LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 21/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.march21.17.htm

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Bible Quotations For Today
Jesus cures the Blindman in Bethsaida
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 08/22-26/:"They came to Bethsaida. Some people brought a blind man to him and begged him to touch him. He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village; and when he had put saliva on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, ‘Can you see anything?’And the man looked up and said, ‘I can see people, but they look like trees, walking.’Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he looked intently and his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Then he sent him away to his home, saying, ‘Do not even go into the village.’

Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand
First Letter to the Corinthians 16/15-24 /:"Now, brothers and sisters, you know that members of the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints; I urge you to put yourselves at the service of such people, and of everyone who works and toils with them. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence; for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. So give recognition to such people. The churches of Asia send greetings. Aquila and Prisca, together with the church in their house, greet you warmly in the Lord. All the brothers and sisters send greetings. Greet one another with a holy kiss. I, Paul, write this greeting with my own hand. Let anyone be accursed who has no love for the Lord. Our Lord, come! The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you. My love be with all of you in Christ Jesus.

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published On March 20-21/17
Hezbollah says Israeli drone downed over Syria/Jerusalem Post/March 20/17
Israeli-Russian clash over Hizballah’s Golan grab/DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 20, 2017/
Intercepted Syrian missile carried 200 kilograms of explosives/Yoav Zitun/Ynetnews/March 20/17
Special offer for Lebanon: Time travel with the Israeli military/Belen Fernandez/Middle East Eye/Monday 20 March 2017
Israel weighs response to Hezbollah rocket threat/Would Israel attack Lebanese army/Al-MonitoréWeek in Review
Palestinians: Abbas's Empty Promises/Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March 20/17
France: The Taboo of Muslim Racism and Anti-Semitism - Part II/Yves Mamou/Gatestone Institute/March 20/17
Facing Trump Administration, Iran Shows Fear And Military Self-Restraint/ A. Savyon and Yigal Carmon/MEMRI/March 20/17
War in Space Is Becoming a Real Threat/David Ignatius/The Washington Post/March 20/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published On March 20-21/17
Hezbollah says Israeli drone downed over Syria
Israeli-Russian clash over Hizballah’s Golan grab
Intercepted Syrian missile carried 200 kilograms of explosives
Upcoming elections to be based on new vote law: interior minister
On Its 39th Establishment Day, UNIFIL Reiterates Commitment to Peace in S. Lebanon
Geagea Proposes Financial Reforms, Hits Out at Kataeb
Hizbullah and Mustaqbal Voice 'Categorical Rejection' of Parliamentary Void
Mashnouq: Electoral Law Needs a Month, Proportional Representation Part of It
Hariri Meets Aoun, Says 'Open to All Proposed Electoral Laws'
Hariri Meets Berri over Electoral Law, New Wage Scale
Israel Says Anti-Hizbullah Missile Interceptor Fully Operational Soon
Report: Turkey Holding 3 of Lebanese Origin in Connection with Berlin Attack
MAP NGO Organizes Peace Journalism Workshop in Collaboration with UNIC Beirut
Khalil Reveals Offer to Scrap Taxes Targeting Banks, Says New Levies Won't Target Poor
Army Raids House of Drug Kingpin Nouh Zoaiter in Bekaa
Hariri Receives Geagea for Talks on Pressing Issues
Report: Late-Night Meeting at Foreign Ministry Tackles Election Law
Berri Says Wage Scale Will be Approved but Electoral Law Comes First
Special offer for Lebanon: Time travel with the Israeli military
Israel weighs response to Hezbollah rocket threat/Would Israel attack Lebanese army?

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published On March 20-21/17
Intense' Strikes Pound East Damascus after Rebel Assault
French Presidential Candidates Face Off in First TV Debate
IS Bombing Kills at Least 15 in Baghdad
Iraq Forces Push into Old Mosul as Thousands Trapped
Syria Kurds Say Will Get Training from Russian Forces
Israel Security Chief Warns Calm is 'Deceiving'
Russia Summoned Israeli Ambassador over Syria Strikes
Netanyahu Visits China amid Election Speculation

Links From Jihad Watch Site for March 20-21/17
Trump administration to boycott U.N. Human Rights Council over anti-Israel agenda
Minnesota: Muslim student leader threatens Jews, is exposed, rails against “Islamophobic smear campaign”
51 jihad terror-linked groups operating in Muslim neighborhood of Brussels
Robert Spencer: Why Is Donald Trump Doing This?
UK and European ISPs Now Blocking Jihad Watch — How You Can Combat Online Censorship
Iran: Alarming rise in acid attacks against women who are not properly veiled
India: Muslims hack man to death for atheist post on Facebook
Christians may never be able to return to Mosul: the Islamic State has bred new generation of jihadis
Hamas uncovers Islamic State rocket workshop in Gaza
Jamie Glazov Moment: Muslim Primary School Students Threaten to Behead Teacher
Foreign Policy covers for Georgetown prof Jonathan Brown’s slavery and rape apologetics
Germany: Five Muslim migrants gang-rape seven-year-old girl at refugee center

Links From Christian Today Site For March 20-21/17
Trump blasted for failing to protect persecuted Christians
Jeffrey John: Pressure mounts on Church in Wales after allegations of homophobia
Pope Francis seeks forgiveness for Church's 'sins and failings' in Rwandan genocide
Donald Trump's Supreme Court nominee could be in place this week
Burundi Archbishop is Archbishop of Canterbury's new man in Rome
Catholic priest stabbed at the altar in 'hate crime'
Katie Perry: How my Christian upbringing led to 'I kissed a girl and I liked it'
Gay cleric Jeffrey John speaks out: My homosexuality was the only reason I was blocked as Bishop of Llandaff
Man shot dead at Paris airport 'after trying to grab a gun'
Bangladesh police shoot suspected militant armed with explosives

Latest Lebanese Related News published On March 20-21/17
Hezbollah says Israeli drone downed over Syria
Jerusalem Post/March 20/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=53503
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit says the drone "fell" yesterday and that it wasn't downed. Hezbollah said on Monday that the Syrian military shot down an Israeli drone above Quneitra, in the Syrian-occupied part of the Golan Heights, according to a report by Hezbollah-affiliated TV network Al Manar. Minutes later, the Syrian Defense Ministry released a statement that its air defense unit had shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the outskirts of Quneitra, though did not specify the drone's origin. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said early Tuesday morning that the drone fell in Syria yesterday and that it wasn't downed. Hezbollah media showed alleged pictures of the UAV, which they say was a Skylark drone.Hezbollah said on Monday that the Syrian military shot down an Israeli drone above Quneitra, in the Syrian-occupied part of the Golan Heights, according to a report by Hezbollah-affiliated TV network Al Manar. Minutes later, the Syrian Defense Ministry released a statement that its air defense unit had shot down an unmanned aerial vehicle over the outskirts of Quneitra, though did not specify the drone's origin. This is the second time in the past few days that Hezbollah claimed an Israeli unmanned aerial vehicle was downed in Syria. It's the second Skylark drone to allegedly come down in enemy territory in the past week, after one crashed in Gaza on Wednesday.
Alleged Israeli aerial attack in Syria
On Sunday, according to Syrian reports, the IAF struck inside Syria for the second time in the span of 48 hours. An Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the Quneitra countryside, killing the driver, Yasser al-Sayed, who was a commander in Syria’s air defense unit, according to Channel 2.
Hours before that, Syrian media reported that regime forces had “repelled” an Israeli reconnaissance drone near the town of Khan Arnaba, close to where Friday morning’s Israel Air Force strike allegedly occurred. The air force’s Arrow anti-aircraft missile defense system intercepted a Syrian SA-5 missile fired at Israeli jets on Friday night. The jets had already returned to Israeli airspace when they were attacked, after striking targets in Syria.

