LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 28/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.july28.17.htm

 News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to go to the LCCC Daily English/Arabic News Buletins Archieves Since 2016

Bible Quotations For Today
Then The unclean spirit goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 11/24-26/:"‘When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions looking for a resting-place, but not finding any, it says, "I will return to my house from which I came."When it comes, it finds it swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and live there; and the last state of that person is worse than the first.’

What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you
Acts of the Apostles 17,16-20.22-24.30-34/:'While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was deeply distressed to see that the city was full of idols.So he argued in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and also in the market-place every day with those who happened to be there. Also some Epicurean and Stoic philosophers debated with him. Some said, ‘What does this babbler want to say?’ Others said, ‘He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign divinities.’ (This was because he was telling the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) So they took him and brought him to the Areopagus and asked him, ‘May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.’Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said, ‘Athenians, I see how extremely religious you are in every way. For as I went through the city and looked carefully at the objects of your worship, I found among them an altar with the inscription, "To an unknown god." What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, he who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands,
While God has overlooked the times of human ignorance, now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.’When they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some scoffed; but others said, ‘We will hear you again about this.’At that point Paul left them. But some of them joined him and became believers, including Dionysius the Areopagite and a woman named Damaris, and others with them."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 27-28/17
Hezbollah is Everything That is Not Lebanese/Elias Bejjani/July 26/17
From the Alphabet to...Hezbollah/Dr. Walid Phares DC/Face Book/July 27/17
The Lebanese Army Versus Hezbollah/Roger Bejjani/Face Book/July 27/17
Hezbollah America announces itself, issues first threat/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
Ceasefire reached on Lebanon-Syria border, say reportséMiddle East Eye/July 27/17/
After Arsal: Hezbollah's new triangle of influenceéMona Alami/Middle East Eye/July 27/17
Who will lead Lebanon’s fight against extremists: Hizballah or the army/Mona Alami/The NewArab/July 27/17
Visiting Lebanon PM seeks to temper Washington’s anti-Hezbollah zeal/Bryant Harris/Al Monitor/July 27/17
Modernizing America's Nuclear Capabilities Is a Must/Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute/July 27/17
Qatar and its trap of delusions/Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
The failed mediation is a message to Doha/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
Analyzing the Tamim speech/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
Imran Khan and a new dawn for Pakistan/Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
Palestinians: Metal Detectors or Lie Detectors - Who Is Violating What/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/July 27/17


Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 27-28/17
Hezbollah is Everything That is Not Lebanese
From the Alphabet to...Hezbollah
The Lebanese Army Versus Hezbollah
Hezbollah America announces itself, issues first threat
Hezbollah’s Nasrallah: We are nearing victory at Lebanon-Syria border
Ceasefire Deal Reached in Arsal's Outskirts
Ceasefire reached on Lebanon-Syria border, say reports
Ibrahim Says Besieged Nusra Militants to be Evacuated 'within Days'
Hezbollah and rebels agree ceasefire at Lebanese-Syrian border'
Hariri: I don’t Agree with Hezbollah’s Policy, My Mission Is to Protect Lebanon
Israel Welcomes Trump Comments Slaming Hezbollah
US Pledges Extra $140 mln to Lebanon for Syrian Refugees
Hariri Meets Ryan, Issa, Says Trying to Protect Lebanon from Hizbullah Sanctions
Hariri Meets US Treasury Secretary in Washington
After Arsal: Hezbollah's new triangle of influence
Who will lead Lebanon’s fight against extremists: Hizballah or the army?
Visiting Lebanon PM seeks to temper Washington’s anti-Hezbollah zeal
Shorter Meets Army Commander, Affirms UK's Support for Lebanon's Armed Forces
Franjieh: Army-People-Resistance is My Political Platform
Hasbani: Military Institution Sole Entity Entitled to Defend Lebanon's Territory
Man Found Dead in Southeast of Beirut

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 27-28/17
Trump to ban transgender US military personnel
Canada concerned by escalating tensions in eastern Saudi Arabia
Arab Foreign Ministers Announce Holding an Extraordinary Session
Egypt: Boycotting countries will not back down on Qatar demands
Report: Qatar crisis reaches an impasse
Arab alliance appoints new official spokesperson
Maliki’s Russia visit sparks controversy in Iraq
Syrian Coalition’ Demands Listing ‘Kurdish Union’ as Terrorist
Egypt’s President Forms National Council to Fight Terrorism
Palestinian Official: No Compromise on Aqsa Mosque
European Union’s top court keeps Hamas on terrorism list
Bahrain Refers Files of 60 Terrorist Suspects to Court
Jordan king calls for Israeli embassy shooter to face trial
Dozens injured in clashes at al-Aqsa Mosque as Muslims enter site
Israel removes all security apparatus from al-Aqsa Mosque after unrest
Arab League urges Israel to learn lessons from al-Aqsa crisis
Tripoli Seeks Italian Aid in Fight against Human Traffickers

Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 27-28/17
Hezbollah is Everything That is Not Lebanese//ليس في حزب الله أي شيء لبناني
Elias Bejjani/July 26/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57340

Sadly, the majority of our Lebanese politicians, so falsely called parties, as well as the Terrorist Hezbollah's hand picked subservient appointed top officials, and in particular the Christian ones are mere Trojans.
They are betraying the peace loving Lebanese people, and marginalizing their deeply rooted great and rich history of 7000 years.
They are evilly practising with no conscience or shame Dhimmitude, cowardice, Taqiyya, Deception and treason in their worst versions of political prostitution, ethical meanness, stupidity, and ignorance.
Like Judas Iscariot the majority of these Christian Trojans in particular have sold Lebanon and its people, martyrs, values, and existence with less than thirty pieces of silver.
They, and with no shame or fear of Almighty God and His Last Day of Judgement are currently hailing the Terrorist Hezbollah's crimes, invasions and wars and feeling sorry not for the victims but for the Hezbollah killers.
These Lebanese deviated Leaders, politicians, corrupted officials and so called parties are disastrous on all levels and in all domains.
In reality these leaders and politicians are the actual enemies of Lebanon and its people.
In this same realm Dr. Walid Phares addresses today on his face Book Page under the title "1701 and 1559" (in the below patriotic and visionary statement) what the Iranian occupied Lebanon needs for securing its Liberation and the reclaiming of its confiscated independence, freedom and sovereignty.
"1701 and 1559"
Dr. Walid Phares/July 26/17
"US policy is to implement UNSCR 1701 and 1559. Period. It means:
1. Disarming militias, whatever their names and claims are.
2. Lebanese Army and Police sole Lebanese units on Lebanese soil
3. UN guarantees all international borders
Hezbollah and the Jihadists could fight as long as they want, in the mountains or in the cities, in the end there shouldn't and won't be terrorists or terror militias around. Time will show."
May Almighty God Bless and safeguard Lebanon and its people

Elias Bejjani
Canadian-Lebanese Human Rights activist, journalist and political commentator
Email phoenicia@hotmail.com
Web sites http://www.eliasbejjaninews.com & http://www.10452lccc.com  & http://www.clhrf.com
Tweets on https://twitter.com/phoeniciaelias
Book  https://www.facebook.com/groups/128479277182033 & https://www.facebook.com/elias.y.bejjani

From the Alphabet to...Hezbollah?
Dr. Walid Phares DC/Face Book/July 27/17
Byblos, the city that produced the Alphabet is witnessing celebrations by medieval Hezbollah. Since the Mameluks, Mount Lebanon hasn't seen anything like this. What politicians have done to that country since 1990 will be remembered by generations to come...
As Iranian backed Hezbollah fights with the Jihadists in the East of Lebanon, its supporters celebrate the advances of that militia on the ground. In this photo, one can see Hezbollah partisans parading in the Christian city of Jbeil, known in history by its Greek name, Byblos. The ancient Phoenicians have produced one of the most important discoveries in history, the Alphabet. But today it is medieval Hezbollah that is waving its flags in the port of Byblos. A message that Iran dominates Lebanon from border to border.

The Lebanese Army Versus Hezbollah
Roger Bejjani/Face Book/July 27/17
The greatest misconception in the moronic minds of the majority of Lebanese is that Hezbollah is better armed and trained than the Lebanese Army.
This is total non sense! The Army is way better armed and trained. Anyone who ventures challenging this should be ready with information about both weaponry.
The edge Hezbollah has is that they act at the will of their Fakih and the mini-Fakih while they block the political decision needed by the Army to act.
The Lebanese Army should have and could have liberated the 3 hills and valleys Hezbollah took from its counter part (both are terrorist organizations); and if it did not do so it is because Hezbollah used this easy ride to break our balls with their "heroic" acts and fill-up the empty minds of morons with a cheap propagandist rhetoric; thus trying to normalize and legitimize its Iranian proxy-Army.

Hezbollah America announces itself, issues first threat
جيش حزب الله أميركا" يعلن عن تأسيسه ويطلق أول تهديد
العربية نت/دبي- مسعود الزاهد/27 تموز/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57389

Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 27 July 2017/A previously unknown militant group identifying itself as the “Hezbollah Army in America” has declared its existence by publishing a statement, copies of which were sent to the Iranshahr News Agency headquarters in Los Angeles. The terrorist group’s statement, dated March 22, 2017, was also clandestinely distributed in large numbers in the Persian Square area – a section of Westwood Boulevard, at the heart of the Iranian expatriate community – in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 26, 2017. Referring to the presence of US forces in the Gulf, the authors of the statement have threatened to respond to the American “terrorist” activities in that region, here on American soil. Repeating the trade mark expressions of the Iranian government regarding ‘World Zionism’ and ‘System of Arrogance’, the group is calling itself the ‘Unified arm of Muslim nations of the Middle East’ in America, and threatens it with “an iron fist” on its own soil if it does not leave the Gulf. The statement begins with the Koranic verse of “Indeed the Party of Allah [Hezbollah] Shall Overcome Them”, which is part of the common logo of the Lebanese Hezbollah and the Iranian IRGC, and its text consists of a series of disorganized cut and pasted sections from another text.
Alarm
According to the Iranshahr local correspondent, some of the Iranians living in the Persian Square area, have reported the issue to the local police as well as the FBI, declaring their concerns over their security in this neighborhood. The police have expanded their scope of investigations, have increased their open and undercover patrols in the area and have started a range of activities to finding clues and identifying this terrorist group. The police have also begun investigating possible links between the birth of this group and the death threats received by the editor-in-chief of the Iranshahr News Agency. It is also noteworthy that an Iranian revolutionary guard “military theorist” named Hassan Abbassi, had previously announced the establishment of terrorist cells on American soil, while a known Iranian militia leader who was travelling to the US under the cover of a “cancer researcher”, was deported from the Boston Airport a couple of weeks ago, amid the pro-Iran lobbyists’ intense campaign in his favor.

Hezbollah’s Nasrallah: We are nearing victory at Lebanon-Syria border
Reuters, Beirut Thursday, 27 July 2017/The leader of Lebanon’s Hezbollah said on Wednesday that the group was close to defeating Nusra Front militants in the battle along the Syrian-Lebanese border. “We are in the face of a very big military victory,” Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech. The militants have “effectively lost” most of the land they held in the barren, mountainous border region of Jroud Arsal, he added. As soon as the fighting ends, the Iranian-backed Hezbollah would be ready to hand over territory it has captured if the Lebanese army requests it, he said. In the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal, the operation has focused on the ex-Nusra Front, al-Qaeda’s Syria branch until last year when it severed ties and rebranded. The next phase is expected to target a nearby enclave in the hands of ISIS militants. The Lebanese army, a big recipient of US and British military support, has not taken part in the offensive and has set up defensive positions around Arsal, which Nasrallah described as essential. Negotiations began on Tuesday between Lebanese officials and the Nusra Front over the withdrawal of remaining militants to insurgent-held territory in Syria, he also said. “There is seriousness, better than at any previous time,” Nasrallah said. But he added that militant demands remained unreasonable and that the Lebanese state, the Syrian government, and Hezbollah must each agree to the terms. On the Syrian side of the border, Hezbollah fought “shoulder to shoulder” with the Syrian army around the town of Fleita in recent days and cleared the area of insurgents, Nasrallah said. Security sources say some two dozen Hezbollah fighters have been killed overall, and nearly 150 militants. This frame grab from video released on July 22, 2017 shows Hezbollah fighters advancing up a hill during clashes with al-Qaeda-linked militants in an area on the Lebanon-Syria border. (AP)
Refugee camps
Early in the offensive, Saraya Ahl al-Sham - the Free Syrian Army (FSA) rebel faction that had a small presence in the area - pulled its fighters from the front lines, Nasrallah said. The rebels took charge of protecting nearby refugee camps. “We facilitated this,” he said. “We are ready to work with the Lebanese state and the Syrian government on the withdrawal” of the rebel faction to Syria. Since the onset of the Syrian conflict, nearly 1.5 million refugees have poured into Lebanon - around a quarter of its population - where most languish in severe poverty. Several thousand refugees live in makeshift camps east of Arsal.
The Lebanese army has been helping with the passage of refugees fleeing the recent clashes at the border, with United Nations supervision, according to a security source. The International Rescue Committee said around 390 people, mostly Syrian women and children, escaped to Arsal so far, many
of them visibly shaken. Nasrallah said fighters were proceeding cautiously because of the proximity of the refugee camps. The border offensive had been in the works for months and Hezbollah asked the Syrian army to help after deciding to launch the battle, he said.
Nasrallah said on Wednesday he would not respond to Trump’s comments in order “not to embarrass” the official Lebanese delegation to Washington.

