one-way multiculturalism, a Protestant church in Berlin's Moabit district had vacated its prayer hall to make way for this new mosque.
However, the media-driven PR campaign backfired, as the news of the opening of the Berlin 'liberal mosque' reached Muslim communities in Germany and abroad. The liberal utopian dream quickly turned into an Islamist nightmare. Islamic fanatics from near and far started flooding the Berlin mosque with death threats. Al-Azhar University in Cairo, the foremost authority on Sunni Islam, issued a fatwa forbidding the 'liberal mosque.'
The British newspaper The Guardian reported:
[The mosque's Imam Ates] said she had received "300 emails per day encouraging me to carry on", including from as far away as Australia and Algeria, but also "3,000 emails a day full of hate", some of them including death threats.
Egypt's Dar al-Ifta al-Masriyyah, a state-run Islamic institution assigned to issue religious edicts, issued a statement on Monday declaring that the Ibn Rushd-Goethe mosque's practice of men and women praying side by side was incompatible with Islam, while the legal department of Egypt's al-Azhar university reacted to news from Berlin with a fatwa on the foundation of liberal mosques per se.
After countless death threats, the newspapers reached out to Aiman Mazyek, head of the Central Council of Muslims. He shrugged his shoulders and said there were 2100 mosques in Germany and he "doesn't need to comment on each and every one of them." As the Berlin-based newspaper Der Tagesspiegel reported this week, the 'liberal'
Mosque's Iman was finally granted "around-the-clock heightened police protection."
Within days, this was the second establishment-backed project devised to spruce up the image of Islam in Germany, to go up in flames.
Recently, after dragging its feet for years, the Central Council of Muslims in Germany had agreed to call a march against Islamist terror. The Muslim organization boasted 10,000 registered participants for the "Not with us -- Muslims and friends against violence and terror" rally, scheduled for June 17 in Cologne. On the much awaited day, only a few hundred people turned up, many of them ordinary Germans flanked by a huge media entourage. "Many Turkish weddings are larger than this demonstration," wrote Robin Alexander, columnist in Die Welt.
Germany's largest Islamic organization, the Turkish-Islamic Union for Religious Affairs, DITIB, decided to skip the anti-terror demonstration. DITIB stated that Muslims fasting in Ramadan cannot be expected to "march and demonstrate for hours." DITIB controls about 900 mosques in Germany and has 800,000 members.
The German daily, Die Welt, reported on DITIB General Secretary Bekir Alboga's stated reason behind their withdrawal from the anti-terror march:
"We Muslims are striving to feel the spirituality of the special month that gives us power for the rest of the year." Through the daily Quran recitation, fasting and helping the needy -- in addition to the physical exertion from such a demonstration -- political initiatives such as the planned anti-terrorism march are minimized during Ramadan.
"Had we been informed early enough about the rally and its date we would have suggested planning it for after the Ramadan and roping in other Muslim -- and also non-Muslim organizations -- because international terrorism should not be depicted as a problem belonging to Muslims alone."
DITIB evidently did not want to divert fasting Muslims away from their spiritual pursuits, but it had no problem using its mosques and preachers to spy in Germany on behalf of Turkey's Erdogan regime. In January, DITIB officials admitted that their preachers acted as informants for the Turkish regime.
This is not the first time in Germany that Muslim leaders thwarted an "anti-terror march". The so-called "vigil of Muslims" at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate, after the Islamist terror attack on the Paris offices of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, was also apparently a disappointment. As it turned out, the "vigil" was not even "Muslim". It had been financed and stage-managed from the chancellery of Angela Merkel. As Die Welt revealed:
"That time, too, painfully few Muslims turned out. It later emerged that that Muslim organizations only called the vigil after the initiative of a staffer from Chancellor's office and gentle pressure from the Minister of Interior. The expenses of the 'Muslim vigil' were borne by the Christian Democratic and Social Democratic Parties."
Why do Muslim organizations in Germany fail to mobilize within their communities and denounce Islamist terrorism? Because, if there really is a belief that "international terrorism should not be depicted as a problem belonging to Muslims alone" this view seems to indicate that, in general, Muslims do not see it as their problem.