Israeli-Russian clash over Hizballah’s Golan grab
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report March 20, 2017/
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=53503
The Israeli drone that targeted the Syrian militiaman Yasser Sayad outside the Golan town of Quneitra Sunday, March 19, reinforced the message first carried by the Israeli Arrow 2 which shot down a Syrian SA-5 anti-air missile Friday. The Israeli ambassador was called twice to the Russian foreign ministry.
Both hits were precise: Sayad was on his way to join the Hizballah forces who are trampling Syrian rebel villages on the Hermon slopes to clear their path to the Golan; and the Syrian SA-5 was intercepted microseconds before hitting the Israeli jets attacking a consignment of Hizballah weapons outside the Syria T4 base near Palmyra, where a Russian contingent is also housed. After the air strike, Israel’s ambassador to Moscow Cary Koren was summoned to the Russian foreign ministry to hear a warning from Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov to stop interfering with Russian plans for Syria.
Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar Al Jaafari reflected the Assad regime's sense of empowerment when he said following the Israeli air strikes in northern Syria: “The Syrian response was appropriate and changed the rules of the game.” He claimed that Israel had been sternly warned by Moscow to stop such attacks and therefore its leaders “will think long before taking similar action in future.”
Nonetheless, two days later, the IDF was again in action, this time on the Syrian Golan. A-Sayad was killed outside Quneitra as testimony of Israel’s resolve to continue to wage warfare against the Iranian and Hizballah military presence in Syria and their aggressive push towards its borders.
And Sunday, Ambassador Koren was called to the foreign ministry in Moscow for a second dressing-down, this one, undoubtedly sterner than the first, seeing that Israel had escalated its face-off with Moscow on this issue and raised the stakes for a potential IDF clash with Russian forces in Syria, for better or for worse. The government in Jerusalem has in fact drawn a strong line against Moscow’s policy of allowing hostile Hizballah and paramilitary Syrian forces, like to Golan Liberation Brigades, to gain control of territory directly adjacent to Israel - from the Hermon range through Qunetra and further west up to Daraa overlooking the Jordanian border as well.DEBKAfile’s military sources reveal that Jerusalem was further alarmed Sunday by discovering that an Iraqi Shiite militia was on the way, under the command of Iran’s Al Qods chief Gen. Qassem Soleiman, to reinforce Hizballah’s Hermon-Golan offensive. This militia, called the Al-Nojba Movement, consisting of 1,500 Iraqi Shiite fighters, is the pet project of Hizballah’s deputy chief Sheikh Naieem Qassem, who sent officers to train them.

Intercepted Syrian missile carried 200 kilograms of explosives
Yoav Zitun/Ynetnews/March 20/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=53510
IAF investigation into the interception of the Syrian missile reveals that ‘there were no dilemmas or questions’ when it came to the decision to launch the Arrow; ‘The missile was supposed to hit the Jordan Valley.’The Syrian SA5 missile with a warhead carrying 200 kilograms of explosives was supposed to hit the Jordan Valley. The crew that activated the Arrow 2 defense system reached the decision to intercept in less than a minute. An initial investigation conducted by the Israeli Air Force revealed that the Syrian missile was supposed to fall in the Jordan Valley. The unusual event occurred on Friday morning, after which Israel was forced to admit that Syria had fired an anti-aircraft missile at the jets attacking a Syrian military outpost in the country. The target of the assault was apparently a concealed weapons delivery bound for Hezbollah. The Syrian missile launch was carried out from a base near the city of Homs, approx. 400 kilometers from the northern Jordan Valley. According to the findings of the investigation, around 2:40am, less than a minute after the Syrian missile was detected and identified as a threat, the aerial defense forces took the initiative to launch the Arrow.
“It is a heavy-weight Syrian armament," said a senior officer in the Air Force on Monday, clarifying that the Israeli response was justified.
"We didn’t care if it was a surface-to-surface missile or a surface-to-air missile. There were no dilemmas or doubts, no budgetary considerations. The missile was supposed to hit the Jordan Valley. The Arrow was chosen in accordance with the level of threat and the availability of the defense systems on hand. There was no other option except to intercept. We operate with manual control, since you can never know how a given missile would ‘behave’ in flight. Its engine or other components can decompose along the way, changing its intended course,” said the IAF officer.
The official also added that the Syrian missile was outdated and did not pose any threat to the F-15s that carried out an attack shortly beforehand in Syria. "I assume the Syrians did not intend to fire the missile as a ballistic threat, but that's not the point," he said.
This issue was explicitly addressed Monday by the commander of the IAF's Aerial Defense, Brigadier General Zvika Haimovich: "The missile fired posed a threat to Israeli citizens. The guidelines are to protect the people of Israel and that is what we did last week. There are absolutely no dilemmas or question marks when it comes to such situations."
The IAF also revealed Monday that Israel's multi-tier air defense missile system will be fully operational early next month with the deployment of the David's Sling interceptor. David's Sling, designed to shoot down rockets fired from 100 to 200 kilometres away, will be the final piece of a shield that already includes short-range Iron Dome and long-range Arrow-2 and Arrow-3 missiles. David's Sling is designed to intercept large targets such as heavy rockets weighing hundreds of kilograms and accurate missiles at ranges of tens to hundreds of kilometers. David's Sling will be able to protect the majority of the country's territory, as opposed to Iron Dome and the Arrow. The IDF has taken into account more advanced aerial assault weapons developed by Hamas and Iran-backed Hezbollah, which is why the next versions of Israel’s aerial defense systems will be specifically equipped to deal with such future threats.
(Translated and edited by N. Elias)

Upcoming elections to be based on new vote law: interior minister
The Daily / March 20, 2017/BEIRUT: The upcoming parliamentary elections will be staged based on a new vote law, Interior Minister Nouhad Machnouk said Monday, despite signing a new decree calling on voters to prepare for the elections over the weekend. "No elections will be held without reaching a new electoral law," Machnouk said after meeting with President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace. The two officials discussed the contentious debate over the country's new electoral law during the meeting. Over the weekend, Machnouk signed a new decree inviting voters to prepare for the parliamentary elections now slated for June. He sent the decree to Prime Minister Saad Hariri, who will in turn sign it and forward it to Aoun. Machnouk said last week that if Aoun again refused to ink the decree, then the upcoming steps would be “decided accordingly.” The decree calls on resident and non-resident members of the electorate to vote. Machnouk had signed a similar decree in February urging voters to participate in parliamentary elections set for May 21, which Hariri signed as well. Aoun, however, refused to ink the decree, insisting on a new electoral law to replace the existing 1960 majoritarian vote law.
Parliamentary elections were originally scheduled to take place between May 21 and June 21, yet political deadlock is expected to delay elections beyond June. Rivals have struggled to agree on a new electoral law, where the debate is primarily over adopting a new proportional electoral law or a hybrid law that combines it with the existing 1960 majority law. Lebanon’s Parliament has extended its term twice since 2013.