Ceasefire Deal Reached in Arsal's Outskirts
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 27/17/Fighting between Hizbullah and a former al-Qaida affiliate on the Syria-Lebanon border halted Thursday after a ceasefire was reached, Lebanese media and Hizbullah outlets reported. The ceasefire comes a week after Hizbullah launched an offensive against the jihadists in the mountainous border region of Arsal's outskirts. Hizbullah's War Media Channel said it suspended combat operations in the outskirts of Arsal starting 6:00 am today. The National News Agency said the ceasefire was agreed between Hizbullah fighters and militants of al-Nusra Front after mediation efforts carried out by General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim succeeded at sealing the deal. The ceasefire deal, which came into effect at 6:00 am, was reached when a condition related to Hizbullah's fighters was met, NNA said. Under the deal, the remaining fighters from the al-Nusra Front will withdraw from the region. NNA added that Ibrahim is due to release a ceasefire announcement on the deal later on Thursday. The al-Nusra fighters and their families will go to Idlib, a province in northwestern Syria largely under the control of the jihadists. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah on Wednesday declared a “major victory” in his group's offensive against the jihadist al-Nusra Front group, while announcing that Hizbullah is willing to hand over all captured territory to the Lebanese army. He also revealed that a possible settlement could be reached through “ongoing negotiations” for the withdrawal of the militants under certain conditions. He said the “serious negotiations” had started on Tuesday and that “an official Lebanese side” is in charge of the mediation. Hizbullah has waged a five-day offensive across the scraggy landscape of Arsal's outskirts to oust what it says are ex-al-Qaida Syrian jihadists. Syrian warplanes have backed the push with regular air strikes from their side of the frontier. Lebanon's army has not officially declared its participation in the operation, but has shelled "terrorists" in the area.

Ceasefire reached on Lebanon-Syria border, say reports
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57386
Middle East Eye/July 27/17/The ceasefire comes a week after Hezbollah launched an offensive against the militants in the Arsal border region
Fighting between Lebanon's Hezbollah movement and a former al-Qaeda affiliate on the Syria-Lebanon border halted Thursday after a ceasefire was reached, Lebanese media and Hezbollah outlets reported. The ceasefire comes a week after the powerful Shia militant group launched an offensive against the militants in the mountainous Jurud Arsal border region. Hezbollah's "War Media" outlet said "a ceasefire that began at 6:00 am (0300 GMT) is in effect on all the front in Jurud Arsal." Lebanon's official National News Agency said the ceasefire was part of a deal brokered by the country's general security agency chief Major General Abbas Ibrahim. Under the deal, remaining fighters from the former al-Qaeda affiliate once known as Al-Nusra Front will withdraw from the region. Al-Nusra Front was previously al-Qaeda's Syrian affiliate, before renouncing that status last year and rebranding itself Fateh al-Sham Front.
"The Al-Nusra fighters and their families will go to Idlib," a province in northwestern Syria largely under the control of the militants, NNA said. It said Ibrahim was expected to release a statement on the deal later on Thursday. In a speech on Wednesday, Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah said "serious" negotiations were underway to secure the withdrawal of Al-Nusra militants. "There are two paths: the battlefield and the negotiations. Both are open," he said. After Arsal: Hezbollah's new triangle of influence. He had said his fighters were on the cusp of "a great military victory", and had surrounded the remaining Al-Nusra fighters in a small pocket of territory. Security in Jurud Arsal has been a concern for many years. The barren and mountainous border area has served as a hideout for militants, who in 2014 clashed with Lebanese security forces in the area. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees live in the town of Arsal, adjacent to the border region, while an unknown number are also thought to have been sheltering in the surrounding mountains. Lebanon's army has not officially declared its participation in the operation, but has shelled "terrorists" in the area. It has also been involved in operations to transport civilians out of the battle zone and into the town of Arsal. In his speech on Wednesday, Nasrallah said his fighters were willing to hand over the territory they have secured to Lebanese troops. But the group's fighters told journalists in Jurud Arsal on Wednesday that the next phase of the battle to secure the region was still ahead. They said Islamic State group fighters still hold parts of Jurud Arsal and the area around two border towns, but anticipated an easy victory. "It won't be a difficult task. Its fighters are only a few hundred and spread out in this vast territory," one commander said confidently.

Ibrahim Says Besieged Nusra Militants to be Evacuated 'within Days'
Naharnet/July 27/17/An agreement to evacuate besieged al-Nusra Front militants from Arsal's outskirts will be reached “within days,” General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said on Thursday, hours after a ceasefire started between the jihadist group and Hizbullah. “The terms of the agreement are confidential and what I can say is that a ceasefire is certainly underway,” said Ibrahim after talks with Speaker Nabih Berri in Ain el-Tineh. "The armed men and those civilians who wish to do so will go to Idlib in an organized fashion, under the supervision of the Lebanese state," he told reporters.
He said Lebanon's Red Cross would help organize the logistics of transporting the evacuees to Idlib. Asked whether the deal will involve the release of Nusra-held Hizbullah fighters, Ibrahim said: “This agreement is aimed at purifying and liberating Lebanese territory, and nothing prevents anyone to benefit from this liberation.”Hizbullah's “War Media” outlet later confirmed that the deal involves the release of five Nusra-held Hizbullah fighters. The ceasefire agreement came after a week-long Hizbullah operation in Arsal's outskirts that saw the Lebanese group seize control of much of the region, besieging al-Nusra in a small pocket of territory. "There are two paths: the battlefield and the negotiations. Both are open," Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said on Wednesday. Security in Arsal's outskirts has long been a source of concern. The barren, mountainous border area has served as a hideout for militants, who in 2014 clashed with Lebanese security forces. Tens of thousands of Syrian refugees live in the town of Arsal, adjacent to the border region, while an unknown number are also thought to have taken shelter in the surrounding mountains.

Hezbollah and rebels agree ceasefire at Lebanese-Syrian border'
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57386
Reuters, Beirut Thursday, 27 July 2017/A ceasefire took effect on Thursday in a mountainous area of the Lebanese-Syrian border where Lebanon’s Hezbollah says it is on the verge of defeating Nusra Front militants in their last foothold at the frontier. The ceasefire began at 6 a.m. (0300 GMT), halting fighting on all fronts in areas near the Lebanese frontier town of Arsal where Hezbollah launched its assault on Nusra Front militants on Friday, a military news service run by Hezbollah reported. A source familiar with negotiations, brokered by a Lebanese internal security agency, said the remaining Nusra Front fighters were willing to accept safe passage to Syria’s rebel-held Idlib and talks were continuing to agree the route they would take.
Release of fighters
The news service of Hezbollah, a Shi’ite Muslim group, said the ceasefire deal included the release of five of its fighters held by the Sunni Muslim Nusra Front in Syria. The head of Lebanon’s main security apparatus said the ceasefire deal would be “completed ... within days.” “The militants and those civilians who wish to will depart for Idlib in an organized fashion under the supervision of the Lebanese state,” Major General Abbas Ibrahim said, quoted by Lebanon’s National News Agency. The Lebanese Red Cross will be involved in the logistics, he said. On the issue of the release of Hezbollah fighters by the militants, Ibrahim said: “The agreement is to clear Lebanese territory (of insurgents). Whoever benefits from that, there is no obstacle.”In a speech late on Wednesday, Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said talks had begun between Lebanese officials and the Nusra Front on Tuesday.
Nasrallah said on Wednesday his group was close to defeating the Nusra Front militants, saying they had “effectively lost” most of the land they held in the barren, mountainous border region known as Jroud Arsal.
Deaths
Security sources say some two dozen Hezbollah fighters have been killed overall, and nearly 150 militants. ISIS militants in an adjacent area of the border zone are expected to be targeted in the next phase of the operation unless they agree to withdraw. The Nusra Front was al-Qaeda’s official wing in the Syrian war until last year when it formally severed ties to the global militant network and rebranded itself. It now fights as part of the Tahrir al-Sham Islamist alliance, which it dominates. Hezbollah has played a major role in fighting militants in the border region during Syria’s six-year-old civil war in support of President Bashar al-Assad. The Arsal region witnessed one of the most serious spillovers of the Syrian civil war into Lebanon when the Nusra Front and ISIS militants briefly overran the town of Arsal, abducting dozens of Lebanese soldiers and policemen.
ISIS is still holding nine Lebanese soldiers captured at that time. Their fate is unknown.

Hariri: I don’t Agree with Hezbollah’s Policy, My Mission Is to Protect Lebanon
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/Beirut – Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Wednesday in Washington that he does not agree with the policies of Hezbollah group, stressing that his mission as premier is to “preserve the stability of Lebanon”. “My job as Prime Minister of Lebanon is to shield Lebanon from any instability in Lebanon. If you look at our region today, whether in Syria, Iraq or all the countries around us there is instability and this is due to not having a consensus within the country to safeguard it. For me, stability is the most essential part of my role in Lebanon,” Hariri said during a lecture he gave at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “We agreed with all political parties that we would always have our political differences, us and Hezbollah. They will never agree with my policy and I will never agree with their policies, what they do in Syria, my opposition to the regime, these are totally different positions,” Hariri noted. “We differ with them,” he continued. “We would have liked to see the Army doing what they are doing in Arsal. And we would not like to see them in Syria,” he said. Describing Lebanon as a model for coexistence, the prime minister said: “In a region fraught with religious and sectarian violence, in a world where coexistence between Islam and Christianity is increasingly portrayed as impossible, Lebanon offers a model; a model of coexistence, of dialogue and of political solution.”He added that the country, with a population of 4 million, has nearly 1,5 million Syrian displaced, added to about half a million Palestinian refugees on its territory. Underlining the role of Lebanon as an asset to the region and to the world, Hariri said: “This asset faced and still faces many threats. Some of which we as Lebanese are dealing with on our own, and some for which the contribution of the International community is a must.”

Israel Welcomes Trump Comments Slaming Hezbollah
Jerusalem Post/July 27/17/Israel on Wednesday welcomed US President Donald Trump’s tough talk on Hezbollah the day earlier, with Intelligence Minister Israel Katz praising the president for saying that the organization poses a threat to both Lebanon and the region. Katz said that with Iran’s assistance, “Hezbollah has fueled the humanitarian disaster in Syria, and the organization likes to portray itself as the defender of Lebanon while in fact it is very clear that its true interests are those of itself and of its patron, Iran.”Katz welcomed bills being advanced in Congress to increase pressure on Hezbollah by imposing sanctions on banks and other institutions that work with the group, thereby impeding its ability to raise funds. On Tuesday, Trump – at a press conference with visiting Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri – characterized Hezbollah as a “menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people, and the entire region. The group continues to increase its military arsenal, which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel, constantly fighting them back.”Through mistakenly saying that Lebanon was on the front lines in the fight against Hezbollah – when in fact the terrorist group is part of the Lebanese government – Trump noted that the group is “fueling the humanitarian catastrophe” in Syria.“Hezbollah likes to portray itself as a defender of Lebanese interests, but it’s very clear that its true interests are those of itself and its sponsor – Iran,” he said. Trump said that had former president Barack Obama enforced his red line and taken action against Syria when Bashar Assad used chemical weapons in 2013, “I don’t believe you’d have Russia and I don’t believe you’d have Iran to anywhere near the extent, and maybe not at all, in Syria today.”