The Turkish-Islamic organization DITIB would, it seems, prefer to see Christian, Hindu and Jewish organizations address the non-existent problem of terrorism within their communities, than to address the real issue of radicalization of youth within its own congregations or the recruitment by Islamists insides its mosques.
Do not, however, expect the German state to make the Muslim leadership responsible for its failings. The Merkel government continues to hand over millions of euros to DITIB despite what critics regard as behavior that is "unacceptable."
These stage-managed campaigns to fix the image of Islam in Germany come at an interesting time. With less than three months until the German general election, Chancellor Merkel's government, with her career at stake, is probably hesitant to take on Islamic organizations with ability to mobilize the "Muslim vote". Last year's state election in Berlin already saw such a mobilization.
The September election will effectively be a referendum on Merkel's "open door" migrant policy. The media's peddling the liberal, gentler Islam will definitely help ease the German voters' anxiety, given the ongoing demographic transformation of the country in the wake of the continued mass-migration from Arab and Muslim countries.
Merkel and Germany's establishment have their ground game covered ahead of the election, and know full well where their political interests lie. The question is, do the German voters know where their best interests lie?
*Vijeta Uniyal, a journalist and news analyst, is based in Germany.
© 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.

Baghdadi was here
Ghassan Charbel/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
The world has remembered three men this week. They come from different continents, different professions, and divergent interests. In the first scene, leaders from around the world gathered at the European Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg, around the coffin of late German Chancellor Helmut Kohl.
An exceptional tribute to an exceptional leader, as if the Europeans wanted their people to contemplate extensively the path of that man; the chancellor, who seized the historic opportunity to serve his country, his continent, and the world.
Kohl grabbed the moment when the Berlin wall collapsed and the Soviet Union was dissolved to achieve Germany’s reunification without a bullet or a drop of blood. That was enough for the man to enter History. But what he did was far more important. He placed the German drive at the service of the European cohesion and he deserved to be described as a “great German and a great European.”
Leaders from France, Britain, and the United States and from all over the world gathered around Kohl’s coffin. The tall chancellor succeeded in persuading the Europeans that a unified Germany would not return to the policies of belligerence and aggression. He also achieved a harder task. He convinced the Germans to relinquish the last great general in their history – the Mark – thus opening the door to the establishment of the single European currency. Germany can say that ‘Kohl was here’ and left his mark on Germany. He led the country to unity, prosperity and future partnerships.
The second scene
Another man whom the world has remembered. He is Steve Jobs, the late chairman and CEO of Apple. Ten years ago, the man offered the world a “revolutionary mobile phone” and a “supernatural Internet connection device.” On that day, the world has received the iPhone, which revolutionized the lives of hundreds of millions of people worldwide.Steve Jobs left his mark on our days: a small device in your pocket that changes your relationship with the world, in terms of communication, messaging, photos, business and entertainment, as well as a terrible exchange of information and scenes; as if you carry in your pocket a strong force that gives you access to knowledge and connects you to others and to present and future generations. Jobs has also changed the lives of journalists. He made of each device-holder a journalist, who takes photos, makes comments, and transmits. We, residents of the old castles of the written press, did not have the choice but to change our lives, styles, and uniforms in order to survive, and to avoid being regarded as aging horses.
Jobs, also, was here. The world remembered his famous saying: “Live each day as if it was your last”. He lifted the torch and lit the road. He was a fierce warrior fighting with science, competition, and progress. Jobs is a pride to our History. How far is the distance between the European farewell to Kohl and our torn and shaky maps! How far is the distance between the dreams of Apple and the practices of ISIS! It is the horrific Middle East
The third scene
We are in the horrific Middle East and we have different schedules. Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Al-Abadi announced the fall of the so-called “ISIS-caliphate”, three years after its declaration. The victory is important and necessary, and a benefit to Iraq, the Arab region, and the whole world. History must acknowledge that the Iraqi Army has offered great sacrifices to bring down the terrorist scheme, which has spread its cancers in every direction. The Iraqi army has erased from the memory the scandal of June 10, 2014, when entire parts of it collapsed in and around Mosul while fighting ISIS, which captured a full arsenal of American weapons left behind by the defeated units. The world has remembered a man called Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. Iraq, the region, and the world have paid a heavy price for the man’s exploits in Mosul. One can say that the three years have produced a river of widows and orphans and a sea of refugees. There is a far distance between the route taken by Steve Jobs – of a Syrian father – which led him to Apple and other major achievements, and the path taken by Baghdadi, which led him to ISIS.