On Its 39th Establishment Day, UNIFIL Reiterates Commitment to Peace in S. Lebanon
Naharnet/March 20/17/The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) marked Monday the 39th anniversary of its establishment with a ceremony at its Headquarters in Naqoura highlighting “the Mission’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for the local population in southern Lebanon,” a UNIFIL statement said. “Since 2006, UNIFIL successfully facilitated the development of communities and civil society, while simultaneously assisting the Government of Lebanon in extending its authority in the South of the country,” said the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander Major-General Michael Beary. “Our work, conducted in conjunction with our valued strategic partners and colleagues in the Lebanese Armed Forces, has also created an environment for economic development and investment, activities that will, in time, facilitate meaningful economic growth for the growing population of South Lebanon,” he added. In attendance at the ceremony were representatives of the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) and other security agencies, the Governor of Nabatieh Mahmoud al-Mawla, local mayors and religious leaders. Beary and Brigadier-General Mohamed Janbay, representing LAF Commander, laid wreaths at the UNIFIL cenotaph paying tributes to the memory of the 325 U.N. peacekeepers from all around the world who have “given their lives in the cause of peace in southern Lebanon since UNIFIL’s establishment in 1978,” the UNIFIL statement said. During the ceremony, UNIFIL's leadership and the LAF representative awarded 45 military staff officers with the U.N. Medal for their contribution to fulfilling the Mission’s mandate. In addressing the ceremony, the UNIFIL Force Commander highlighted the Mission's continued presence in south Lebanon as “a clear demonstration of the U.N.’s commitment and enduring support to Lebanon and its people.” “I will never tire from expressing my admiration of the residents of the South. UNIFIL and its 40 different Troop Contributing Countries have been welcome guests since 1978 throughout our entire area of operations,” Beary said.
The UNIFIL Force Commander strongly emphasized the “close bonds” between the Mission and the people of south Lebanon. “We are only guests here in this wonderful country. We need the continued help, guidance and assistance of our LAF colleagues, the regions respected religious leaders, local politicians and the communities themselves, if we are to achieve the elusive peace that will guarantee the future of the current and future generations,” he said. UNIFIL was created by the U.N. Security Council resolutions 425 and 426 of March 19, 1978, to confirm Israel's withdrawal from Lebanon, restore international peace and security and assist the Lebanese Government in restoring its effective authority in the area. Following the July-August conflict in 2006, the Security Council, through its resolution 1701, significantly enhanced UNIFIL’s mandate and capacity and assigned it additional tasks working closely with LAF in Southern Lebanon. Today, UNIFIL comprises almost 10,500 military personnel from 40 countries, including the Maritime Task Force, the only naval force in peacekeeping operations -- and some 1,000 civilian national and international staff.

Geagea Proposes Financial Reforms, Hits Out at Kataeb
Naharnet/March 20/17/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Monday suggested a series of measures aimed at improving the State's financial situation, amid a growing debate in the country about the approval of the long-stalled new wage scale and taxes aimed at funding it. In an apparent jab at the Kataeb Party over its participation in protests against the proposed taxes, Geagea said “a party that since 2005 has taken part in all governments except for the past two months decried corruption and public funds waste yesterday, but let them remember that waste and corruption are not new.”“How did you take part in all governments and today you are saying no to waste and no to corruption?” he asked. “The worst form of exploitation is when someone tries to exploit people's suffering and our objective since the state budget debate started has been to put an end to the squandering of public funds before resorting to taxes,” Geagea added. Referring to Sunday's mass rally in Riad al-Solh, the LF leader said: “In addition to the real picture that we witnessed yesterday in Riad al-Solh, there was a totally fake scene, such as the presence of Maj. Gen. Jamil al-Sayyed who had supported the (Syrian) tutelage era that was rife with corruption.”Geagea then proposed the following package for reforming Lebanon's financial situation:
- Slashing funds earmarked for the 2017 state budget from 26 to 22 billion dollars
- Austerity and curbing expenditure.
- Involving the private sector in energy production
- Putting an end to tax evasion, which currently amounts to “50 percent”
- Controlling customs revenues and the illegal land, air and sea entrances
- Suspending administrative appointments

Hizbullah and Mustaqbal Voice 'Categorical Rejection' of Parliamentary Void
Naharnet/March 20/17/Hizbullah and al-Mustaqbal Movement stressed during their 41st bilateral dialogue session on Monday the need to reach an electoral law as soon as possible. “The conferees continued discussions over the preparations aimed at reaching an electoral law and underlined the need to approve it with the possible speed,” said a joint statement issued after the talks in Ain el-Tineh. “They also emphasized their categorical rejection of the possibility of reaching parliamentary vacuum due to its dangerous impact on the situations, urging all forces to maintain consultations in order to reach a new law,” the statement added. Talks also tackled “the financial and social files and the need that the political and social forces engage in a calm and objective dialogue to reach solutions that spare low-income citizens any damage.” Prime Minister and Mustaqbal leader Saad Hariri had held talks earlier in the day with President Michel Aoun after which he announced that Mustaqbal is “open to all the electoral laws that have been proposed.”Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced that Lebanon will have a new electoral law within a month, noting that it will inevitably contain a proportional representation component. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but Mustaqbal and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat had both voiced reservations.Mustaqbal has argued that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Mashnouq: Electoral Law Needs a Month, Proportional Representation Part of It
Naharnet/March 20/17/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced Monday that Lebanon will have a new electoral law within a month, noting that it will inevitably contain a proportional representation component.“There will be no elections without a new law and there will be a technical extension” of the parliament's term in order to “prepare” for the implementation of the new law, Mashnouq said after talks with President Michel Aoun in Baabda. “Proportional representation will be part of any new law and it has become a reality, the same as a technical extension and a new law have become inevitable,” the minister added. He noted that Aoun is “insisting on elections and on a postponement that doesn't exceed a few months after reaching a (new) law that can wait one more month.”The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the proposal. Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Hariri Meets Aoun, Says 'Open to All Proposed Electoral Laws'
Naharnet/March 20/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Monday visited President Michel Aoun in Baabda to discuss the general situations in the country and a number of pressing issues, state-run National News Agency reported. “Hariri put the president in the picture of the contacts and meetings he is making with the relevant ministers in on order to find the necessary solutions to all the issues,” NNA added. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, Hariri said there is “a very positive dialogue among the various political parties” regarding the electoral law. “It is true that we are approaching critical constitutional deadlines, but I'm confident that we will reach a new electoral law that satisfies the Lebanese regarding their representation in parliament,” Hariri added. Asked whether al-Mustaqbal Movement would accept an electoral law fully based on proportional representation, the premier said: “We are open to all the laws that have been proposed.” “It is a decision that we have taken in the movement to prove that we don't represent an obstacle in this regard,” Hariri added, noting that “other parties in the country, such as (Druze leader) Walid Beik Jumblat and others, should be relieved by the new law.”
Asked whether Mustaqbal will reject proportional representation to satisfy Jumblat, Hariri said: “Jumblat has spoken positively about the issue and there is no need to attribute to him something that he has not said. He is open to a hybrid law and to any other law.”Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced that Lebanon will have a new electoral law within a month, noting that it will inevitably contain a proportional representation component. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but Mustaqbal and Jumblat had both voiced reservations. Mustaqbal has argued that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Hariri Meets Berri over Electoral Law, New Wage Scale
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Monday in Ain el-Tineh with Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri.
State-run National News Agency said talks tackled “the electoral juncture, the electoral law and the political and social situations including the new wage scale.”According to al-Jadeed television, Berri and Hariri continued their talks over a dinner banquet. Hariri had held talks earlier in the day with President Michel Aoun after which he announced that his al-Mustaqbal Movement is “open to all the electoral laws that have been proposed.”Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced that Lebanon will have a new electoral law within a month, noting that it will inevitably contain a proportional representation component. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice. Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but Mustaqbal and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat had both voiced reservations. Mustaqbal has argued that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Israel Says Anti-Hizbullah Missile Interceptor Fully Operational Soon
Associated Press/Naharnet/March 20/17/David's Sling, a joint U.S.-Israeli missile interceptor meant to counter medium-range missiles possessed by Hizbullah, will be operational in early April, completing Israel's multi-layer defense system, a senior Israeli air force official said on Monday. This marks the completion of Israel's missile defense system, he said. That includes the Arrow, designed to intercept ballistic missiles in the stratosphere from long-range threats like Iran and Iron Dome that defends against short-range rockets from Gaza. The official spoke anonymously in line with protocol. Israel deployed its Arrow system Friday when Syria fired missiles at its jets on a mission to destroy a weapons convoy bound for Hizbullah. David's Sling is developed by Israeli defense company Rafael with American defense giant Raytheon.