US Pledges Extra $140 mln to Lebanon for Syrian Refugees
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/Washington- The United States will give Lebanon an extra $140 million to help Syrian refugees and the communities hosting them, the State Department said during a US state visit by Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Lebanon is hosting at least 1.5 million Syrian refugees who have fled the more than six-year conflict there and who now make up about a quarter of the country’s population. The latest grant means the United States has given Lebanon more than $1.5 billion in humanitarian assistance since the start of the conflict in 2012, the State Department said. In its 2017-2010 Crisis Response Plan, the Lebanese government said it needed $2.8 billion to address the challenges of hosting refugees. The US money will be used for food, shelter and medical assistance for Syrian refugees and Lebanese host communities. It will also support water and wastewater infrastructure projects, the State Department said in a statement. US President Donald Trump said this week after meeting Hariri that the United States will continue to support the Lebanese army in its fight to stop ISIS and other militant groups gaining a foothold inside the country. “We encourage other donors to join us in providing additional humanitarian assistance for those affected by the crisis in Syria, including fulfilling not yet funded previously made pledges,” the State Department said.

Hariri Meets Ryan, Issa, Says Trying to Protect Lebanon from Hizbullah Sanctions
Naharnet/July 27/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri started a long day at the American Congress Thursday by meeting House Speaker Paul Ryan at his office on Capitol Hill. The meeting was attended by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, the Charge d’affaires of the Lebanese Embassy in Washington Carla Jazzar, Hariri’s Chief of Staff Nader Hariri, his adviser for U.S. affairs Ambassador Amal Mudallali and Ryan's national security adviser Jeff Dressler. “The meeting with the U.S. Speaker was very good. We invited him to visit Lebanon to see the efforts we are exerting to fight terrorism, and to get informed about the humanitarian situation of the refugees. Our whole focus during this visit is on the refugees and security,” Hariri said after the meeting. “Here in Congress we are discussing the decisions being prepared on Lebanon. We are discussing ways to protect Lebanon from these sanctions and we hope to convince them,” the premier added. Asked whether there is any possibility to change these decisions or proposed draft laws against Hizbullah, Hariri said: “Our duty is to protect Lebanon. Hizbullah is already on the terrorism list in the United States and we have to protect the Lebanese banks and the Lebanese people from any broad decision that affects the people who have bank accounts because this will affect the Lebanese economy.”Told that the sanctions will hit anyone who cooperates with Hizbullah, the premier said: “We are trying to make the issue more specific so it will not hurt the Lebanese.”As for the situation in Arsal in the wake of Hizbullah's operation to oust al-Nusra Front from the region, Hariri said: “We want what is happening in Arsal to end, and I think that no one in the Lebanese state wants to have any kind of terrorism in Arsal's outskirts. The best way is for them to return to their country.”
Answering a question about the U.S. stance on Hizbullah, Hariri said “we have to protect Lebanon from any repercussions.”“What is important for me is to protect the Lebanese institutions and the Lebanese people and maintain the aid to the Lebanese Army which was very useful in fighting terrorism. We have to focus on this issue. As for Hizbullah, the American position is known and not new,” he added. Asked whether he is relieved regarding the U.S. stance in light of his meetings in Washington, Hariri said he is “reassured.”Later on Thursday, Hariri met with Republican U.S. Representative for California Darrell Issa, who is of Lebanese origins, in the presence of members of the Lebanese American friendship committee. Describing the meeting as “important,” Hariri noted that the new sanctions draft bill has “taken into consideration” that the measures should be targeted and not broad. Asked whether the draft bill is amendable, Hariri said, “God willing.”

Hariri Meets US Treasury Secretary in Washington
Naharnet/July 27/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri met with US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at the ministry's headquarters in Washington, Hariri's media office said on Thursday. Talks have focused on the bilateral relations between Lebanon and the United States mainly touching on the economic and financial issues, it added. The meeting was held late on Wednesday in the presence of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Governor of the Banque du Liban Riad Salameh, Charge d'Affaires Carla Jazzar, director of Hariri's office Nader Hariri and Nadim al-Manla.

After Arsal: Hezbollah's new triangle of influence
Mona Alami/Middle East Eye/July 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57381
As Hezbollah closes in on the Islamic State in Arsal, the group appears days away from controlling a significant expanse that will give it incomparable leverage in Syria After years of attempts to eject Syrian militants from a mountainous area in eastern Lebanon, Hezbollah announced late on Wednesday that the Jabhat Fatah al-Sham (JFS) chapter in the country is closed. “We are in the face of a very big military victory,” Hassan Nasrallah said in a televised speech, hours before the ceasefire between his group and JFS went into effect early Thursday morning. Fighters from JFS, the former al-Qaeda affiliate once known as Jabhat al-Nusra, and their families will be sent to Idlib according to the terms of the ceasefire agreement. A week ago, the group launched its military operation in the area surrounding the town of Arsal, which has been a hotbed for Syrian militants since the onset of the revolution. The campaign has come as the de-escalation of the war inside Syria has allowed Hezbollah to redeploy troops to attack the exhausted remaining fighters in the area and complete its monopoly over a Syrian expanse stretching from Qassayr to Zabadani. In recent days, Hezbollah has claimed that it has captured what would be 80 percent of the area and warned remaining fighters, in an ultimatum released on Monday, that the fight was nearing its end. By the time the ceasefire was announced on Wednesday, the militants were surrounded to the west by Lebanese outposts and watchtowers, and by Hezbollah positions on the south and north, making it only a matter of time before the group completed its mission. Now Hezbollah's battle - carried on without the Lebanese army which maintains a neutral stance on the Syrian conflict - is expected to target members of the Islamic State group who remain.Completely securing the area would be a major moral and strategic victory for the group - and, after PM Saad Hariri this week called Hezbollah's operation "illegitimate", will raise tensions in Lebanon over control of the state's sovereignty.
Smuggling hub
Since 2011, Arsal, located in the Bekaa Valley, has been a smuggling hub for Syrian militants of all sorts. Given its central role in defending the Assad regime, Hezbollah became a target for various Syrian rebel groups and later Nusra, which became JFS, and the Islamic State (IS). Between 2013 and 2014, Arsal, which is populated mostly by Sunnis who support the Syrian revolution, became a transit point for many of the booby-trapped cars that targeted the group’s strongholds in Lebanon.  More than 100 people were killed and hundreds more wounded in more than a dozen suicide bombing attacks on Shia-populated areas in 2013 and 2014, according to Jane’s Defence. Investigations showed at the time that vehicle bombs were put together in the Syria border region before being driven into Lebanon for the attacks. More than 18 additional suicide attacks have also taken place in Lebanon since 2013. Recent attacks such as Qaa in 2016, Bourj Barajneh in 2015 and earlier in 2014 against the Duroy Hotel in Beirut were claimed by IS. Many of these attacks are thought to have involved individuals who passed through Arsal.
The holdouts and the stranded
Arsal is home today to at least 50,000 Syria refugees. “Many of them are related to the remaining IS and JN fighters located in the mountainous areas,” says an officer of the Lebanese army speaking on condition of anonymity. However, residents in the town – including those in camps who reportedly raised Lebanese flags in support of Lebanese sovereignty as the campaign got underway – told MEE that they are terrified of what the militants will do and refused to join the fight when a JFS supporter tried to recruit them over a megaphone. It was also on the outskirts of Arsal that on 30 June, five suicide bombers set off explosives during an army raid on refugee camps. Since then, the army has been accused of torturing to death four refugees who were picked up during the incident, although a military investigation concluded that the refugees died of natural causes. Earlier in the year, Hezbollah entered negotiations to secure the evacuation of refugees and some militants back to Syria ahead of a final push to regain the area. According to Arsal activist Abou Mohamad Ali Ouweid, the negotiations also allowed for the evacuation of 100 or so Free Syrian Army fighters leaving around 400 remaining fighters exhausted by a long siege.
“There are a few hundred of them currently engaged in the fight against Hezbollah in a small stretch of area between Lebanon and Syria,” says the Lebanese army officer.
Growing impatience
Hezbollah’s impatience with the situation in Arsal was clearly highlighted by an 11 July speech by its general secretary Sayed Hassan Nasrallah. “The threat still exists on [Arsal’s] outskirts and this matter needs a solution,” he said. The timing of Hezbollah’s military operation also appears to be linked to recent developments in Syria and to Hezbollah's strategic calculations. On 7 July, the US and Russia agreed on a deal that included establishing de-escalation zones along Syria’s borders, a plan backed by Jordan. Russian troops in charge of monitoring the ceasefire appear to have been deployed on 17 July in the Daraa province. As a result of the deal, Hezbollah was forced to retreat from the area, giving it an opportunity to use its forces to inflict a final onslaught to the militants in the border region between Syria and Lebanon. In addition to clearing the hotbed of insurgency, Hezbollah has other important strategic calculations in this peripheral region. Over the past two years, it has carved a militarised zone for itself, stretching from Qassayr in northeast Lebanon to Zabadani in the south of Syria. Once Hezbollah completes its capture of the mountainous area, it will have uninterrupted control over the Syrian side of the border in a triangle that stretches to Homs and Damascus, points out anti-Hezbollah activist Ali Amine who has been following the situation. Nasrallah has promised that once Arsal is completely in the group’s control, they will hand it over to the Lebanese army.After all, Hezbollah’s new, unchallenged border bastion will provide the group with a large military reach and incomparable leverage into neighbouring Syria. Whether the group will actually surrender the territory remains to be seen.
*Mona Alami is a researcher and journalist covering Levant politics. She is a non-resident-fellow at the Atlantic Council. Her primary focus is radical organisations. She holds a BA and an MBA in management.

Who will lead Lebanon’s fight against extremists: Hizballah or the army?
Mona Alami/The NewArab/July 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57378
In a speech yesterday, Hizballah’s General Secretary, Sayed Hassan Nasrallah announced a swift victory against the Nusra Front (also known as Hayat Tahrir Sham) in Arsal, an area located on the border with Syria.
Hizballah’s military operation dovetailed with a major media campaign, and constitutes a moral success for the organisation, confirming its military narrative in Syria, where the group says it is fighting “takfiris”.
Yet the bulk of the battle remains in capturing Islamic State’s (IS) territory in the Arsal Mountainous area, and it is still unclear whether Hizballah or the Lebanese army will be leading this difficult fight. A week has passed since the launch last Friday of a military operation against Jabhat Nusra in Arsal’s mountainous area, which resulted in the death of over 20 Hizballah fighters and 140 militants. Since the start of the Syrian revolution in 2011, Arsal has fallen outside the control of the Lebanese state and was stormed by 700 militants from IS and Jabhat Nusra in 2014.
With the campaign ending yesterday, Nasrallah said: “the mujahideen have achieved a major victory with the least possible casualties”. The town has been a security nightmare for the Lebanese state and for Hizballah as it was used as a conduit to funnel weapons and explosives in and out of the border area. Several people were arrested in Arsal after they were linked to the smuggling of explosive laden vehicles into Lebanon, with many targeting Hizballah’s bastions.
The town has been a security nightmare for the Lebanese state and for Hizballah as it was used as a conduit to funnel weapons and explosives . The last security breach took place on 30 June, when five suicide bombers set off explosives during an army raid on two refugee camps on the outskirts of Arsal. Hizballah coupled its rapid gain in Arsal with a massive media campaign launched by the organisation’s media war arm. Pictures of Hizballah militants pursuing jihadists in the rugged mountains were shown continuously on the organization’s al-Manar TV.
The ceasefire was agreed a week after Hizballah launched an offensive against the extremists [Getty]
The fighters were carrying a flag with pictures of four Lebanese servicemen who were killed at the hands the Nusra front and IS after 30 of them were kidnapped in 2014. “The Arsal campaign falls within the organisational narrative justifying its war in Syria,” highlighted anti-Hizballah activist and journalist, Ali Amine.In a speech in March 2014, Nasrallah warned of the threat posed to Lebanon by Islamist fighters in the Syrian conflict. “If takfiris achieve victory in Syria, we would all be eliminated in Lebanon, not just the resistance,” he said at the time.
Hizballah’s successful operation in Arsal has appealed not only to its traditional popular base but the organisation’s opponents within the Christian community. Lebanese Forces Chief, Samir Geagea – a staunch enemy of Hizballah – said in a statement this week that the military operation will protect villages [in the region] and put them at ease”.
Hizballah’s latest success is likely to once again postpone the issue of the group’s demilitarisation, a question that has divided Lebanon since 2000, and the end of the Israeli occupation, against which the organisation fought. The war on the jihadists provides a Hizballah with a fresh justification for clinging to its military arsenal.In the hills of Arsal, the Lebanese Army are reinforcing their positions around towns of Ras Baalbeck and al-Qaa, located close to IS territory. It remains unclear whether Hizballah will be leading military operations against IS, or if it will leave this responsibility to the Lebanese army. After all, the terrorist group occupies a larger portion of territory than Jabhat Nusra, and its fighters pose a greater threat, which would make a swift win more difficult to achieve for Hizballah.
The Lebanese army is also wary of possible infiltration by IS into refugee camps and from there to Syrian refugee agglomerations. Besides facing extremely difficult economic conditions with 70 percent of Syrians in Lebanon living below the poverty line, increasing tensions between Lebanese and Syrians, make the Syrian population vulnerable to the lure of radical organisations. “It is becoming more and more difficult to manage Lebanese-Syrian relations, this is worrisome,” says a security source on condition of anonymity. The multiplication of discrimination cases and hate crimes targeting Syrian refugees in Lebanon will only add to their feeling of disenfranchisement. Winning over Arsal from both Jabhat Nusra and IS is essential to maintaining Lebanon’s stability, but the town represents a smaller danger compared to the internal threat posed by disenfranchised Syrian refugees, that no one appears to be willing to tackle.
**Mona Alami a non-resident fellow with the Atlantic council covering Middle East politics with a special interest in radical organizations.