Jobs and Baghdadi
Jobs was looking to improve living conditions and progress, while Baghdadi was using Jobs’ achievements to transmit images of slaughter, bombing, and destruction or to manage relations with the “lone wolves”, who were assigned with striking the stability of world capitals. Apple’s revenues have been used for development, research and the increase of creative capabilities, while ISIS’ revenues were used to commit more invasions and woes. It is strange that the blind warrior has turned – perhaps without knowing – into an ally of those who claimed to be his enemies. Baghdadi did not save Iraq but contributed to its partition. He targeted the Kurds, who shed blood to defend their territory and “disputed areas”. They had an increased desire to move away from Baghdad, its policies and its wars. ISIS has instigated strife between the Sunnis and the Shiites. Baghdadi pretended to be defending the Sunnis, while they were the ones who have incurred the major calamities. He didn’t kill others, but he killed them. The rise of ISIS has prompted Shiite Cleric Ayatollah Sistani to issue a fatwa authorizing the bearing of arms. Tehran was quick to grab the opportunity. It made Shiite fighters part of the “mobilization forces” and succeeded in giving them a legitimate cover as a prelude to transforming them into a “Revolutionary Guard-style army.”
The rise of ISIS
The rise of ISIS has given General Qassem Soleimani the opportunity to move freely in Anbar, with all the consequences that would affect the Iraqi components.
ISIS has also caused the return of American soldiers to the ground, and US and non-US fighters into the air. The rise of ISIS in Syria was not less burdensome. It has assassinated the Syrian uprising and distracted the world from the cruelty of “barrels”.
The exploitation of foreign fighters of the Syrian territories has also justified Iran’s intervention through multinational militias.
ISIS’ practices were also a golden opportunity for the Caesar, who was waiting for the right moment. Under the pretext of fighting ISIS, Russia intervened militarily and punished the Syrian opposition before punishing the Baghdadi regime.
How far is the distance between the European farewell to Kohl and our torn and shaky maps! How far is the distance between the dreams of Apple and the practices of ISIS! It is the horrific Middle East. Jobs’ father escaped it early on. However, Baghdadi was here.

Various dimensions of the fight against extremist ideology
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
“At #ETIDAL, we stress on our mission to spread and promote peace, confront and refute extremism to make a safer world”. This was the first tweet of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology (Etidal or “moderation”) that was inaugurated at the end of the US-Islamic summit in Riyadh.
The Etidal Center is the result of the joint cooperation and the great efforts made by Arab and Muslim countries, led by Saudi Arabia, in combating terrorism and extremist ideology. Military action alone is not enough to eliminate terrorist organizations according to the conclusions of the Global Terrorism Index (GTI). For example, between 1968 and 2006, only seven percent of terrorist organizations were eliminated through military action. Therefore, the Center has a single basic objective: to demolish the pillars of the false narratives on which terrorist organizations are based, refute them and destroy them altogether. Thus, their ideological and religious foundations from which they draw the ability to recruit youngsters will be lost.