Report: Turkey Holding 3 of Lebanese Origin in Connection with Berlin Attack
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Turkish authorities have detained three people of Lebanese origin linked to last year's deadly attack on a Berlin Christmas market, local media reported Monday, saying the suspects were headed to Europe.Tunisian attacker Anis Amri hijacked a truck on December 19, killed its Polish driver and plowed the vehicle through the market in a attack claimed by the Islamic State group that claimed 11 more lives. The assault left 56 others injured.Turkish media including the website of leading daily Milliyet said the three suspects, German citizens of Lebanese origin, were detained by anti-terror police at Istanbul's main Ataturk airport. The reports did not specify what their alleged links to the Berlin attack were, but cited intelligence that said the three wanted to go to an unidentified European country. Four days after the December attack, Amri, 24, was shot dead by Italian police after he fled to Milan. One of those arrested at the airport had been waiting to go to Europe with the intention of launching a terror attack after he had entered Turkey illegally, the reports added. Separately, a German citizen of Jordanian origin allegedly linked to Amri and believed to be a IS member was caught in the Aegean city of Izmir on March 11, state-run Anadolu news agency reported. Turkey has been hit by multiple attacks blamed on IS in the last 18 months, including a gun attack on an Istanbul nightclub just 75 minutes into 2017 which left 39 dead. Many foreign extremist fighters in Syria made their journey to the war-torn country via Turkey prompting Western allies to chide Ankara for not doing enough to halt IS militants. But Turkey has stepped up its security on its 911-kilometer (560-mile) border with Syria and officials insist the country has done all it can in the fight against IS.

MAP NGO Organizes Peace Journalism Workshop in Collaboration with UNIC Beirut
Naharnet/March 20/17/The Lebanon-based Media Association for Peace (MAP) NGO, in collaboration with the U.N. Information Center in Beirut (UNIC Beirut), has organized the 6th Annual Peace Journalism Workshop 2017 under the theme of the U.N. Campaign “Together: Respect, Safety and Dignity for All”.
The three-day workshop, organized in partnership with the U.S. Institute for Peace on 17-19 March 2017, was entitled: “Reporting on Syrian Refugees in Lebanon”. At the opening session, MAP Founder, President and Executive Director, Vanessa Bassil, gave a detailed explanation about the workshop’s program and interactive sessions. She said the purpose behind this extensive training is to introduce the concept of Peace Journalism to Lebanese and Syrian media students and young journalists. It also provides them with the necessary knowledge, tools and journalistic skills to cover the Syrian refugee crisis. Bassil added that the workshop will result in an online magazine that includes articles about Syrian refugees by the participants, as well as the production of a documentary on Syrian refugees.For her part, Maryam Sleiman from UNIC Beirut, gave an overview about the “Together” campaign that brings 193 member countries of the United Nations, the private sector, civil society and academic and media institutions in a global partnership in support of non-discrimination, acceptance of others and transforming fear of refugees into hope. Sleiman called on all participants to further highlight in their stories the common benefits of host communities and refugees, and avoid any rhetoric that promotes fear of refugees and migrants in the hearts of readers, mainly the Lebanese ones. For more information about “Together” campaign, you can visit the official website: https://together.un.org/

Khalil Reveals Offer to Scrap Taxes Targeting Banks, Says New Levies Won't Target Poor
Naharnet/March 20/17/Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said on Monday that a tax item that imposes levies on financial institutions is what thwarted the approval of the wage scale in 2014, adding that banking officials have suggested giving the government one billion dollars in return for scrapping the item.“We have been offered one billion dollars in return for scrapping a tax item that targets Lebanon's banks,” said Khalil in a press interview.His comments came after a wave of protests in Riad al-Solh Square in downtown Beirut on Sunday rejecting new taxes approved by the parliament as part of measures aimed at funding the long-stalled new wage scale.He stressed that what happened at the latest parliament session was a “political conspiracy to thwart the wage scale and to settle political differences. The people have the right to be concerned because previous experiences are not encouraging.”“There might be some flaws in the wage scale which will be addressed during a meeting of representatives of political blocs,” he added, pointing out that some have tried to take advantage of the people's concerns. Speaking on behalf of the AMAL Movement, the Development and Liberation bloc and as Finance Minister, Khalil said: “We all support the approval of the wage scale which must be paralleled with genuine reforms.”Khalil clarified: “There is a group of essential items exempted from taxes and those are related to education, health and food,” warning against the imposition of taxes that affect the poor.

Army Raids House of Drug Kingpin Nouh Zoaiter in Bekaa
Naharnet/March 20/17/Lebanon's army intelligence staged a security day and carried out several raids in the Bekaa region in east Lebanon including residences of drug kingpin Nouh Zoaiter, VDL (100.5) said on Monday. The army raided a number of houses that belong to Zoaiter in Hay al-Sharawneh but they did not find him, added Zoaiter is one of the most prominent drug farmers and dealers and is wanted by the state on several arrest warrants.Charges against him include drug smuggling, car theft, terrorism, arms trade, selling counterfeit money, and kidnapping. He is also wanted by Interpol.
This is not the first time that Zoaiter manages to evade arrest as he has succeeded to do so for years.

Hariri Receives Geagea for Talks on Pressing Issues
Naharnet/March 20/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri received on Sunday evening at the Center House, Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea where talks focused on several pivotal issues. The meeting which lasted two hours and included a working dinner, tackled the parliamentary electoral law, Lebanon's 2017 budget plan, the long-stalled salary scale and the general situation in the country, Hariri's media office said in a statement on Monday. Geagea was accompanied by Information Minister and the meeting was held in the presence of Culture Minister Ghattas Khoury and Nader Hariri, Hariri's chief of staff, added the statement. The meeting comes after a long day of public protests witnessed in the capital Beirut complaining about the imposition of new taxes in a bid to fund the salary Thousands of protesters flocked to the Riad al-Solh Square in downtown Beirut on Sunday to voice rejection of the new taxes that the parliament has approved as part of measures aimed at funding the long-stalled new wage scale. Political parties are still struggling to find a new electoral law format to govern the upcoming polls that meets the approval of everyone. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the proposal. Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system. After a failure to approve a state budget for 12 years due to political differences, the government is also trying to approve the 2017 budget plan.

Report: Late-Night Meeting at Foreign Ministry Tackles Election Law
Naharnet/March 20/17/A meeting between several political parties was held late on Sunday at the Foreign Ministry in Beirut to tackle the thorny parliamentary electoral law in a bid to agree on a new format that meets approval of all political parties before the due date, LBCI said on Monday.
The meeting which was described as “positive” included Foreign Minister and Free Patriotic Movement leader Jebran Bassil, representatives from al-Mustaqbal Movement, Hizbullah and AMAL, LBCI said. Lebanon is struggling to devise a new law for the parliamentary polls that are due in May. The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Berri Says Wage Scale Will be Approved but Electoral Law Comes First
Naharnet/March 20/17/Speaker Nabih Berri assured on Monday that approving the wage scale is a rightful people's demand which will eventually be approved, but stressed that efforts must first focus on agreeing an electoral law for the upcoming polls because it is more pressing, An Nahar daily reported. “The wage scale is going to be approved in the end and the parliament is requested to approve it. It's the people's rightful demand,” Berri told the daily.“The government is responsible for finding the revenues to fund the scale,” he added. Berri's comments came after several thousand people descended to the Riad al-Solh Square in downtown Beirut on Sunday to protest proposed tax hikes to cover a salary increase for teachers and other public servants. So far, parliament has proposed to increase value-added tax by one percent to a total of 11 percent, as well as hike taxes on tobacco, imported alcohol, and travel. On an electoral law for Lebanon's parliamentary elections, Berri reiterated refusal for the extension of the parliament's term and warned that a failure would lead to the State's total obstruction, al-Akhbar daily said.
“There is a clear possibility to agree on a new law within a couple of days. Failure to agree on a new law will push the country into vacuum that will technically lead to the obstruction of the entire State,” warned Berri.
The country has not organized parliamentary elections since 2009 and the parliament has since extended its own mandate twice.
Hizbullah has repeatedly called for an electoral law fully based on proportional representation but al-Mustaqbal Movement and Druze leader MP Walid Jumblat have both rejected the proposal. Mustaqbal argues that Hizbullah's arms would prevent serious competition in the party's strongholds while Jumblat has warned that such an electoral system would “marginalize” the minority Druze community whose presence is concentrated in the Chouf and Aley areas. The political parties are meanwhile discussing a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.