Visiting Lebanon PM seeks to temper Washington’s anti-Hezbollah zeal
Bryant Harris/Al Monitor/July 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57382
Lebanon is pushing back against US pressure on Hezbollah for fear that efforts from the Donald Trump administration and Congress could destabilize the fragile state.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is fighting back against aid cuts and new sanctions.
The Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) face the prospect of losing all military assistance under the State Department's fiscal year 2018 budget request, while Congress is taking new action to expand sanctions on Hezbollah. The cuts to the Foreign Military Financing (FMF) program would hit the country particularly hard, as the LAF, with the help of Hezbollah, is securing the war-torn Syrian border from the Islamic State (IS), al-Qaeda and other militants.
Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri is in Washington this week to lobby against both threats.“I will be going to the Congress tomorrow and talking to both parties and I believe that there are already enough sanctions on Lebanon and in the banking sector,” Hariri told Al-Monitor today following his remarks at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. “We need to immediately explain to Congress why this is important … and we will do that and I’m confident Congress will hopefully listen to some of the remarks that we’ll have.”
The prime minister is also urging Trump to reconsider his aid cuts. Last year, the Barack Obama administration requested $105 million in military assistance for the Lebanese army. "Though these cuts have been proposed, we understand from our Washington meetings that they are not expected to happen in the case of assistance to the LAF,” a source within Hariri’s delegation told Al-Monitor.
Speaking at Carnegie after meeting Trump at the White House on Tuesday, Hariri said the president and other administration officials were receptive to the need to preserve FMF funding for Lebanon. He said he had stressed Lebanon’s role in combating terrorism throughout his meetings with administration officials.
“We explained to them also that Lebanon is a buffer zone and that we are in the front lines of fighting extremism,” Hariri said. Many members of Congress have traditionally been skeptical of the LAF, arguing that Hezbollah exerts too much influence on Lebanon’s security apparatus. Still, faced with the prospect of a defunct LAF as the Syria war wages on, even hawks balk at eliminating or reducing US funding for the LAF. “[Lebanon has] a coalition government that’s supporting over a million and a half refugees, and we have an active effort with them in which we’ve armed them and they are fighting [IS] on their border,” Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, told Al-Monitor. “So there’s no question that that role and that cooperation has to continue.”
Lebanese observers in Washington expressed confidence that some level of funding will remain in place. "Based on Lebanese officials, particularly LAF command, their whole survival depends from a logistical, technical capability … on US assistance,” said Joseph Gebeily, the president of the US-based nonprofit Lebanese Information Center, which is critical of Hezbollah. “So it’s very crucial. It’s a substantial program.”
Gebeily said he does not believe that eliminating US funding for the LAF is intentionally designed to cripple Lebanon’s official army. Rather, the cuts are part of Trump’s across-the-board effort to reduce US foreign aid. “To put it into perspective, it’s not just the Lebanese Armed Forces,” Gebeily said. “I don’t think the administration necessarily meant to defund the LAF.”
The State Department’s budget proposal only preserves FMF for Israel, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan while eliminating it for everyone else. In addition, the Trump administration seeks to reconfigure FMF grant funding into a loan program.
President Trump himself praised the LAF’s role in counterterrorism operations during a press conference with Hariri on Tuesday, indicating that the United States will continue to provide Lebanon with military assistance. “America’s assistance can help ensure that the Lebanese army is the only defender Lebanon needs,” Trump said. “It’s a very effective fighting force.”
Despite his stated willingness to preserve military funding for Lebanon, Trump went out of his way to criticize Hezbollah and its chief backer, Iran. “Hezbollah is a menace to the Lebanese state, the Lebanese people and the entire region,” Trump said while standing beside Hariri. “The group continues to increase its military arsenal, which threatens to start yet another conflict with Israel, constantly fighting them back. With the support of Iran, the organization is also fueling the humanitarian catastrophe in Syria.”
Last week, Congress further expanded its efforts to curb Hezbollah’s influence in Lebanon by introducing new sanctions on the Lebanese political party and armed militia group. The sanctions would expand previous congressional sanctions from 2015 by blocking the assets of any individual or entity that supports Hezbollah or its affiliates. The new legislation also requires the administration to produce a semi-annual report on foreign financial institutions that support the US-designated terrorist group.
The draft legislation was leaked to Lebanese news outlets last April, causing a considerable amount of fear that it could potentially destabilize Lebanon’s financial sector. Foreign Policy reported that Lebanese lawmakers responded by lobbying their US counterparts in Congress against the legislation.
Despite Hariri’s concerns, Gebeily downplayed the risk that the legislation could destabilize Lebanon's banking industry, noting that the impact from the first round of Hezbollah sanctions in 2015 “was really nil.”
“And this is only a continuation, a little bit of an expansion,” Gebeily said. "Because it does mention some other Hezbollah institutions, thus making sure it also covers countries outside Lebanon, not just Lebanon.”During his Tuesday press conference with Hariri, Trump responded to a question asking for his stance on the sanctions bill by stating that he would make his position “very clear” within the next 24 hours. Trump has still not declared his official stance on the legislation and the White House did not respond to Al-Monitor’s request to clarify Trump’s stance on the congressional sanctions proposal.
Correction: July 27, 2017. An earlier version of this article mistakenly referred to the bill's potential impact on Iran's banking industry instead of Lebanon's.

Shorter Meets Army Commander, Affirms UK's Support for Lebanon's Armed Forces
Naharnet/July 27/17/British ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter affirmed the UK's support for Lebanon's Armed Forces because “it is the only legitimate defender of Lebanon,” the UK Embassy said in a press release on Thursday.
“Only the LAF can act with the consent of all the Lebanese people, and in line with the Constitution and relevant Security Council resolutions. The UK supports the LAF because it is the only legitimate defender of Lebanon,” Shorter was quoted as saying.
Shorter's comments came during a meeting with Army Commander General Joseph Aoun. The meeting was held in the presence of John Rath representing the American Ambassador, accompanied by the UK and the US Defense attachés Chris Gunning and Daniel Mouton. Discussions touched on the Land Border Security Project, said the statement. “The UK is a proud partner of the LAF, and we want to help the LAF build on its record of success. In recent months, we have seen the LAF conduct successful and complex counter-terrorism operations, make significant progress on securing Lebanon’s borders with Syria, and protect Lebanese communities and Syrian refugees from the dreadful impacts of the Syrian civil war,” said Shorter.
“As we approach Army Day, we celebrate the fact that this is an army that has transformed itself over the last decade, and which commands not only the respect of the Lebanese, but also of the international community. Today the LAF is capable of exercising control and ensuring security over all Lebanese territory,” added the Ambassador. Praising the Lebanese army, Shorter added that the “army can over the long term guarantee Lebanon’s stability, its democracy and its model of coexistence. Only the LAF can act with the consent of all the Lebanese people, and in line with the Constitution and relevant Security Council resolutions. The UK supports the LAF because it is the only legitimate defender of Lebanon. “Part of our discussions today also touched on the importance of human rights and accountability within the LAF, as a key ingredient of operational effectiveness and public respect. I am pleased that the LAF too see respect of human rights as a priority as part of its vision of being a modern, professional armed force.”

Franjieh: Army-People-Resistance is My Political Platform
Naharnet/July 27/17/Marada Movement chief MP Suleiman Franjieh announced Thursday that the so-called “army-people-resistance equation” is his political platform, in the wake of Hizbullah's military victory over al-Nusra Front in the outskirts of the border town of Arsal.
“Hizbullah's victory in Arsal's outskirts is a victory for entire Lebanon,” said Franjieh after Ain el-Tineh talks with Speaker Nabih Berri. “The triumph that has been achieved protects Lebanon and its security, stability and future,” the northern leader added.
“They say that the army should have done that. We are all with the army and had the army attacked al-Nusra that would have also served Lebanon's interest, and should the army pledge to strike the Islamic State group, all Lebanese will support it and we'll be the first to support it,” Franjieh went on to say. He added: “I have always considered the army-people-resistance equation to be my political platform.” Asked about coordination with the Syrian army, Franjieh said: “We support coordination with the Syrian army. As long as there are diplomatic relations and yesterday an ambassador to Syria was appointed, how can we not talk to (Syria)? We would be contradicting ourselves.”Asked whether Hizbullah's win is a victory for his political camp, Franjieh said he considers it to be “a victory for Lebanon.”

Hasbani: Military Institution Sole Entity Entitled to Defend Lebanon's Territory
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/July 27/17/Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Health Ghassan Hasbani stressed on Thursday that the country's military institution is the only entity entitled to defend Lebanon and protect its border. “The military institution is entitled to defend Lebanon and its border. The Lebanese army is enforcing its positions in the Bekaa valley area. It is ready to wage the battle and will choose the timing it sees suitable to eliminate the terror groups from the border,” Hasbani told VDL (93.3) in an interview. Reinforcements from the army's elite units were pouring into the Bekaa region on Wednesday for a possible operation against the jihadist Islamic State group in the outskirts of the border towns of al-Qaa and Ras Baalbek. State-run National News Agency said the army's Airborne Regiment reinforced its posts in Ras Baalbek, al-Qaa and the neighboring areas, staged patrols and set up new military points “in anticipation of any infiltration or escape attempts by the militants into the two towns.”The move comes as Hizbullah wages an offensive across the scraggy landscape of Arsal's outskirts to oust what it says are ex-al-Qaida Syrian jihadists. On the kidnapped servicemen, Hasbani said: “Military solution or negotiations for the return of (kidnapped) servicemen must be left to the army.” He was referring to servicemen taken hostage by the Islamic State group during the 2014 battles in the outskirts of Arsal. In light of the battle being waged in the outskirts of Arsal between Hizbullah and al-Nusra Front, the Minister said that terrorists might have a reaction as the result of the military pressure on the battle fronts.
“Terrorists may possibly make a reaction. Precaution is an obligation," he concluded.

Man Found Dead in Southeast of Beirut
Naharnet/July 27/17/The body of a Syrian man was found dead on Thursday in the Chouf area of Iqlim al-Kharroub southeast of Beirut, the National News Agency reported. The man was found drowning in a pool of blood in the neighborhood of Wadi al-Maanieh in Iqlim al-Kharroub, said NNA. Security Forces arrived at the crime scene and opened investigation into the incident. No further details were reported.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 27-28/17
Trump to ban transgender US military personnel
Reuters, Washington Thursday, 27 July 2017/President Donald Trump said on Wednesday he would ban transgender people from the US military, a move appealing to some in his conservative political base. The surprise announcement by Trump came in a series of morning Twitter posts. Trump spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said the administration has not yet decided whether transgender service members already in the military would be immediately thrown out, saying the White House and Pentagon would have to work that out. The decision reverses Democratic former President Barack Obama’s policy. “After consultation with my Generals and military experts, please be advised that the United States Government will not accept or allow transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the US Military,” Trump tweeted, without naming any of the generals or experts. “Our military must be focused on decisive and overwhelming victory and cannot be burdened with the tremendous medical costs and disruption that transgender in the military would entail,” he said.Sanders said Trump had “extensive discussions with his national security team” and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis was informed after the president made the decision on Tuesday. “This was about military readiness,” Sanders told a briefing. “This was about unit cohesion. This was about resources within the military, and nothing more.”