The real image of such organizations will be uncovered as being extremist, bloodthirsty mercenaries and militia that only use religious slogans for their own interests or for the interests of those countries that support them. Knowing that youngsters spend most of their time on the Internet, terrorist organizations, forefronted by ISIS, have embraced social media as a tool through which to recruit youngsters. “Hidden Power of Daesh (ISIS) in the New Media” is a study conducted by a research team at King Saud University. It shows that 80 percent of ISIS information stock comes from websites which are freely available to all with no breach of any Internet protocols. Another study, conducted by the Watani Al-Emarat Foundation, in cooperation with Telecommunication Regulatory Authority, Al-Ameen Service, and Dubai Electronic Security Center (DESC), shows that ISIS uses social media for most of its recruitment. It also reveals that on Facebook and Twitter, ISIS has over 90,000 pages in Arabic and 40,000 in other languages. Through this intercontinental center, Saudi Arabia will become the world’s foremost reference in combating extremist ideology and the promotion of a culture of moderation
Three fronts
Therefore, in order to combat extremism, the Etidal Center has three pivot fronts: intellectual, media, and digital. Hence, the essence of Etidal comes from having numerous prominent international experts and specialists in the field of combating extremist media discourse. At the same time, it enjoys high-level technology in combating extremist activities through conventional media and electronic space. The Center has developed innovative, high-speed, world-class software capable of monitoring, analyzing and categorizing any content of extremism at an unprecedented degree of accuracy in only six seconds from the data available on the Internet. Dr. Naseri Al-Buqmi, Secretary-General of Etidal, said, “I think it is a quantum leap in combating activities in the digital space.” According to Dr. Al-Buqmi, work is in progress to develop advanced analytical models for locating digital media platforms that contain extremist ideology and are secret sources of recruitment activities. He adds that, as well as its activities in combating extremist ideology, Etidal also works on preventing it through professional media content that promotes tolerance, moderation and acceptance of others.
This work is conducted under the supervision of the Higher Committee of Thought, which includes a group of prominent Muslim thinkers and scholars from around the world, in cooperation with governments and organizations.
Finally, Saudi Arabia will remain an important focal point for all Muslims, the origin of Islam, the cradle of the Muhammadi message, and the foundation of moderation. Through this intercontinental center, it will become the world’s foremost reference in combating extremist ideology and the promotion of a culture of moderation.

Are the winds of change blowing in Iran?
Hamid Bahrami/Asharq Al Awsat/July 06/17
Tens of thousands of supporters of Iran’s main opposition group, the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), gathered in a massive convention hall in Villepinte, Paris over the weekend to call on the international community to back the Iranian people’s democratic aspirations and recognize the NCRI as a real alternative to the mullahs’ theocracy. The grand gathering of Iranians, which takes place in Paris every year, was this year attended by more than 50 parliamentary delegations from all around the world including the US and Middle East as well as the former mayor of New York, Rudy Giuliani, the former Chairman of the US Democratic Party and former Governor of Pennsylvania, Ed Rendell, the US Ambassador to the United Nations, John R. Bolton, member of the European Parliament, Gérard Deprez and many prominent political dignitaries.
The keynote speaker at the event was NCRI-president, Mrs Maryam Rajavi. In her speech that was also broadcast inside Iran, she underscored that “regime change [in Iran] is within reach because the mullahs have gotten themselves stuck in three wars of attrition in the Middle East.
Their withdrawal from these conflicts in whatever form or shape will undermine their own existence.” In the US an Iran policy remains unclear but it is obvious that the current White House does not want to appease the Iranian regime.
Regionally and internationally, the Iranian regime is in the worst situation because it has destroyed all bridges with the US and the neighboring Arab countries
Bridges destroyed
Regionally and internationally, the Iranian regime is in the worst situation because it has destroyed all bridges with the US and the neighboring Arab countries. Today, the regime in Tehran is terrorizing its own people and is a major threat to the Middle East and the world peace.
The NCRI is fighting to bring about democratic change by overthrowing mullahs' theocracy. For over three decades, the Iranian Resistance has urged the internationally community to adopt a firm policy towards the regime, hence, it is not surprising that Mrs Rajavi welcomed the statement following the recent Islamic, American Summit.
“We have welcomed the statements made at the Arab, Islamic, American Summit in Riyadh against the Iranian regime’s terrorist and destabilizing activities. Nevertheless, we emphasis that the ultimate solution to the crisis in the region and confronting groups like ISIS, is the overthrow of the Iranian regime by the Iranian people and Resistance”, she said in her speech.
The most serious threat
The realities on the ground in the Middle East show that Mrs Rajavi is accurate. As the campaign to destroy ISIS is ultimately successful, the most serious threat facing the world and the US president is to confront Iran’s destabilizing actions in the region for example in areas in Syria and Iraq that are liberated from ISIS. If Iranian regime is allowed to usurp these areas then it would pose even a greater danger to the US, Europe and Gulf countries. Consequently, to protect their national interests, they are and should looking for a solution to stop the mullahs. Until now, their policy has been to accommodate Iran’s actions and evidently it has failed. They hoped to reform Iran’s behavior by cozying up to President Hassan Rohani but on the contrary, this policy has increased Iran’s intervention in the Middle East. That is why the US and its Arab allies have taking steps to change their policy.