Special offer for Lebanon: Time travel with the Israeli military
Belen Fernandez/Middle East Eye/Monday 20 March 2017
As Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett sees it, another war between Israel and its Lebanese neighbour “will mean sending Lebanon back to the Middle Ages”. This endearing soundbite was reported on 13 March by Haaretz correspondent Amos Harel following a conversation with Bennett. According to the article, the minister invoked Lebanese President Michel Aoun’s remarks regarding Hezbollah’s integral role in Lebanon’s defence apparatus to justify the medieval approach.The Middle Ages treatment appears to boil down to a total eradication of any distinction between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah and between military and civilian elements. To be sure, Hezbollah’s defensive functions proved particularly irritating to the Israelis when, in 2000, the organisation spearheaded the eviction of Israel from Lebanese territory after more than two decades of occupation.
The Middle Ages treatment meanwhile appears to boil down to a total eradication of any distinction between the Lebanese state and Hezbollah and between military and civilian elements in the country. Bennett rues an alleged Israeli promise to the United States government in 2006 “not to hit Lebanon’s infrastructure” during that summer’s 34-day war - a promise the education minister contends thwarted an Israeli victory. He proposes the following formula for future conflicts:
“The Lebanese institutions, its infrastructure, airport, power stations, traffic junctions, Lebanese Army bases – they should all be legitimate targets if a war breaks out.”
Strategic continuity
Beyond the less-than-subtle endorsement of war crimes, there’s another major problem with Bennett’s reasoning - which is that Israel has never been overly preoccupied with civilian-military distinctions in the first place.
For one thing, all of the items on his list of “legitimate targets” were already bombed in 2006. Harel should technically know these things since he himself reported them at the time, but he has nonetheless now determined that “it’s interesting to listen to” Bennett’s opinions on such matters.
One can only assume that, were Hezbollah to call for the indiscriminate bombing of traffic junctions in Tel Aviv, the phenomenon would be deemed something other than “interesting”.
As for any impending Israeli massacres of Lebanese civilians, this would constitute more of a continuation of business as usual than novel strategy.
In 2006, most of the estimated 1,200 killed in Lebanon were civilians, including the children slaughtered at close range by Israeli helicopter while attempting to evacuate their villages under explicit Israeli orders.
Also obviously qualifying as civilians were the more than 100 refugees wiped out by Israel in 1996 while sheltering at a United Nations compound in the south Lebanese town of Qana.
Going back a bit further in time, the Israeli invasion of Lebanon in 1978 eliminated thousands of Lebanese and Palestinians, while the subsequent invasion of 1982 did away with some 20,000 people, the vast majority of them civilians.
Were the Israeli leadership at all concerned with cause-and-effect analyses, it might ponder such facts as that the origins of Hezbollah lie in none other than the 1982 affair - and that bombing people into the Middle Ages presumably isn’t the best way to curb anti-Israeli animosity.
Other stops on the tour
As it so happens, the medieval period is not the only forcible time travel option for the Lebanese public; other representatives of the Israeli state have proposed exile to a variety of historical epochs.
The Israeli-induced rubble that often characterises Gaza and Lebanon endows the whole 'stone age' concept with a new connotation
In 2014, for example, the Times of Israel reported that Israeli parliamentarian Yisrael Katz had threatened to return Lebanon to the Stone Age - a destination that is also regularly suggested for the Gaza Strip. Granted, the ubiquitous Israeli-induced rubble that often characterises sections of both territories endows the whole “stone age” concept with a new connotation.
At the start of the 2006 war, meanwhile, Israeli Army Chief of Staff Dan Halutz warned of “turn[ing] back the clock in Lebanon by 20 years” - an arrangement that, if implemented literally, would have conveniently transported the country back to 1986 and the heyday of the Israeli occupation.
In the end, the resetting of the clock entailed the aforementioned mass loss of life and destruction of bridges, thoroughfares, and entire neighbourhoods. When I visited Lebanon shortly after the war, craters had replaced apartment blocks in many areas.
Preemptive exoneration?
According to Bennett, the point of issuing the Middle Ages threat is ultimately to try to avert conflict, a claim that would appear to be rather blatantly contradicted by Israel’s track record.
But a more plausible function of the continued focus on disappearing military-civilian boundaries in Lebanon - rendering everyone and everything in the country fair game for attack - is to preemptively exonerate Israel for war crimes in the inevitable eventual showdown.
Harel quotes Bennett’s unintelligible explanation of why a massive bombardment of Lebanese civilian infrastructure will be necessary if war becomes unavoidable: “You can’t fight rockets with tweezers.” This is a lesson Bennett apparently learned in 2006 when, Harel writes, he “commanded an elite unit sent deep into southern Lebanon to find Hezbollah’s rocket-launching squads”.
Personally, I can’t think of any more suitable CV for an education minister. And with bellicose folks running the Israeli show with the help of a handy system of obligatory army service, the world might do well to contemplate the military-civilian boundaries supposedly in place in the nation currently menacing its neighbours with deportation to past centuries.
- Belen Fernandez is the author of The Imperial Messenger: Thomas Friedman at Work, published by Verso. She is a contributing editor at Jacobin magazine.