Canada concerned by escalating tensions in eastern Saudi Arabia
July 27, 2017 - Ottawa, Canada - Global Affairs Canada
Global Affairs Canada today issued the following statement regarding the developing situation in Saudi Arabia:
“Canada is concerned by the escalating violence in eastern Saudi Arabia, which has resulted in civilian and security force casualties. We recognize that Saudi Arabia faces security challenges, but we urge local authorities to work with all communities to defuse tensions. All such challenges must be addressed in a manner that abides by international human rights law.
“In light of recent executions and the decision of the supreme court of Saudi Arabia to uphold the death sentences of 14 individuals, Canada reiterates its firm opposition to the death penalty, in all cases, everywhere.
“Canada will continue to closely monitor the situation. Canadians expecting to travel to the region are advised to check Travel Advice and Advisories (www.Travel.gc.ca) for the latest information.”
Contacts
Media Relations Office
Global Affairs Canada
343-203-7700
media@international.gc.ca

Arab Foreign Ministers Announce Holding an Extraordinary Session
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/The Arab League Council will hold on Thursday an extraordinary meeting for Arab foreign ministers, reported the state-owned Saudi Press Agency. The meeting will be chaired by Algeria and will discuss the latest Israeli attacks in Al-Quds and Al-Aqsa Mosque, Islam’s third holiest site. Earlier this week, the Arab League said Tel Aviv “is playing with fire and risking a major crisis with the Arab and Islamic world.” A harshly-worded statement added that international community must “oblige the Israeli government to maintain the status quo” as its current policies “hurt the feelings” of the Palestinians and those of the entire Muslim world. Anger has spilled across the West Bank since Israel shut East Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa Mosque following a deadly shootout on July 14. The site is venerated by Muslims and Jews, who call it the Temple Mount. The mosque was reopened after two days, with Israel installing metal detectors and cameras at its gates. Three Palestinians were killed Friday in protests against the measures around the holy site, in addition to dozens of wounded. The Arab League is a regional organization of Arab countries formed in 1945 and has 22 members. Its main goal is to “draw closer the relations between member States and co-ordinate collaboration between them, to safeguard their independence and sovereignty, and to consider in a general way the affairs and interests of the Arab countries”.

Egypt: Boycotting countries will not back down on Qatar demands
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Thursday, 27 July 2017/Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry said that the the four boycotting countries, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt, would not back down on their demands from Doha, reported Al Arabiya. According to a statement issued by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, the Egyptian Foreign Minister and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian had lengthy talks in Paris where Shoukry presented an integrated view of the reasons for severing relations with Qatar, stressing that Egypt cannot tolerate those who tamper with its security and stability. On Tuesday, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain and the Arab Republic of Egypt announced that as part of their firm commitment to fighting terrorism, drying up sources of funding and pursuing those involved, nine entities and nine individuals were added to the terrorism list.On May 5, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt snapped ties with Qatar over its support for terrorism and harboring of terrorists.

Report: Qatar crisis reaches an impasse
Al Arabiya English Thursday, 27 July 2017/According to a report from Bloomberg, efforts to resolve the standoff between Qatar and a Saudi-led alliance have reached an impasse. It quoted a Gulf official with direct knowledge of the matter, amid signs the bloc wants to extract more concessions from Doha.Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt have yet to respond to proposals by the U.S. and the U.K. that aimed to start direct negotiations, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter. While mediation efforts are continuing, there are no fresh ideas at the moment on how to end the spat, he said.

Arab alliance appoints new official spokesperson
SPA, Riyadh Thursday, 27 July 2017/The leadership of the Arab coalition forces supporting the Yemeni army announced on Thursday assigning a new spokesperson.The newly appointed speaker will replace Major General Ahmed Asiri, the former spokesperson for Operation Decisive Storm and Operation Restoring Hope who took over the mission since the start of military operations in Yemen, reported The Saudi Press Agency. The Arab coalition leadership appointed Colonel pilot Turki bin Saleh al-Maliki, as the official spokesman of the coalition forces and he has begun to perform his duties. The coalition leadership confirmed its intention to continue communicating transparently and to provide necessary information on the military operations aimed at supporting legitimacy in Yemen. Al-Maliki will hold press conferences whenever necessary, and will be available to communicate with all local, regional and international media.

Maliki’s Russia visit sparks controversy in Iraq
Al Arabiya Thursday, 27 July 2017/Former Iraqi prime minister Nouri al-Maliki’s recent visit to Russia, which his office said was a protocol engagement, sparked controversy in Iraq as it reopened the wounds of what is described as corrupt military deals between the two sides. Parliamentary and partisan sources criticized Maliki, who is the country’s vice president, for not saying anything to Russia’s foreign minister who arrived late for their meeting. Maliki insisted on meeting Russian officials, all the way to President Vladimir Putin, in an attempt to attract a strategic ally that supports him, alongside Iran, during the next phase. Sources said that although Maliki knows Russia does not have a role in his country, he coordinated the visit to Moscow without consulting with the Iraqi government or with Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. According to some observers, Maliki wants to show his strength after his rule was marred by several controversies particularly regarding affairs related to corruption and investigation into Mosul falling into the hands of ISIS.

Syrian Coalition’ Demands Listing ‘Kurdish Union’ as Terrorist
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/London, Geneva, Moscow- The “Syrian National Coalition” asked on Wednesday that the UN Security Council lists the Kurdish Democratic Union Party (YPD) and its US-backed military wing, the People’s Protection Units (YPG) as terrorist organizations. “There is a public and official relationship between the regime of (President Bashar) Assad and YPG militias, because Assad forces and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) which include YPG fighters, already started implementing al-Akirishi agreement signed between the two sides on June 20, 2017 under a Russian sponsorship and which stipulates handing over areas under the SDF control in the countryside of southern and eastern Raqqa to regime forces,” a memorandum sent by the Coalition to the Security Council and the Arab League said. The coalition also demanded the establishment of a special investigation committee to uncover crimes and violations committed by the YPD and its militias and military wings and to halt the systematic displacement and massacres against Arabs and other Syrian entities in the regions controlled by the YPD and its forces.The memorandum also included a section where the Coalition asked that the YPD and its militias be listed as terrorists for constituting a branch of the terrorist Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) in Syria. Meanwhile, the United States, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and other nations are demanding the UN Security Council takes action to ensure aid convoys reach millions of needy Syrians, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Wednesday. But a Russian diplomat told the news agency that the letter was uncalled for and unexpected, and added that the issue should have been raised discreetly via the office of the UN envoy to Syria. At the battlefield, regime forces continued their airstrikes on Ghouta despite a truce that entered into effect in the area last Friday after Russia announced reaching an agreement on how its police will deploy in checkpoints near the al-Wafideen refugee camp, the crossing point between Ghouta and Damascus, to monitor how the ceasefire will function. Russia’s defense minister Sergei Shoigu said on Wednesday that four battalions of Russian military police are currently deployed in safe zones in Syria.

Egypt’s President Forms National Council to Fight Terrorism
Asharq Al Awsat/July 27/17/Cairo– Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi issued on Wednesday a decree to establish a national council to combat terrorism and extremism and promote moderate religious discourse. Chaired by the Egyptian president, the new council will include Egypt’s Speaker Ali Abdel Aal, Prime Minister Sherif Ismail, Grand Imam of Al Azhar Sheikh Ahmed el-Tayeb, Pope of Alexandria Tawadros II, and the head of the General Intelligence Service, in addition to a number of ministers and public figures. The decree was published in the Egyptian Official Gazette, and stipulates that the establishment of the “National Council to Counter Terrorism and Extremism aims to rally institutional and societal capacities to uproot the causes of terrorism and to address its impact.”It also says that the council is tasked with “the adoption of a comprehensive strategy to confront terrorism and extremism, on the internal and external levels” and proposes “to amend existing legislation to address the shortcomings of the procedures in order to overcome current legal obstacles”. The Council will set up “plans to create jobs opportunities in areas with high levels of extremism and to study the granting of soft loans to those who, through follow-up, demonstrate their abandonment of extremist ideology,” according to the decree. Earlier this month, the Egyptian president said that his country would show no tolerance with those funding terrorism. “Terrorism will not be eliminated unless countries that finance it are held accountable. It is impossible to tolerate those countries financing terrorism with billions of dollars, leading to the killing of our citizens, while boasting about the rights of brothers and neighbors,” Sisi said, during the inauguration of Mohamed Naguib military base, which is located at the western border with Libya. The ceremony was attended by an array of prominent Gulf and Arab figures, including Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed, Emir of Mecca Prince Khaled Al Faisal, Crown Prince of Bahrain Salman Bin Hamad Bin Isa Al Khalifah and Commander of the Libyan National Army General Khalifa Haftar.

Palestinian Official: No Compromise on Aqsa Mosque
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/AFP quoted Israeli Police Spokeswoman Luba Samri as saying the police returned the security measures to how they were before the attack at the Haram al-Sharif, before July 14. On that date, the Israeli forces closed Al-Aqsa Mosque for two days, in response to an attack against police officers near the compound in Jerusalem. The mosque was later opened but saw heavy security measures, including the installation of electronic gates and smart cameras at its entrances, stirring a wave of deadly clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinians, who refused the new measures and held demonstrations across Jerusalem and other cities. Prior to the announcement of the Israeli decision to remove all security measures, Palestinians have refused, for the 12th consecutive day, to enter Al-Aqsa Mosque, choosing instead to pray before the gates or in the streets. Palestinian officials reiterated their rejection of all alternative measures to control security, including the personal inspection of worshipers, which was recently ordered by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. “Our position is very clear; all the Israeli procedures at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and its surroundings after July 14 (the date of the initial closure of the compound) are totally unacceptable because they aim to impose an occupation control over the mosque,” Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the PLO’s Executive Committee, told Asharq al-Awsat. “Smart cameras, sensors, bridges and barricades will not be accepted. It is true that Israel has removed the gates, but it is working on security alternatives, and it keeps seven doors out of nine closed,” he added. During an emergency meeting held on Tuesday, Palestinian officials called for escalating popular struggle and holding Friday prayers in public squares rather than mosques. President Mahmoud Abbas said that security coordination with Israel would be restored only when the occupation forces cancel all procedures at al-Aqsa. “If things do not return to what they were before July 14 in Jerusalem, there will be no changes in our stance,” he stated.

European Union’s top court keeps Hamas on terrorism list
Reuters, Luxembourg Thursday, 27 July 2017/The European Union’s top court kept Palestinian Hamas on the EU terrorism blacklist on Wednesday and removed Sri Lankan separatist rebels, the Tamil Tigers. Judges at the European Court of Justice (ECJ) overruled the General Court’s view of 2014 that the Council of the European Union, the 28-nation grouping, had insufficient evidence to maintain asset freezes and travel bans on Hamas. The lower court had found that the listing was based on media and internet reports rather than decisions by a “competent authority”. But the ECJ said such decisions were not required for groups to stay on the list, only for their initial listing. “The Council may maintain a person or an entity on the list if it concludes that there is an ongoing risk of that person or entity being involved in the terrorist activities that justified their initial listing,” the ECJ said. The EU needed to rely on more recent material than used in its initial decision, it said. It said the General Court should now examine the facts and arguments it did not consider in its 2014 ruling. Hamas issued a statement saying it would challenge “the unjust, political decisions against our people and our movement through legal means” and would continue its struggle against Israel.
The LTTE case
In a parallel case, the top court did rule that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka, the Tamil Tigers, should be removed from the EU’s terrorism list. The court said that EU had not produced any evidence to show that there was a risk of the Tamil Tigers carrying out attacks after its military defeat in 2009. “The Court of Justice therefore confirms the annulment of the continued freezing of the LTTE’s funds,” it said. The EU terrorism list, created after the Sept. 11 attacks in 2001 and last updated in January, includes 13 individuals and 22 organizations, such as the Communist Party of the Philippines and Peru’s Maoist-inspired rebel group, Shining Path. Hamas has been listed since 2003, its military wing since 2001. LTTE was added to the list in 2006.