Hence, a few weeks ago, the US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, announced that “Our policy towards Iran is to push back on this hegemony, contain their ability to develop obviously nuclear weapons, and to work toward support of those elements inside of Iran that would lead to a peaceful transition of that government. Those elements are there, certainly as we know,” Tillerson said on June 14.
It is an obvious fact that the NCRI and its democratic platform for future Iran provides a viable alternative for this policy. In this case, the former US ambassador to the UN, John Bolton highlighted a crucial aspect about this policy at the gathering in Paris. “There is a viable opposition to the rule of the Ayatollahs and that opposition is centered in this room today”, he said in his speech. Yet the most vitriolic remarks at the gathering came from mayor Giuliani who pointed to the Iranian regime’s malicious activities in the region stressing that the mullahs are the source instability and crisis in the region, and have kept their grip on power in the past 38 years through widespread repression and blatant disregard for human rights at home and the export of extremism and terrorism abroad. “I am happiest to be here because finally I can probably say that the government of United States supports you, we are behind you, we agree with your values. Finally I can stand here and say that you, my government and your leadership, we see Iran exactly the same way. The regime is evil and it must go”, he said addressing the tens of thousands gathered in Paris.
Overthrowing with minimal risks?
It is time for the international community to make decisive decisions on Iran. Today, the only remaining way to end four decades of crisis in the Middle East. It is a known fact that Iranian regime is root of problems in the region. Therefore, it is necessary that Mrs Rajavi’s voice is allowed to be heard.
To end the mullahs’ regime in Iran, Mrs Rajavi made three recommendations, “Recognize the resistance of the Iranian people to overthrow the mullahs’ religious dictatorship. Expel the regime from the UN and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and hand over Iran’s seat to the Iranian people’s Resistance. Designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) as a terrorist organization and evict it from the entire region.”
If the international community wants democracy and human rights to root and progress in the Middle East, it should heed these recommendations.

Managing Escalation Dynamics with Iran in Syria -- and Beyond
Michael Eisenstadt/The Washington Institute/July 06/17
Given recent frictions, the United States should take a number of steps to reduce the potential for escalation with Tehran and to avoid a broader conflict.
In recent weeks, U.S. forces have clashed in Syria with regime or Iran-supported pro-regime forces on at least a half-dozen occasions. This has raised concerns that with the impending military defeat of the Islamic State in Syria and the scramble to fill the resulting void, the United States may be on a collision course with Syria and its allies -- Iran, Hezbollah, and perhaps Russia. Escalating tensions elsewhere in the region between the United States, its allies, and Iran have compounded these concerns. So while the United States pursues informal "deconfliction" efforts with Russia, it needs to pursue parallel efforts to avoid a broader conflict with pro-regime forces and Iran.
Proliferating Friction Points
Recent U.S. military actions in Syria include a cruise missile strike on the al-Shayrat Air Base following a regime chemical attack on civilians (April 7); the aerial interdiction of Iran-supported pro-regime militias (May 18, June 6 and 8) and armed drones (June 8 and 20) that threatened Syrian rebels and coalition advisors near the border town of al-Tanf; and the downing of a Syrian Su-22 fighter that had attacked Syrian Democratic Forces units near al-Tabqa (June 18).
cials worry, moreover, that the liberation of Mosul might cause Tehran to conclude that it no longer benefits from the American presence in Iraq, and to encourage its Iraqi proxies to attack U.S. forces there.
Other potential flashpoints include the Persian Gulf, where Iranian warships frequently harass U.S. naval forces; the Golan Heights, where Iran and Hezbollah are creating an infrastructure to attack Israel (an Israeli drone strike there in January 2015 killed an Iranian general and several senior Hezbollah officials); Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, where Iranian claims of Saudi Arabian responsibility for the June 7 Islamic State (IS) attack in Tehran have raised concerns about possible Iranian subversion; and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, where Houthi rebels have attacked foreign warships using Iranian antiship cruise missiles and remotely controlled boat bombs.