Israel weighs response to Hezbollah rocket threat/Would Israel attack Lebanese army?
Al-MonitoréWeek in Review
For now, deterrence holds on Israel’s northern border; Iran ready to "fight to the last man" in Syria; Why does Erdogan go easy on Putin over Syrian Kurds?
Ben Caspit reports that a “significant part of [Israeli] Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman's talks in Washington on March 7 was devoted to a war in Lebanon that could erupt at any given moment. According to top Israeli defense sources, this war, if it takes place, must be completely different from the last one. It must last a shorter amount of time and squeeze much greater destructive capabilities into smaller units of time.”
Caspit adds that since the 2006 war, Liberman sees that “the distinction between the Lebanese army and Hezbollah forces has been blurred considerably over the past few years, as has the distinction between Hezbollah — which also operates on the political level — and the sovereign state in which it resides. The IDF's working assumption is that the Lebanese army will play an active role against Israel in the next war on Lebanon, operating under Hezbollah's command. … Another difference anticipated in the next campaign is the balance of terror. While during Israel's second war in Lebanon, the devastation to Israel was limited, today Hezbollah is capable of striking any given point in the country.”
“Israel is aware that at present, it has no real answer to the rocket threat,” Caspit writes. “What this means is that the only option left to Israel is an immediate, dramatic and aggressive attack against all of Lebanon's vital infrastructure, or as Israeli officers and senior Israeli officials have been describing it for the past decade, 'sending Lebanon back to the Stone Age.'”
Caspit continues, “Since the distinction between Hezbollah and Lebanon per se has been blurred considerably, the possibility of wreaking destruction on the country could serve as a deterrent, as far as Nasrallah is concerned. He can no longer hide behind the central government, since he himself is the central government. In order to launch such an attack, however, Israel will need prior approval from the United States. According to defense sources in Israel, it has already received such approval, or at the very least, can expect to receive it in the near future. If Israel does find itself launching an aggressive campaign to destroy Lebanon's infrastructure in the next round, it will need the aerial umbrella of US support, which will allow it freedom of action, at least in the first few days of the fighting."
Caspit asks, “When would this war break out? The Israeli assessment is that Nasrallah has no reason to get into a conflict with Israel in the foreseeable future. The IDF claims that as long as a significant part of his forces is over-extended and exhausted in Syria, Nasrallah will try to avoid a clash with Israel. At the same time, however, signals from Beirut over the past few months indicate that Nasrallah's patience is starting to wear thin. According to foreign sources, the rules of the new game that Israel has imposed over the past few years, in which it feels free to attack arms convoys making their way to him from Syria, are unacceptable to Nasrallah. … Israel knows that if there is a missile on the table in the first act, it will be fired in the third act. At some time or other that is going to happen.”
This column and Al-Monitor writers have regularly covered the evolution and complexities of the deterrent relationship between Israel and Hezbollah. In October 2014, Daniel Sobleman wrote, “The establishment of Hezbollah, its identity and very existence have centered on the conflict with Israel. The organization will, of course, retain Israel on its agenda, but for the first time, Israel is second among its strategic priorities. With the US-led campaign against the Islamic State in its first phase and expected to last for a long while, evolving realities might provide Israel an opportunity to prevent a 'third Lebanon war’ in ways that are not necessarily linked to deterrence or secret operations. For instance, messages via a third party could lead, not for the first time, to indirect understandings with Hezbollah.”
In January 2015 we wrote, “We could, and probably should, imagine a more expansive conversation, somewhere, between the United States and its allies and Iran to defuse the crisis on Israel’s borders. All parties should have an interest in averting a confrontation involving Israel, Lebanon and Syria.”
Nasrallah, Soleimani hold Syria file
Ali Hashem writes, “Six years into the crisis in Syria, Iran views the outcome of the conflict as shaping the new Middle East. It was Iran’s first overt foreign intervention in decades, one that some Iranian ideologues have called a war for existence. Iranian officials say it spared the Islamic Republic from having to fight a similar war within its own borders. Yet it has been costly, draining and merciless in terms of material losses, and even worse when it comes to Iran’s image in the Muslim world. It has limited Iran’s options and has caused alliances — notwithstanding the common ground Iran shares with its partners — to seem very shaky and fragile.“
Hashem explains that Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and ideologues in the Iranian leadership consider Syria as an absolutely vital national interest. He writes about how Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah's assessment of the war in Syria convinced Khamenei in 2013 to intervene to save the regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad; Nasrallah and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Quds Force commander, Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, were key elements in the intervention. Hashem says that in Syria, Iran “is keen to fight to the last man standing. Today, just as when Iran decided to enter Syria, the Islamic Republic continues to believe that compromising Damascus is akin to giving up Tehran — and that whatever the price of the war, it will never exceed the cost of losing it.”
Syria remains a problem for Russia-Turkey ties
Semih Idiz writes this week that while Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan regularly “blasts the United States and Europe liberally for supporting the PYD [Democratic Union Party] and the YPG [People’s Protection Units], Erdogan is largely silent over Russia’s open support for the same groups. Despite the ‘Astana process’ where the two countries, together with Iran, are sponsoring talks with a view to expediting the end of the Syrian crisis, Syria remains a problem area in Turkish-Russian ties.”
Idiz adds that Turkey’s deepening crisis with Europe has re-energized its desire to expand ties with Russia. Ankara clearly wants to show that it has powerful friends that can reduce its dependence on the United States and Europe. This also works to Moscow’s advantage, given its problems with the West and barely concealed desire to undermine NATO.”
Idiz explains, “This was also made apparent when Russia stopped the advance of Turkey’s Operation Euphrates Shield in northern Syria, especially toward the town of Manbij (Ankara wanted to dislodge the YPG elements there). Using its influence with the PYD, Moscow convinced the YPG to transfer territory south of the town to regime forces. … The Russian move also highlighted how Turkey is only able to forge on in Syria according to Moscow’s — not to mention Washington’s — desires, and in doing so is forced to come to terms with the unsavory possibility of cooperating with Assad.”
“Having vilified Assad for years,” Idiz continues, “Erdogan supporters are coming around to accepting now that Assad may be the lesser of two evils when compared with the PYD and the YPG.”
Mustafa Akyol writes that the crisis between Turkey and Europe is being exploited by Erdogan and his backers. The pro-government media “tells Turks the West is not really worried about Erdogan’s authoritarianism, which is only necessary for a nation under major threats. The West is rather worried that Turkey is becoming a powerful, independent, virtuous nation. Erdogan is just making Turkey great again, in other words, and that is why Turkey’s quintessential enemy — the West — is all up in arms.”
Akyol explains, “This very narrative itself is actually proof that Erdogan indeed is authoritarian, because it equates patriotism and Erdoganism and considers all Erdogan critics as enemies of the nation. The enmity against the West, in other words, helps intimidate all Western puppets’ within Turkey, which are basically all opposition circles.”
Akyol concludes that “in this major anti-Western drive, which is likely to make Turkey a Muslim version of Vladimir Putin’s Russia, Erdogan has a major ally within the West itself: the Orientalists, especially Islamophobes. These are the people who, with their enmity against Muslims and their double standards over them, prove the Erdoganists right. … If Europeans want to break this vicious cycle and the ‘clash of civilizations’ it heralds, what they need to do is simple: Show that Wilders and his ilk, and the anti-Islamic ideology they represent, is not the real face of Europe.' Show that liberal values are not lies and double standards, but true norms valid for everyone.”

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published On March 20-21/17
'Intense' Strikes Pound East Damascus after Rebel Assault
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Syrian warplanes hammered opposition-held neighbourhoods of Damascus on Monday after regime forces pushed back a surprise assault that saw rebels try to fight their way into the city centre. Rebels and allied jihadists, led by former Al-Qaeda affiliate Fateh al-Sham Front, launched an attack early Sunday on government positions in east Damascus, initially scoring key gains. But forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad drove them back by nightfall and began a fierce bombing campaign on Monday morning. "There have been intense air strikes since dawn on opposition-held positions in Jobar from which the offensive was launched," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights."The government and allied forces have retaken the initiative and are striking the groups that launched yesterday's assault," he added.Abdel Rahman said it was unclear whether regime forces or their Russian allies were carrying out Monday's raids on Jobar. Control of Jobar -- which has been a battleground for more than two years -- is divided between rebels and allied jihadists on one side, and government forces on the other.
On Sunday, opposition fighters seized several buildings in Jobar before advancing into the neighbouring Abbasid Square area -- the first time in two years that the opposition had advanced so close to the capital's centre.
The clashes left dead at least 26 regime forces and 21 rebels and jihadists, Abdel Rahman said, but he did not have an immediate toll for Monday morning's air strikes. - Roads reopened -Sniper fire and air strikes were heard across the city on Sunday as civilians cowered inside their homes and schools announced they would close because of the violence.But by Monday, the front line had been pushed back, and AFP correspondents said activity in the typically bustling Abbasid Square was returning to normal levels.
Airplanes could still be heard circling above but many of the roads that had been sealed off by army troops the previous day were reopened.According to the Observatory, government forces managed to recapture most of the territory overrun by rebels in their assault. Opposition forces still controlled several key points in an industrial zone lying between Jobar and the besieged northeastern district of Qabun to the north, according to the Britain-based monitor.State news agency SANA said Syrian government troops were targeting rebel bases around Jobar on Monday. "The military operations north of Jobar targeted the areas from which the terrorists set out, and a large number of them were killed," it said.The Islamist Faylaq al-Rahman rebel group and the Fateh al-Sham Front -- known as Al-Nusra Front before it renounced its ties to Al-Qaeda -- have a presence in Jobar.Syria's conflict erupted in March 2011 with protests against Assad's rule but has morphed over the years into a complex civil war.
More than 320,000 people have been killed and millions more have been displaced by the conflict.