Bahrain Refers Files of 60 Terrorist Suspects to Court
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/Manama- Security authorities in Bahrain referred on Wednesday the files of 60 suspects to court on charges of forming and joining a terrorist organization and committing several crimes, including the escape of ten inmates from the Reform and Rehabilitation Centre in Jau Prison last January. Out of the 60 suspects, 24 cases will be tried in absentia. The charges against the suspects include receiving training in Iran and Iraq in Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) military camps on the use of weapons and explosives to later implement their terrorist crimes in Bahrain. The High Criminal Court decided to look into their case on August 22. Advocate General Ahmed Al Hammadi, head of the Anti-terror Prosecution said investigations were completed regarding the case of forming a terrorist organization, as 60 suspects, including 24 in absentia, were referred to the relevant court on charges of forming and joining a terrorist organization. The suspects are also accused of being trained on the use of weapons and explosives to carry out terrorist attacks, deliberately murdering policemen and importing and possessing explosives, firearms, and ammunition. They also carried out armed robberies to finance their terrorist plans and assisted convicts and runaway inmates. According to the investigations, 12 suspects have joined the terrorist group and were still at large in Iran, Iraq, and in Germany, while 46 suspects were still in Bahrain, including the ten convicted inmates who escaped from Jau prison facility. Members of the terrorist group planned several terrorist crimes to destabilize public order and undermine the Kingdom’s security and national unity. Investigations also revealed that the terrorist group leaders provided members with plans to commit terrorist operations and gave them the tools, weapons, and explosives to carry out their plots.

Jordan king calls for Israeli embassy shooter to face trial
AFP Thursday, 27 July 2017/Jordan’s king on Thursday called for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to ensure a security guard who killed two Jordanians at the Israeli embassy in Amman at the weekend face trial.Abdullah II urged Netanyahu to “take responsibility and take legal steps including the trial of the killer,” a royal court statement reported him as saying.

Dozens injured in clashes at al-Aqsa Mosque as Muslims enter site
AFP Thursday, 27 July 2017/Clashes erupted between Israeli police and Palestinians at a sensitive Jerusalem holy site Thursday as thousands of Muslim worshipers entered to end a boycott of the compound over new Israeli security measures.An AFP correspondent witnessed the clashes erupt shortly after the worshipers entered. The Palestinian media and Red Crescent reported that 96 people wounded both inside the al-Aqsa compound, and in the immediate area outside it. Palestinians ended a boycott and entered a sensitive Jerusalem holy site for the first time in two weeks Thursday after Israel removed controversial security measures there, potentially ending a crisis that sparked deadly unrest. AFP journalists saw thousands of worshippers streaming into the Haram al-Sharif compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, for afternoon prayers. The site includes the Al-Aqsa mosque and the Dome of the Rock.
Some cried as they entered while others shouted “Allahu Akbar” (God is Greatest). A last-minute confrontation threatened to derail the planned end of the boycott as Israeli police were keeping one of the gates leading to the holy site closed. The gate is where two Israeli policemen were killed on July 14, prompting the new security measures. Police later opened the gate and Palestinians stuck to their plan to end the boycott. A tense standoff had been underway between Israel and Muslim worshippers at the holy site despite the removal of metal detectors on Tuesday. Newly installed railings and scaffolding where cameras were previously mounted were also cleared early Thursday, after which police said all new security measures had now been removed.Muslims had refused to enter the compound and prayed in the streets outside after Israel installed the new security measures. Palestinians viewed the move as Israel asserting further control. In response to the removal of the security measures, Muslim authorities called on worshippers to return. Israeli authorities said the metal detectors were needed because the July 14 attackers smuggled guns into the compound and emerged from it to attack the officers. Deadly unrest erupted in the days after the new measures were introduced, with clashes breaking out around the compound and in the occupied West Bank, leaving five Palestinians dead. A Palestinian also broke into a home in a Jewish settlement in the West Bank last week and stabbed four Israelis, killing three of them.

Israel removes all security apparatus from al-Aqsa Mosque after unrest

Reuters, Jerusalem Thursday, 27 July 2017/Israel overnight removed all security infrastructure it had put in place this month at Muslim entrances to the Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, stepping up its efforts to diffuse political and religious tension. Celebrations started in Jerusalem after Al-Aqsa Mosque doors reopened. Al-Aqsa Mosque Imam told Al Arabiya that Asr prayer will be performed today for the first time in two weeks. The government had already dismantled metal detectors it installed in the area after the killing of two Israeli policemen on July 14, hoping the move would calm 10 days of often-violent protests that have put the city on edge. But separate security measures, including closed-circuit cameras and low metal gates, were left in place, angering Palestinian leaders and the population, who have threatened a “day of rage” on Friday. Most Muslims have avoided entering the compound in the past two weeks, praying instead in the streets. The stand-off at the holy site – the Haram al-Sharif compound, or the Noble Sanctuary of Jerusalem – has provoked some of the worst bloodshed in Jerusalem for years, with peace efforts having stagnated since 2014. Israeli forces have killed four Palestinians in fighting in the cramped streets of East Jerusalem in the last week, and a Palestinian stabbed three Israelis to death in their home. United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for calm, saying there was the risk of an explosion of violence. Tensions around the holy site have led to long periods of unrest in the past, including the second Palestinian uprising or Intifada, which left thousands dead from 2000 to 2004.
Risk of escalating violence
“I am particularly concerned about the potential risk of escalating violence, urge all political, religious and community leaders to refrain from provocative action and rhetoric, and call on Israel to demonstrate restraint,” Guterres said. Amateur video shot overnight showed Israeli contractors dismantling gantries put up to hold security cameras and using forklift trucks to take away metal barriers from the marbled Lion's Gate entrance to the mosque compound. Witnesses said all the security devices had been removed and crowds of Palestinians gathered in the early hours to celebrate. Police spokeswoman Luba Samri confirmed the removal. “Everything that was installed after the attack (the killing of the two police officers) was taken down overnight,” she said. Muslim and political leaders were meeting to discuss the situation and determine whether they are satisfied. Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has accused Israel of damaging Jerusalem’s “Islamic character”, prompting a furious response from the Israeli foreign ministry, which accused the Turkish government of brutally repressing its Kurdish minority and of stifling democracy.

Arab League urges Israel to learn lessons from al-Aqsa crisis
Reuters, Cairo Thursday, 27 July 2017/The Arab League said on Thursday Israel’s removal of new security measures that sparked days of violence at Jerusalem’s al-Aqsa mosque had solved the immediate crisis but urged it to learn lessons by desisting from any such steps in future. The dispute erupted after Israel installed metal detectors, cameras and steel barriers at Muslim entrances to the Aqsa compound, known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, following the July 14 killing of two Israeli policemen by Arab gunmen who had concealed weapons inside the walled plaza.The unannounced move provoked days of unrest, with violent clashes on the streets of East Jerusalem. Israeli forces shot dead four Palestinians, and a Palestinian man stabbed and killed three Israelis in their home in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. “Israel’s withdrawal from its provocative and illegal actions solves the crisis they themselves created,” Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Aboul Gheit said at an emergency meeting of Arab foreign ministers on Thursday.
Threat of igniting religious war
“Dealing with Islamic sanctities with such imprudence poses a real threat of igniting a religious war, because no Muslim in the world accepts tarnishing al-Aqsa or its closure in the face of the worshippers or placing it under Israeli control,” Aboul Gheit said. The compound is Islam’s third most sacred site. “I call on the occupying state to read the lessons of this crisis and the message it carries,” Aboul Gheit added. Israel captured East Jerusalem, including the walled Old City and the Aqsa compound, in the 1967 Middle East war. It annexed the area and declared it part of its “indivisible capital”, a move that has never been recognized internationally. Palestinians want East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state, and are extremely sensitive to the presence of Israeli security forces in and around the Noble Sanctuary. Israel’s decision to withdraw the metal detectors and other security devices marked a significant climbdown by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government. It followed days of diplomatic effort by the United Nations, the involvement of US President Donald Trump’s Middle East envoy and pressure from countries in the region including Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Jordan.


Tripoli Seeks Italian Aid in Fight against Human Traffickers
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 27/17/Libya’s Tripoli-based and UN-backed Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj urged Italy to send ships into Libyan territorial waters to help combat human trafficking, Rome said Wednesday. According to AFP, the Italian PM was speaking after a meeting in Rome with Sarraj, the head of the Government of National Authority (GNA). Sarraj “sent a letter requesting the Italian government provide the technical support of Italian naval units in the joint struggle in Libyan waters against human traffickers,” AFP cited Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni as saying. Gentiloni said the ministry of defense was considering the request and “the options will be discussed with the Libyan authorities and the Italian parliament”. Should Italy respond positively, “as I believe is necessary, it could be a very important development in the fight against people trafficking,” he added. The move would doubtless help cut down the number of migrant boat departures from the coast of crisis-hit Libya and ease the strain on Italy, which has struggled to house the many thousands of people rescued at sea. Sarraj admitted “we need to do more so that our coast guard can fight illegal immigration and ensure that we have advanced technologies to control our coasts”. Close to 94,000 people have been brought to safety in Italy so far this year, according to Italy’s interior ministry, an increase of over five percent compared to the same period last year. More than 2,370 people have died since January attempting the perilous crossing, the UN refugee agency said. EU member states on Tuesday agreed to extend the Sophia anti-trafficking operation in the Mediterranean for another 18 months amid growing concern at the number of migrants crossing to Europe. And European Commission head Jean-Claude Juncker promised Gentiloni an extra 100 million euros ($116 million) in funding, on top of nearly 800 million euros already pledged. Sarraj was in Rome a day after he committed to a ceasefire in the conflict-ridden country with his rival Khalifa Haftar, the military commander based in the east of the vast country. The commitment, announced in Paris, saw the two men pledge to holding elections that French President Emmanuel Macron said would take place in spring 2018.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 27-28/17
Modernizing America's Nuclear Capabilities Is a Must