The existence of so many friction points has raised fears that a clash (intentional, or accidental -- as when U.S. aircraft bombed Syrian troops in September 2016) might lead to a broader conflict with Iran. What does the past say about avoiding and managing escalation with Iran and its proxies?
Tehran's Risk Calculus
While pursuing anti-status quo policies that cause tension with other states, Iran is generally sensitive to risks and costs, and careful during crises and in dealings with more powerful adversaries such as the United States. It has generally emphasized reciprocity (responding in kind, at the level of the perceived transgression) as well as indirection, ambiguity, and patience (relying on proxies to provide standoff and a degree of deniability) in order to manage risk and limit the potential for escalation.
Thus, Tehran has repeatedly sought to avoid costly foreign adventures, even if it meant, in practice, abandoning beleaguered Shia communities -- as it did during the 1991 Shia uprising in Iraq, the 1998 slaughter of thousands of Shia Hazaras and eight Iranian officials by the Afghan Taliban, the 2006 war between Israel and Hezbollah, and the 2011 crackdown on Shia protestors in Bahrain. In each case, Iran responded indirectly via proxies, or after the fact -- sending the Iraqi Badr Brigades to aid the 1991 uprising in Iraq, arming the Afghan Northern Alliance against the Taliban, rebuilding Hezbollah after the 2006 war, and plotting to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington DC in revenge for his country's role in quashing unrest in Bahrain.
In confronting foreign adversaries, Iran has done so directly when it could, and indirectly (through proxies) or by other means (such as terrorism or cyber) when it could not, or when logic dictated that it do otherwise. It has often tested adversary limits, backing off when faced with a firm response and reengaging under more favorable conditions later on. Thus, during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-88), Tehran countered U.S. naval convoys in the Gulf by indirect means (mines) and by attacking unescorted vessels, and when engaged decisively, fought as best it could. Iran was not deterred by U.S. intervention, but was forced to alter its approach and to eventually curtail its activities after a bruising series of encounters with the U.S. Navy.
During the U.S. occupation of Iraq, Iran armed Shiite special groups -- and assisted Sunni insurgents -- that targeted U.S. forces. It responded to a series of sticky bomb attacks on its nuclear scientists by attempting sticky bomb attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia, India, and Thailand in February 2012. Between 2011 and 2013, it countered cyberattacks on its nuclear program and economic sanctions with cyberattacks on the U.S. financial sector and Saudi Aramco. More recently, it responded to Saudi support for anti-regime rebels in Syria and other perceived provocations by intensifying its support for the Houthis in Yemen.
Tehran is also tactically flexible; when risks outweigh benefits, it will renege on threats -- though it may renew a challenge at a different place or time. Thus, when the United States returned an aircraft carrier to the Gulf in January 2012 after Tehran warned it against doing so, Iran failed to act, though it subsequently tried to shoot down an American UAV in the Persian Gulf that November and again in March 2013. And more recently, Iraqi proxies of Iran have not acted on past threats to attack U.S. combat forces if they returned to Iraq, as they needed American help to defeat IS.
Despite its general caution, Tehran is occasionally prone to high-risk behavior -- including the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983 (which it facilitated), the Khobar Towers bombing in Saudi Arabia in 1996, and the bungled plot to assassinate the Saudi ambassador in Washington in 2011. For this reason, interactions with Iran always entail a degree of unpredictability. And when it believes it has the upper hand (as currently seems to be the case, thanks to its successes in Syria), it is prone to press its advantage -- and perhaps to overreach.
The Syrian Cauldron
Iran's intervention in Syria is unprecedented; never before has it sent such large numbers of troops to support combat operations abroad. Yet its performance has been consistent with certain enduring principles: namely, it has avoided major risks, even when developments seemed to jeopardize its core interests. Thus, Iran never committed more than the minimum force needed to keep Syrian president Bashar al-Assad in power. It had some 700 men in Syria prior to its brief surge in late 2015 -- which raised force levels to about 3,000 -- most of whom it withdrew shortly thereafter, having experienced a spike in losses. The number is now believed to be about 1,500, a fraction of 1 percent of its ground forces. (By contrast, the United States deployed about one-third of its ground forces during its 2007-09 surge in Iraq.)