French Presidential Candidates Face Off in First TV Debate
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/France's presidential election moves into high gear on Monday when the top five contenders face off in a TV debate that could help sway legions of undecided voters, a month before they go to the polls. Centrist frontrunner Emmanuel Macron and far-right leader Marine Le Pen are expected to come under attack in the first of three debates ahead of the April 23 opening round in France's most unpredictable election in decades. A total of 11 candidates spanning the spectrum from Trotskyist left to far right are running for president. Six smaller candidates have been excluded from the debates. Advisers to 48-year-old Le Pen, who is running neck-and-neck with Macron in polls for the first round but tipped for a sound beating by him in the May 7 run-off, said she would tear into the "globalist" programme of her pro-EU rival. Former economy minister Macron, 39, will also come under pressure from conservative nominee Francois Fillon, who will attempt to claw back votes lost to the centrist since he became embroiled in a damaging expenses scandal. Polls currently show Fillon, the one-time favourite, crashing out in the first round, behind Le Pen and Macron, following revelations about payments by parliament to his wife and children and loans and lavish gifts from the rich. The 63-year-old former premier, who has been charged with misuse of public funds, will attempt to shift the focus to his programme, including the radical spending cuts he says represent France's only hope for real change.
- Ailing left -Two men representing the ailing left -- the Socialist Party's Benoit Hamon and Communist-backed radical Jean-Luc Melenchon, currently running in joint fourth -- are also hoping for a boost from Monday's three-hour television joust.
"These elections are a pivotal moment for the French people," Hamon, a 49-year-old leftist rebel who has struggled to make an impact, told a rally in Paris Sunday.
In a taste of what awaits Macron on Monday Hamon laid into the former Rothschild banker, casting him as the candidate of the elite.
"You're unemployed? Start your own company! You're poor? Become billionaires!" he said, alluding to remarks by Macron, a liberal.
- Turnout a major factor -The election, in which several political veterans have already been sent packing by voters fed up with politics as usual, could hinge on turnout. While the Netherlands enjoyed near-record turnout of over 80 percent in its general election, polls in France show only around 65 percent of voters planning to vote in the first round, which would set a record low. Of those, a whopping 40 percent-plus say they are not yet wedded to any candidate. Supporters of Macron, who styles himself as a progressive transcending France's entrenched left-right divide, are among the most volatile while Le Pen's are the most loyal, polls show. "The 2017 campaign is hard to get a handle on," Pascal Perrineau, a political sciences professor at Sciences Po university wrote in Le Monde daily at the weekend, blaming the steady drip of "affairs, real or imagined" for preventing a real debate.
While most of the focus has been on Fillon's legal woes and the gulf with the "irreproachable" image on which he won the Republicans nomination, Le Pen also goes into the election with several investigations hanging over her party. Macron, a relative newcomer to politics, has largely avoided scandal but could be tainted by an investigation into possible favouritism over a 2016 event in Las Vegas at which he was the main speaker.

IS Bombing Kills at Least 15 in Baghdad
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/A car bombing on Monday evening in the Iraqi capital Baghdad killed at least 15 people and wounded 33, an interior ministry official told AFP.The attack was claimed in an online statement by the jihadist Islamic State group, which gave a toll of 23 dead, the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group reported. The blast happened at around 7:00 pm (1600 GMT) in the busy business district of Hay al-Amel in the west of the city, he said. The radical Sunni IS group is under assault in both Iraq -- in the country's second city Mosul which IS seized in June 2014 -- and in neighboring Syria. In that year, the jihadists took vast swathes of Iraqi territory north and west of the capital. Iraqi government forces backed by the U.S.-led international coalition have since retaken many cities, including Tikrit.
But as IS has lost ground in Iraq, it has also retained the ability to stage regular attacks there.

Iraq Forces Push into Old Mosul as Thousands Trapped
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Iraqi forces battled Islamic State group fighters on Monday to push into Mosul's Old City where thousands of civilians remain trapped under jihadist rule. The city's historic center is home to the al-Nouri mosque, where IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in July 2014 proclaimed an IS "caliphate" in jihadist-controlled territory in Iraq and neighboring Syria. The forces have recaptured several neighborhoods from IS since starting the push for west Mosul last month, but the battle for the Old City, with its warrens of alleyways, was always expected to be tough.
Located on the west bank of the River Tigris which divides the city, the densely populated old center is difficult for armored vehicles to navigate and any use of heavy weapons there risks putting civilian lives in danger.Iraqi forces on Monday aimed to press forward to enter the Old City from the Iron Bridge in an area rocked by heavy fighting the previous day, the commander of the Rapid Response Division's 2nd Brigade told AFP. "The offensive has resumed in the same area as yesterday... which is made up of large buildings, markets and narrow streets where the enemy is hiding," Brigadier General Mahdi Abbas Abdullah said. Several buildings have been retaken from the jihadists on the edge of the Old City in the past few days, Iraqi authorities have said. But the fighting for IS' last major urban stronghold in Iraq puts civilians who remain in the Old City in "terrible danger," an aid coordinator for the United Nations has warned. "People fleeing are telling us that it's very difficult to enter or leave the Old City," the U.N.'s humanitarian coordinator in Iraq, Lise Grande, said in a statement on Sunday. "Families are at risk of being shot if they leave and they are at risk if they stay," she said.
"It's horrible. Hundreds of thousands of civilians are trapped and they are in terrible danger."
'Tens of thousands fleeing'
Iraqi authorities launched the offensive to retake the city on October 17 last year, with the support of the U.S.-led coalition that has been carrying out strikes against IS in Iraq and Syria since 2014. Recapturing Iraq's second city would be a major blow to IS following months of jihadist losses in both countries. Iraqi forces launched the drive to retake west Mosul on February 19, after seizing the city's eastern side the previous month. More than 180,000 people have fled west Mosul, the Iraqi government said Monday. About 111,000 have sought shelter in 17 nearby camps and reception centers while many others have stayed with relatives, the ministry of displacement and migration said. The Iraqi government says it can accommodate a further 100,000 displaced people in camps, but the United Nations says the numbers could rise way beyond that. "Humanitarian agencies are bracing for the possibility that an additional 300,000-320,000 civilians may flee in coming weeks," the U.N.'s aid coordination agency OCHA said. Grande said aid groups had spent months preparing for the Mosul operation. "But the truth is that the crisis is pushing all of us to our limits."The aid operation for western Mosul is "far larger and far more complex" than in the east, she said. "The main difference is that tens of thousands of families stayed in their homes in the east," she said. "In the west, tens of thousands are fleeing.""If the number of people leaving the city increases faster than we can construct new plots, the situation could deteriorate very quickly," she added. Mosul had an estimated population of two million before IS overran it in a lightning June 2014 assault. Also on Monday, a car bombing in a bustling business district in the west of the capital Baghdad killed at least 15 people, an interior ministry official said.
The attack was claimed in an online statement by IS, which gave a toll of 23 dead, the U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group reported.

Syria Kurds Say Will Get Training from Russian Forces
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Russia's military will train Kurdish forces in Syria, the militia's spokesman said Monday, in Moscow's first agreement of its kind with the group that controls large parts of the country's north. The move by Russia, a longtime ally of President Bashar Assad's regime, is likely to anger Turkey, which considers the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG) to be a "terrorist" group. "An agreement was signed between our units and Russian forces operating in Syria that will train us in modern military tactics," YPG spokesman Redur Xelil said. "This is the first agreement of its kind, although we have had previous cooperation (with the Russians) in Aleppo city," he said. Russian forces were already present at the training camp in the Afrin region, one of the three "autonomous" cantons that Kurdish authorities manage in northern Syria, Xelil told AFP. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Monday that nearly 100 Russian soldiers have entered the Afrin area. The deal, which Xelil said was part "of the framework of the fight against terrorism," was signed on Sunday and came into force on Monday. Russia has not officially confirmed the announcement of the accord, but confirmed in a statement that it has a presence in Afrin. The YPG makes up the bulk of the Syrian Democratic Forces, a U.S.-backed alliance of Kurdish and Arab fighters that has seized swathes of territory from the Islamic State group (IS) in the north of the country. The SDF receives equipment, weapons and air support from the U.S.-led coalition, and it is backed by several hundred Western special operations forces in an advisory role. Pentagon spokesman Jeff Davis said the Kurds to be trained by the Russians "are not the people we have worked with before." He said the Kurds comprised "a lot of different people.""Some are working with us through the Syrian Democratic Forces to fight ISIS (IS), some are not. We are supporting the ones who are working with us to fight ISIS." Russia is a long-term backer of Syrian President Bashar Assad, but also recently worked closely with rebel supporter Turkey to try to end the six-year war in Syria. Aaron Stein, a senior fellow at the U.S.-based Atlantic Council, said Russia was now partnering with the Kurds as they had become an important player in Syria. "The Kurds are now the most consequential non-state actor in Syria, alongside al-Qaida... They will have a huge say over the future of Syria," he said.