Peter Huessy/Gatestone Institute/July 27/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10743/modernizing-nuclear-capabilities
In 1989, America had 1,000 nuclear missile silos, and a small number of additional bomber and submarine bases and submarines at sea, facing 13,500 Soviet warheads. Today, the U.S. has 450 such silos facing 1,750 Russian warheads. That is a switch from a ratio of 13 Russian warheads to every U.S. missile silo, to a ratio of 4 Russian warheads to every U.S. missile silo. Getting rid of Minuteman ICBMs would reverse that progress and make the ratio even worse, with 175 Russian warheads to every U.S. missile silo. How is that an improvement?
The U.S. "cannot afford to delay modernization initiatives" while the "American people and our allies are counting on congressional action to fund our nuclear enterprise modernization efforts." — General Robin Rand, the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command.
America's ability to defend itself is at stake.
In April 2017, the Pentagon launched the U.S. Defense Department's legislatively mandated quadrennial Nuclear Posture Review to determine American policy, strategy and capabilities. The process now underway involves testimony from experts arguing over how the estimated $27 billion spent annually (growing over the next decade by an additional $10 billion a year) on America's nuclear arsenal should be allocated.
One claim, made by a number of experts, is that investing in the effort to upgrade America's exiting nuclear arsenal -- the land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) -- would be destabilizing and wasteful. They are, it is claimed, highly vulnerable to enemy attack and therefore do not provide deterrence. Among the 40 House members who suggest killing the land-based missiles is the ranking Democratic member of the House Armed Services Committee.
The opposite position was expressed recently by General Robin Rand, the commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). He persuasively argued that, far from being either destabilizing or unnecessary, "Our bomber and Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) forces, and our nuclear command, control, and communications systems defend our national interests, assure our allies and partners, and deter potential adversaries."
Addressing the Senate Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee on June 7, Rand said, "ICBMs are the sole weapon system capable of rapid global response and impose a time-proven and unpalatable cost to attack by peer, near-peer and aspiring nuclear nations."
The discrepancy in viewpoints stems from the difference in perception about American nuclear power and deterrence. Those who disagree with Rand are stuck in Cold War thinking, which has become largely irrelevant in today's world. To understand this better, a review of the history of the U.S.-Soviet arms race is necessary.
In January 1967, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson announced that the USSR had greatly expanded its powerful multiple-warhead land-based missiles, as well as having begun to build an anti-ballistic-missile defense system (ABM) around Moscow -- which would enable it to launch a first strike against the U.S. without fear of an effective retaliation against Soviet leadership bunkers -- and called for strategic arms limitations talks (SALT).
Johnson's successor, Richard Nixon, continued with the process, formally launching the negotiations in November 1969 that led to the signing of the SALT I executive agreement in May 1972. When Gerald Ford became president, he agreed with Soviet President Leonid Brezhnev on a general framework for a second agreement -- SALT II -- marginally to limit the deployment capabilities of each side, but still allow major increases in warheads, especially powerful, multi-warhead land-based Soviet missiles.
Although SALT II was signed in June 1979 by Ford's successor, President Jimmy Carter, it was never ratified by the Senate, members of which, on both sides of the aisle, argued that it would not "reverse trends in the military balance adverse to the United States." A week after 19 senators expressed this warning in a letter to Carter, the Soviets invaded Afghanistan and Carter withdrew the treaty from further consideration.
Carter's successor, Ronald Reagan -- who had been vehemently opposed SALT II before his election -- knew its upward limits would readily accommodate his proposed modernization efforts and thus agreed to abide by it in principle. But here, he switched gears while pursuing a markedly different military and diplomatic avenue, in the form of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). Reagan proposed that the U.S. simultaneously modernize while seeking reductions, instead of merely allowing huge increases in warheads under the SALT process. This also challenged the Soviet idea of a nuclear freeze -- especially in that the Soviets were well through their nuclear modernization and the United States had not even begun.
Early in the Reagan administration, the U.S. still continued seeking to make its land-based silo missiles better able to withstand a massive Soviet strike. Many plans were examined, but all were expensive and required the use of a great deal of land on which to move the missiles on trains, trucks or mobile launchers.
Ultimately, in 1983, Reagan reached a simple, but elegant, solution: a three-step program. First, deep reductions in nuclear weapons; second, putting the new, modern, large 10-warhead Peacekeeper land-based missiles in existing Minuteman silos, and third, simultaneously developing a much smaller mobile missile with only one warhead, to be built later. This was essentially accomplished during the three successive administrations after the end of the Cold War, but with one key change. Given that the number of Russian and American strategic warheads eventually were reduced by more than 90% under the START I, Moscow and New START Treaties, American silo-based missiles -- all with only a single warhead -- became fundamentally survivable, even deployed in silos where they remain today.
A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in its silo in Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, circa 1980. (Image source: U.S. Department of Defense)
The situation is therefore now the opposite of what it was during the 1970s and 1980s. At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. -- with 1,000 American missile silos -- faced more than 13,000 Soviet (subsequently Russian) warheads, or a 13-to-1 ratio. Today, we face roughly 1,750 Russian warheads but have 450 silos, a 4-to-1 ratio. In other words, the strategic environment became more stable, not less, and eliminating the very nuclear triad responsible for this stability makes no sense.
Although the nuclear triad was conceptualized and developed during the Cold War, maintaining it is just as imperative today. ICBMs are as highly stabilizing now as they were highly destabilizing prior to the dramatic reduction in the number of warheads from 1981-2017.
Why is that?
In 1989, America had 1,000 nuclear missile silos, and a small number of additional bomber and submarine bases and submarines at sea, facing 13,500 Soviet warheads. Today, the U.S. has 450 such silos facing 1,750 Russian warheads. That is a switch from a ratio of 13 Russian warheads to every U.S. missile silo, to a ratio of 4 Russian warheads to every U.S. missile silo. Getting rid of Minuteman ICBMs would reverse that progress and make the ratio even worse, with 175 Russian warheads to every U.S. missile silo. How is that an improvement?
It is crucial, therefore, to continue to invest in modernizing the ICBMs. As for the suggestion -- among some of the less extreme anti-ICBM analysts -- that the current ICBM force be extended for a few more years and modernization be reassessed later -- is not a viable option, according to General Rand. He says that the U.S. "cannot afford to delay modernization initiatives" while the "American people and our allies are counting on congressional action to fund our nuclear enterprise modernization efforts."
Let us hope that those who do not grasp how necessary it is for the United States to go forward with the ground-based strategic deterrent have little influence over the Nuclear Posture Review that is currently underway. America's ability to defend itself is at stake.
Dr. Peter Huessy is President of GeoStrategic Analysis, a defense consulting firm he founded in 1981, as well as Director of Strategic Deterrent Studies at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies. He was also for 20 years, the senior defense consultant at the National Defense University Foundation.
© 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.

Qatar and its trap of delusions
Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
Rulers need someone to protect them from excessive dreaming that leads to falling into delusions. The need for that doubles if the ruler of a certain country is wealthy. With the absence of institutions and guarantees, no minister or adviser dares to trouble the leader with a report about how hard things are or about the actual dangers. Usually, the commander would hear what makes him happy apart from facts and reality. The truth is that unnatural roles coming out of illusions soon become a burden. The circumstances of the “Arab Spring” allowed Qatar to play a role founded on the expenses of others and sovereignty of other states. This is a role that Qatar can’t maintain or even manage, especially that it increased the winds of instability in more than one place. The only way out is to end this role play and abandon what led to it. By using its ability to attract people or factions in a dismantled country as Libya, can Qatar, for instance, decide who should be its president or minister of defense? The leader has the right to dream and put his country’s capabilities to serve those dreams. But dreams should take into consideration the country’s map and its ability to withstand the adventures. Who even said that a ruler can achieve his dreams on others’ lands, like deciding who rules them or what regime to govern them? Take my country for example. Is it right for Lebanon to decide who rules Syria? If we assume it is just, does this mean that Syria can determine who leads Lebanon, too? We can not reject the second assumption without refusing the first. In the same context, we ask ourselves if, taking advantage of its resources, can Qatar determine the fate of Egypt?
Right to intervene?
There is a huge difference for Qatar to have a saying in the current situation in Egypt and support groups that are trying to change the regime by force. If Doha assumes it has the right to intervene in Egypt, why shouldn’t Cairo treat it the same way? By using its ability to attract people or factions in a dismantled country as Libya, can Qatar, for instance, decide who should be its president or minister of defense? Why should Doha deny others the same right it granted itself? For example, is it acceptable for Doha to back groups infiltrating into countries they don’t belong to and kill and bomb there? Countries have the right to dream and to be motivated by revolution. But it is not within its right to cross over from the land of dreams to fantasies. Only natural roles last. If not compatible with international law and conventions, major roles implode in small states. Countries that are relatively small can’t digest grand roles gained through maneuvers and under-the-table plots. Roles yanked in a haste and against nature, can’t survive long at the expense of natural roles.
Secret mediation
States, like individuals, are tempted by roles of announced and secret mediation or direct or proxy interventions. The situation becomes dangerous that the person is so convinced he can re-form powers in conflict zones and is capable of shifting historical balances. Middle East’s arenas are tempting for intervention. Countries always find an excuse to cross over borders and settle the scores. But these arenas are risky and it is hard for a new leader without any basis to rule it for a long time. The only way out of the current crisis is through returning from the times of delusions. Qatar, like any other country, has the right to have a saying in what’s going on in the region and the world. But, it doesn’t have the right to devote its different capabilities in an agenda to create chaos in the region. This chaos only serves non-Arab powers in the region. Despite differences of countries, sizes, and eras, lessons should be learned. Hasn’t Kuwait invasion been the fruit of holder of seals in Iraq changing from dreams to delusions? Didn’t Saddam believe he was capable of changing things and that the region will bow down to what he has done and the world would have to deal with it? The results don’t need further explanations or comments.
Trap of illusions
Also, Muammar Qaddafi crossed over from the land of dreams to trap of illusions. He secretly sent money to armed groups in more than one continent. He wasn’t hesitant to use the embassies of his country to send bombs and mess with nearby and far away states. Qaddafi received British Prime Minister Tony Blair and sat pointing the sole of his shoes at him. Where is Gadhafi now? Where is Blair? What about Libya and UK? During his ruling, Qaddafi rejoiced that Silvio Berlusconi kissed him on the hand. But what happened to Qaddafi and Berlusconi?A leader should be careful of excessive praise. It is pure poison. It leads to a trap of delusions and that is where the disaster begins. It is so hard when delusions take over the ruler.

The failed mediation is a message to Doha
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
There is no doubt that the Qatari crisis is far from resolving as some think or hope that it would only be a summer cloud. The failure of all the visits of foreign ministers and the mediation of heads of state from all over the world proves that the four countries are still standing by their demands.As for why do we expect it to go on, well because it is an old and cumulative problem. Qatar has been the source of concern for a long time, almost 20 years. Despite the old differences, the statement issued by the four countries at the beginning of June represents a new development. The confrontation and the most serious one in nature severed diplomatic ties and consular relations, and prohibited traffic and transit. Since that day, and so far, the confrontation has been escalating, and the speech of the Emir of Qatar broadcast days ago is one of escalation and not bridging. Therefore, the crisis is expected to last for months.
Qatar has two true images, one a negative representation like any other hostile Arab state and a false media image that depicts it as modern, tolerant and youthful country with a moderate policy. It is a country of liberties, independent of pressures and foreign dependency. Few people knew that the image of Qatar was forged, or at least exaggerated. Who are the ones who have lost and the ones who have earned so far in the last round? In my opinion, countries such as Egypt and Saudi Arabia are used to attacks and hostile media campaigns. They can even coexist with it. Qatar, on the other hand, is a country that is used to a luxurious comfortable lifestyle. It has only been attacked by extremist organizations such as al-Qaeda in the 1990s. It does not have a large population density, or a cultural and religious diversity that threatens its stability, like Bahrain. Qatar sleeps comfortably on a cushion under the protection of two American bases.Qatar has two true images, one a negative representation like any other hostile Arab state and a false media image that depicts it as modern, tolerant and youthful country with a moderate policy. It is a country of liberties, independent of pressures and foreign dependency. Few people knew that the image of Qatar was forged, or at least exaggerated.
Futile effort
In the current crisis, the conflict has fallen to its lowest levels, and the main victim is Doha, because the other party is used to coexistence with distortion and media. For the first time, Qatar’s name is attached to terrorism and extremist ideology. No matter how much the government tries to hire more public relations companies in Washington to repair its image, it will not be able to do so, because the damage has occurred, and because the other party still has the ammunition to deliver its message. As for the Qatari’s information efforts, they are practically almost consumed, repeated messages that governments are used to hearing. In the Arab region, the tactic of the Qatari propaganda machine was based on old methods such as exploiting the Palestinian cause, but they did not succeed. They tried to convince the citizens of these countries that their governments are biased and false but they found little sympathy since the four governments disrupted the groups hired by Qatar, such as commentators, advocates and academics. Consequently, the control of the four countries has undermined the Qatari government’s investment in these people who were silenced. The issue is not so much freedom of expression as much as standing against lobbies and public relations that are illegally leased by a foreign government. In fact, most regimes in the world prohibit receiving money from foreign governments for sponsoring political activities.
Political pressure
The dispute with Qatar will eventually come to an end, and we cannot say when or how, maybe it will be next year. Qatar is under the political pressure in the region and will reach a dead end because it is no longer possible for these countries to be patient. Most countries in the region also share the agonies of the four countries. Most countries in the region consider that the Doha government is targeting stability. Therefore, responding by targeting Qatar is legitimate and necessary. Is Doha able to bear the risks and consequences of its policies? The continuation of the crisis and the rejection of mediation and pressure are all indicators that Qatar is playing a very dangerous game, and it has to decide to either completely abandon its policy or risk its very existence.

Analyzing the Tamim speech
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
In Arabic literature, be it traditionally or in recent memory, there are famous speeches that have become memorable and exalted statements primarily for their intricate rhetoric. Regardless of the aim and the political objective behind such speeches, and whether their aims are good or bad, the ugly and the beautiful is always a matter of perspective. The most recent one that is worth looking into is that of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim al-Thani which went on for 17 minutes and a few seconds. We don’t know how to categorize this speech according to the standards of old or new speeches but honestly speaking, we can say that although he spoke for some time, he did not come up with anything new or unique. The content of his speech has become common to Arabs. It is like listening to a speech by the eloquent Brotherhood orators. Well, no wonder as Hassan al-Banna, the Brotherhood’s first guide, was known for his sharp statements and eloquence.The habit of using the Palestinian card has become redundant and is basically destructive to the Palestinian cause itself
Sheikh Tamim speech
Sheikh Tamim’s speech, which was carefully written, was nothing more than an argument from Al-Jazeera channel and its guests who support the axis of resistance in its new version. He was not right when he spoke about “injustice” against Qatar because it supports what’s right – who is right? – and because it is biased to Arabs if it hadn’t been for others’ “conspiracies” against it. The interpretation of this statement is: We wanted to topple Arab states and enable the Brotherhood but we were prevented from doing so and Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the rest of Arab “people” refused. I will frankly say that the worst part of Tamim’s speech was the statement he made on supporting Jerusalem and al-Aqsa Mosque following the recent developments. He made this statement and then tried to “employ” this sensitive matter in another affair which is Arab countries’ sovereign right to prevent Qatar from tampering with peace and security. What does this have to do with that? It is as if Jerusalem’s salvation is linked to holding back from Qatar. “What is the matter with you? How do you judge?” The habit of using the Palestinian card has become redundant and is basically destructive to the Palestinian cause itself. Khomeini did this before him and his students, such as Nasrallah, still do. Those who manipulate people’s feelings, such as Baathists, nationalists, leftists and of course the Brotherhood, have all done this in the past as well. Emir Tamim’s speech will be added to the archives of Arab ‘Batra’ speeches.