Iran has tried to cut its own losses in Syria by fighting to the last non-Iranian Shia proxy, even when its own forces would have been more effective. And when the tide of war turned against Assad in 2015, Tehran convinced Moscow to intervene, effectively enlisting Russia as a "Great Power proxy." Yet, if decisionmakers in Tehran have been strategically risk averse, Iranian personnel on the ground have been tactically risk acceptant. Iran has lost nearly 500 military personnel in more than five years of fighting in Syria -- though these losses pale in comparison to those of its proxy militias, which include, according to expert Ali Alfoneh, more than 1,900 Iraqis, nearly 1,100 Lebanese Hezbollah (1,700, according to Israeli estimates), nearly 700 Afghans, and nearly 150 Pakistanis.
Although pursuing an increasingly assertive regional policy, Tehran's handling of recent clashes in Syria reflects traditional Iranian caution. Thus, Iran relied on its Shia militia proxies to challenge rebel and coalition forces at al-Tanf. Once these forces were bloodied by U.S. airpower, Iran pulled them back and used armed drones to maintain pressure. They eventually opted to bypass the rebel- and coalition-held enclave. In pushing up against U.S. interests in Syria, Iran has gambled with expendable assets only. And the American tendency to respond proportionally, and somewhat predictably, has enabled Iran to test U.S. limits without incurring significant risk.
Conclusions
As long as Iranian forces operate in Syria and encourage their proxies to target rebel forces and their coalition advisors, a degree of friction and conflict will be inevitable. Yet for decades, the United States and Iran have avoided an open conflict, demonstrating that the potential for escalation may be overstated -- even as complacency is never warranted. To further reduce the potential for escalation, the United States should take a number of steps to influence Tehran -- as well as Damascus -- and avoid a broader conflict with either:
First, the United States should halt mixed messaging that could cause Syria or Iran to miscalculate. The Trump administration has intimated that it is not seeking Assad's departure and is not averse to military operations that enable the regime to regain control over much of Syria. Yet Washington has threatened military action should Damascus resume chemical attacks that enable such operations, and it has countered Iranian activities that, from Tehran's perspective, advance these twin goals. Such ambiguity encourages the type of testing that could lead to further clashes with the Assad regime and its Iranian backers.
Second, the United States should seek broad international support for its redlines in Syria. Iran, for its part, may be less likely to challenge U.S. interests if doing so might alienate key actors in Europe and Asia that Iranian president Hassan Rouhani has been courting. And Washington should continue to engage Moscow as part of its efforts to "deconflict" operations and influence Syria and Iran in order to avoid a broader conflict with Russia and its partners.
Third, redlines must be continually tended to, so that U.S. focus and commitment are not questioned. When tested by Tehran and Damascus, Washington must respond firmly, lest inaction lead to further challenges and possible miscalculation.
Fourth, predictable U.S. responses make it easier for Tehran and Damascus to calibrate risk and reduce the costs of testing American limits. U.S. responses should therefore be unpredictable and should target assets that Tehran and Damascus truly value to introduce uncertainty into their cost-benefit calculus and to exact an unacceptable price for their policy choices.
Fifth, the best way to counter Iran's proxy strategy in Syria is through a U.S. proxy strategy involving a revitalized train-and-equip program for non-Islamist Syrian rebels. This would enable the United States to pressure Tehran and Damascus by indirect means. The goal would be to mire pro-regime forces in a low-level insurgency in areas they currently control; hinder new offensives against rebel-held areas in the east, the south, or Idlib province while reducing the potential for Iranian troublemaking elsewhere in the region; and disrupt Iranian efforts to build a land bridge to the Mediterranean Sea.
Sixth, Washington should consider cost-imposing measures vis-à-vis Iran elsewhere in the region, such as Yemen, to make its intervention there more costly and further stress its overstretched forces. This might reduce Tehran's willingness to challenge U.S. interests in Syria.