Imran Khan and a new dawn for Pakistan
Dr. Azeem Ibrahim/Al Arabiya/July 27/17
The fallout from the Panama Papers leak from 2016 has had reverberations around the world. But perhaps nowhere will the consequences be as strong and as positive as in Pakistan. Corruption is probably the biggest problem in Pakistan. It has been a feature of virtually all since Pakistan’s founding, both civilian and military. And it is one of the main drivers for all the other problems Pakistan is facing: from a tanking economy, a ruined infrastructure and a fractured society in which terrorism and radical ideologies thrive. Corruption may not sound as dramatic as terrorism, but terrorism festers in dysfunctional, poorly managed societies or fringes of societies. And corruption in Pakistan has rendered the entire country dysfunctional and unjust. Corruption is so engrained in the political and social fabric of the country that no one thought the Panama Papers scandal will have much of an effect here. Any case that might have been brought against political leaders in the country was not likely to get very far and many veteran politicians I spoke to said it would be just a waste of time. Even if any corruption were unveiled, the thinking went that the people of Pakistan assume from the start that politicians are corrupt and will never be held to account, so there would be little public reaction if anything were found. Imran Khan v. Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, or the Panama Papers Case, currently before the Supreme Court in Pakistan will change all that. Imran Khan, the leader of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has rallied a huge popular force around this issue. It turns out that the people do care about corruption after all, especially when that corruption is the reason they do not have clean drinking water to give to their children. And the verdict of the Court, which directly concerns Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his family, will have profound political ramifications. Far from being just an exercise in politicking between the leaders of the two main political parties in the country, the case has the potential to reset the political culture in Pakistan. Whatever else one might think about Imran Khan and his politics, if he wins this case all in Pakistan will have to agree that he has done this country a great good for now and for the future
Consequences of corruption
Already, the case has shown that there are political costs and consequences to corruption, in a way that was not thought possible before. And if the case goes in favour of Khan, then a line will be drawn in the sand: for the first time there will be a clear signal that corruption in this country has consequences, and those who steal from the public purse to enrich themselves and their families will be the ones who will suffer those consequences. Whatever else one might think about Imran Khan and his politics, if he wins this case all in Pakistan will have to agree that he has done this country a great good for now and for the future. And where populism has had mixed results for his political “revolution” in the past, the Law, and the popular movement he has built behind the idea of enforcing the rule of law in this case of corruption will grant him his greatest and most valuable political victory of his career so far.
If the Supreme Court enforces the law as it is bound by duty to do, this will signal a new dawn for Pakistan – a dawn where the country has the potential to emerge out of the morass of past decades and build the future it and its people deserve. And if it does not, then the popular backlash will be brutal. And rightly so. The first rule of good governance is that those who make decisions must be accountable for their decisions and for their conduct in public office. Pakistan has gone too long without this being the case. But now it will be. One way or another, through the courts or on the streets, the people will hold their leaders to account. And on that foundation we can build a brighter future for our country.

Palestinians: Metal Detectors or Lie Detectors - Who Is Violating What?
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/July 27/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10741/palestinians-metal-detectors
Crucially, and contrary to Palestinian claims, there has been no Israeli decision to ban Muslims from entering the Temple Mount. For the first time since 1967, the Palestinians are denying Muslim worshippers free access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
The Palestinians and the Islamic religious authorities are protesting against security measures that are intended to save the lives of Muslim worshippers and prevent the desecration of their holy sites by terrorists and rioters. They are protesting because Israel is trying to make it hard for them to murder Jews.
To clarify what is actually going on: it is not the security measures that really anger the Palestinians; for them, this crisis is not about a metal detector or a security camera. It is not the security measures that the Palestinians want dismantled. It is Israel that they want dismantled.
The metal detectors that were supposed to prevent Muslims from smuggling weapons into the Temple Mount compound, and which were removed by the Israeli authorities this week, have a more accurate name: "lie detectors." They have exposed Palestinian lies and the real reason behind Palestinian anger.
Israel apparently removed the metal detectors from the gates of the Temple Mount as part of a deal to end an unexpected crisis with Jordan over the killing of two Jordanian men by an Israeli embassy security officer in Amman. The security officer says he was acting in self-defense after being attacked by one of the Jordanians with a screwdriver.
The crisis erupted when the Jordanian authorities insisted on interrogating the officer -- a request that was rejected by Israel because the officer enjoys diplomatic immunity. US intervention and a phone call between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Jordan's King Abdullah helped end the crisis peacefully and quickly, and the officer and the rest of the Israeli embassy staff were permitted to leave Jordan and head back to Israel.
Shortly after the embassy staff returned to Israel, the Israeli authorities started removing the metal detectors that were installed at the entrances to the Temple Mount after terrorists murdered two Israeli police officers on July 14. The move sparked a wave of rumors and speculation, according to which the Jordanians allowed the embassy staff to return home in exchange for the removal of the metal detectors.
Israel and Jordan have denied any link between the shooting incident in Amman and the removal of the metal detectors.
The crisis that erupted between Israel and Jordan over the killing of the two Jordanians was solved in less than 48 hours -- much to the dismay of the Palestinians.
The Palestinians were hoping to exploit the crisis to exacerbate tensions between Amman and Jerusalem. Their ultimate goal: to cause the Jordanians to scrap their peace treaty with Israel and return to the state of war with the "Zionist enemy." The Palestinians were also hoping to exploit the crisis to incite Jordanians against Israel and the Hashemite monarchy.
Fortunately, the Jordanian authorities did not fall into the Palestinian trap. They realized that it is in their own interest to resolve the crisis swiftly and peacefully. King Abdullah was wise enough not to allow the Palestinians to drag him into a confrontation with Israel.
Since the installation of the metal detectors at the Temple Mount, the Palestinians have been waging yet another campaign of fabrications and distortions against Israel. This Palestinian blood libel claims that Israel is seeking to "change the status quo" at the Temple Mount by introducing new security measures such as metal detectors and surveillance cameras at the gates to the holy site.
Yet if anyone has violated the status quo it is the Palestinians themselves.
Status Quo Violation Number One: For the past two years, the Palestinians have been trying to prevent Jews from touring the Temple Mount -- a practice that has been allowed since 1967.
Status Quo Violation Number Two: The Palestinians and their supporters have long turned the Temple Mount into a battlefield for clashing with Israeli policemen and Jewish visitors. In an ongoing arrangement that ought to interest the international community, they pay Muslim men and women salaries to come to the compound and harass policemen and Jewish visitors by hurling insults at them and throwing stones and petrol bombs. These individuals belong to an outlawed group known as the Murabitun. This is a group of Muslim fanatics who receive money from the Palestinian Authority, Hamas and the Islamic Movement in Israel to do their utmost to stop Jews from entering the Temple Mount.
Status Quo Violation Number Three: Over the past two decades, the Waqf (Islamic Trust) that manages the affairs of the mosques on the Temple Mount, and other parties, have been carrying out illegal excavation and construction work at the site in a bid to create irreversible facts on the ground. The Waqf and the Palestinian Authority claim that the excavation work is aimed at refuting Jewish claims to the Temple Mount and showing the world that Jews have no historical, religious or emotional attachment to Jerusalem.
Status Quo Violation Number Four: The Palestinians and their supporters have been using the Temple Mount compound as a platform for spewing anti-Semitism and calls to murder Jews and all "infidels." This abuse of the holy site as a podium for spreading Palestinian poison is far from a new practice. Palestinians and other Muslims have been doing this at the Al-Aqsa Mosque and other mosques around the world for decades. Take, for example, when the imam at Al-Aqsa Mosque predicted that the "White House would turn black, with the help of God."
This prayer, attended by thousands of Muslim worshippers, came only a few weeks before the 9/11 terror attacks. Last week, another imam prayed to God that Israeli policemen guarding the Temple Mount would be widowed and orphaned.
These are only a handful of the countless examples of how mosques are being used to indoctrinate the hearts and minds of Muslims with hate.
Status Quo Violation Number Five: The murder of two policemen on July 14 is the mother of all status quo violations. Until the murder, Muslims had resorted to less deadly weapons such as stones and petrol bombs to attack Jews and policemen. July 14 represents the first time that Muslims used firearms at the Temple Mount. While it is not unusual to see Muslims blowing up mosques and committing atrocities against fellow Muslims in many Arab and Islamic countries, the shooting attack at the Temple Mount was still unprecedented.
Smuggling weapons into the Temple Mount is a grave desecration of the holy site. Murdering two police officers, who were stationed there to safeguard the site and protect Muslim worshippers, takes the level of violation and desecration to new lows. It is worth noting that the two police officers were not murdered during a confrontation or a violent incident. One of them was shot in the back while he was standing at one of the entrances to the Temple Mount.
After the July 14 murder, Palestinians began waging daily protests by refusing to enter the Temple Mount through metal detectors installed by the Israeli authorities to prevent weapons smuggling for the safety of the Muslim worshippers themselves.
Instead, Palestinians gather every evening at the entrances to the Temple Mount, where they complete their prayers with a volley of stones and petrol bombs lodged at police officers.
Crucially, and contrary to Palestinian claims, there has been no Israeli decision to ban Muslims from entering the Temple Mount.
Rather, we are witnessing precisely the opposite situation: there has been a Palestinian decision banning Muslims from entering the Temple Mount until Israel removes any security measures, whether metal detectors or surveillance cameras. This particular, and serious, breach of the status quo on the part of the Palestinians and Muslims has yet to receive appropriate mention: for the first time since 1967, the Palestinians are denying Muslim worshippers free access to the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Unsurprisingly, the removal of the metal detectors this week has not sated the Palestinians' and Waqf's lust for Jewish blood. Quite the contrary: the removal has increased their appetite, voracious as they are for Israeli capitulation and retreat. Now the Palestinians are demanding an end to all security measures imposed after the murder of the two officers on July 14.
So, here we are in a situation where Israel is damned if it does and damned if it does not.
In other words, the Palestinians and the Islamic religious authorities are protesting against security measures that are intended to save the lives of Muslim worshippers and prevent the desecration of their holy sites by terrorists and rioters. They are protesting because Israel is trying to make it hard for them to murder Jews. The message is: How dare you try to stop us from murdering Jews?
To clarify what is actually going on: it is not the security measures that really anger the Palestinians; for them, this crisis is not about a metal detector or a security camera. Rather, it is about sovereignty over the Temple Mount, Jerusalem and the whole of Israel. For the Palestinians, the real struggle is not over the Temple Mount, but over the presence of Jews in what they consider "occupied Palestine, from the (Jordan) river to the (Mediterranean) sea."
In the face of the metal detector removal, the Palestinians are calling for yet more "days of rage." The Palestinians were hoping to drag the Arab and Islamic countries into a confrontation with Israel. This is a hope they have thus far failed to achieve, especially as the short-lived crisis with Jordan proved. The Palestinians now feel disappointed that they were unable to drive a wedge between Israel and Jordan.
Palestinians near Jerusalem's Old City protest Israel's installation of metal detectors at entrances to the Temple Mount, on July 21, 2017. (Photo by Lior Mizrahi/Getty Images)
So, what else is on the Palestinian agenda of violence? They are aiming to stop Jews from visiting the Temple Mount. They are also hoping to show Israel and the rest of the world that sovereignty over the Temple Mount belongs to Muslims and to Muslims alone. In short, this is about strong-arming Israel and portraying it as weak and volatile and scared -- a country ripe for intimidation and taking apart.
First, the Palestinians demanded that Israel dismantle metal detectors. Then, they were demanding that Israel end all forms of security measures at the Temple Mount. It is not difficult to imagine what the next demand will be. It is not the security measures that the Palestinians want dismantled. It is Israel that they want dismantled.
Thus, dismantled or intact, the metal detectors have played a vital role by exposing Palestinian and Muslim lies and blood libels.
**Bassam Tawil is an Arab Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 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.