Finally, the United States should strengthen policy coordination with its Gulf Arab allies to prevent unilateral steps vis-à-vis Iran and its allies that could adversely affect U.S.-Iran escalation dynamics in Yemen, Syria, or elsewhere. Indeed, Houthi attempts in October 2016 to target U.S. warships using shore-based antiship missiles indicate that this may have already occurred. It is in America's interest to prevent a recurrence.
**Michael Eisenstadt is the Kahn Fellow and director of the Military and Security Studies Program at The Washington Institute.

Simmering Trouble in Oil-Rich Shia Area Complicates Riyadh's Concerns
Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/July 06/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=56836
Incidents in the town of al-Awamiyah are creating headaches for the Saudi leadership and adding to regional tensions.
The killing of a Saudi security officer in a July 4 rocket-propelled grenade (RPG) attack in which three others were injured marks the latest in a series of recent clashes in al-Awamiyah -- part of the coastal conurbation of Qatif -- between security forces and Shia activists. The current atmosphere is at least partially attributable to government efforts to redevelop an old part of al-Awamiyah, supposedly to improve local amenities but also making the area easier to police. The larger context, however, is that Shia in al-Awamiyah, which is close to the kingdom's oil-export infrastructure, feel marginalized and discriminated against in Saudi society, and their sympathy toward Iran scares the Saudis authorities.
Although building on centuries of religious antagonism, the latest tensions date back to early 2016, when the Saudis executed Nimr al-Nimr, a Shia cleric accused of incitement. In response, angry Iranians ransacked the Saudi embassy in Tehran, leading to a break in relations. More recent events are as follows:
In March, Saudi Ministry of Interior forces killed two "terrorists," identifiable by their names as Shia, and arrested four others during a raid on a farm that authorities said was linked to terrorist attacks planned for al-Awamiyah. Explosive material, machine guns, and ammunition were seized.
In mid-May, a Saudi special forces soldier was killed and five of his colleagues were injured when their patrol came under fire in al-Masoura, the area of al-Awamiyah being redeveloped. A photo published in the Saudi media showed the neat hole punched through the side of an armored vehicle by an RPG.
At the end of May, two Saudi security men were injured by an improvised explosive device while patrolling in part of al-Awamiyah.
At the beginning of June, two Shia, described as "wanted terrorists," died when their SUV exploded as the vehicle was traveling down a shopping street in the area. Saudi media speculated that the men had been on their way to plant a bomb when it pre-detonated.
Before the July 4 incident, the Washington Post reported that at least six security personnel, six terrorists, and a number of civilians had been killed so far this year in skirmishes in and around al-Awamiyah.
The level of violence could prompt an even harsher Saudi crackdown or an escalation by Shia activists in other areas, including on the neighboring island-state of Bahrain, which hosts the headquarters of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet. So far, U.S. military or diplomatic personnel have not been caught up in the trouble, but they would be vulnerable if targeted. The consulate in Dhahran, a few miles from al-Awamiyah, functions as a mini-embassy. Meanwhile, the weapons being used by Saudi Shia are presumed to have come from Iran or from southern Iraq, another Shia area. Although Tehran's support for Shia in the conservative Arab states of the Gulf is mainly verbal, supplies of weapons and explosives have been intercepted en route to militant groups.
Given the current Qatar crisis, the latest incident comes at an embarrassing time for Saudi Arabia. (No Qatari link to the al-Awamiyah troubles has been reported.) Also, the continuing losses in Saudi security forces could harm unit morale, which may well have already been affected detrimentally by the removal last month of Crown Prince Muhammad bin Nayef, who was also the interior minister. MbN, as he is known, is reportedly confined to his palace in Jeddah because of fears he may lead opposition to his replacement, Muhammad bin Salman, known as MbS.
It could be significant that neither King Salman nor MbS is attending the G20 world economic summit being held in Hamburg, Germany, on July 7 and 8. Instead, the kingdom is being represented by a former finance minister, not even the current minister. The G20 summit would have been an excellent occasion for MbS to show off the progress demonstrated so far by his Vision 2030 plan to transform the kingdom's economy -- and his leadership role in the project. MbS's absence will be noted.
Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute, and coauthor of its 2017 Transition Paper Rebuilding Alliances and Countering Threats in the Gulf.