Israel Security Chief Warns Calm is 'Deceiving'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/The head of Israel's Shin Bet internal security service warned Monday against complacency despite the "relative calm" prevailing in Israel and the Palestinian territories, in rare public remarks. Speaking to parliament's foreign affairs and defence committee, Shin Bet chief Nadav Argaman told lawmakers not to be fooled by the "current relative calm". The situation, he said in remarks carried by Israeli public radio, "is deceiving". "It is misleading," Argaman said, because the Palestinian Islamist group "Hamas and global jihadists are constantly trying to carry out attacks on Israeli territory and in Judea-Samaria (the West Bank)." A wave of violence that broke out in October 2015 has claimed the lives of 256 Palestinians, 40 Israelis, two Americans, one Jordanian, an Eritrean and a Sudanese national, according to an AFP count. Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities, while others were killed during protests, in clashes or Israeli air raids on the Gaza Strip. Argaman said the relative calm is the result of new "anti-terrorism" methods adopted by Shin Bet. "We have learned to confront individual terrorism and made changes thanks to technological, operational and intelligence developments," he said. Argaman said Shin Bet has "arrested more than 400 would-be assailants before they were able to act".

Russia Summoned Israeli Ambassador over Syria Strikes
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Russia's foreign ministry on Monday said it had summoned Israel's ambassador over air strikes close to Moscow's forces near the historic Syrian city of Palmyra.Deputy foreign minister Mikhail Bogdanov told Interfax news agency that Ambassador Gary Koren was summoned on Friday and "asked about" the strikes. The ministry "expressed concern" about the action taking place near Russian military locations, Bogdanov said. Russia -- which is conducting its own bombing campaign in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad -- said earlier this month that more than 180 of its troops have started demining around Palmyra's ancient monuments. Russia and Israel have set up a "hotline" aimed at avoiding air clashes over Syria and Bogdanov said Moscow "would like this channel to work more effectively" to ensure no "misunderstanding on who is doing what."Israeli warplanes struck several targets on Friday, prompting retaliatory Syrian missile launches, in the most serious incident between the two countries since the war began six years ago. Israel's military said it had been targeting weapons bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah movement, which backs Assad in Syria.
Syria's military said it had downed an Israeli plane and hit another as they were carrying out pre-dawn strikes near Palmyra, the famed desert city it recaptured from jihadists this month. The Israeli military denied that any planes had been hit. On Sunday, Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman threatened to destroy Syria's air defence systems "without the slightest hesitation" if there was a similar incident. Russia has deployed its own high-tech missile defence systems to Syria to protect its forces there.

Netanyahu Visits China amid Election Speculation
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 20/17/Visiting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met his Chinese counterpart Monday and called for efforts to promote global stability, amid political turmoil back home. There is a "great deal of convulsion in the world," Netanyahu told Li Keqiang before their meeting, urging the two countries to advance "security, peace, stability and prosperity." The meeting was part of a three-day trip by the Israeli leader marking 25 years of diplomatic relations. He is expected to meet President Xi Jinping Tuesday. Netanyahu was accompanied by 90 businesspeople -- the largest Israeli business delegation ever to visit China, according to Chinese state broadcaster CGTN. They met executives from some of China's largest corporations including Internet giants Baidu and Alibaba, said a statement from the Israeli prime minister's office. But the economic mission has largely been overshadowed by a dispute that erupted between the prime minister and a key coalition partner just before his arrival in China. Netanyahu announced on Israeli public radio Sunday that he would be abandoning an agreement with Moshe Kahlon, the finance minister, to form a new public broadcasting authority to supplant the current one. Local media reports said Netanyahu told his cabinet ministers he would dissolve the coalition government led by his Likud party if Kahlon does not comply -- a threat that some are calling an attempt to delay his possible indictment. The prime minister has denied wrongdoing in two corruption investigations that are expected to be concluded in the coming weeks. Trade between China and Israel has flourished since diplomatic ties were established in 1992. China's total investment in Israel exceeds six billion dollars, and Israeli-designed technologies are used across the world's second largest economy. The two countries began free trade negotiations last year. Israel has largely focused its relationship with China on economics to avoid straining its strategic ties with the United States, analysts said. "Their common interests are business, the Silk Road initiative and scientific innovation," Pan Guang, the dean of Shanghai's Center for Jewish Studies, told AFP. "Both sides know their differences on the Middle East peace process, and they don't want to emphasize those differences."In a speech to the Arab League in January 2016, Xi expressed support for the establishment of a Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, noting that China "understands the legitimate aspirations of Palestine to integrate into the international community."

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published On March 20-21/17
Palestinians: Abbas's Empty Promises
Khaled Abu Toameh/Gatestone Institute/March 20/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10087/abbas-empty-promises
Notably, these calls in favor of an armed struggle against Israel were coming from the streets of Ramallah and not the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Abbas can make all the promises in the world to the new US envoy. Fulfillment of any of them, however, is a different story altogether.
Abbas knows anyhow that he would never be able to win the support of a majority of Palestinians for any peace agreement he signs with Israel. No Palestinian leader is authorized to offer any concessions to Israel in return for peace.
On the eve of US envoy Jason Greenblatt's visit to Ramallah last week, hundreds of Palestinians demonstrated in the city, calling on Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas to resign. The protesters also condemned the ongoing security cooperation between the PA and Israel.
"Listen, listen to us, Abbas; collect your dogs and leave us alone," the Palestinian protesters chanted during what has been described as the largest anti-Abbas demonstration in Ramallah in recent years. They also called for the abrogation of the Oslo Accords with Israel, and denounced Abbas as a "coward" and an agent of the Americans.
It is not clear if Greenblatt had been aware of the large anti-Abbas demonstration, which came in protest against PA security forces' violent crackdown on peaceful demonstrators in Ramallah a few days earlier.
At that protest, PA security officers used excessive force to disperse Palestinians who were demonstrating against the PA's decision to prosecute four Palestinians for illegal possession of weapons. PA security forces arrested -- and later released -- the four suspects, although they had reportedly planned to carry out an attack against Israelis. One of the suspects, Basel Al-Araj, was killed in an armed clash with Israeli soldiers. (Al-Araj was wanted by Israel for planning an attack on Israelis. When Israeli soldiers surrounded the house where he was hiding, he opened fire from at them before he was killed.)
The killing of Al-Araj and the PA's decision to prosecute his friends triggered the first protest that was brutally suppressed by the PA security forces. The second demonstration in Ramallah, a few days later, came in response to the excessive use of force by the PA security forces against the protesters.
The protests in Ramallah, the de facto capital of the Palestinians, are yet another sign of growing discontent among Palestinians with Abbas and his autocratic regime. The Palestinians are particularly enraged over the Palestinian Authority's security coordination with Israel, which is primarily aimed at combating terrorism and preventing Hamas from seizing control over the West Bank.
Yet this was far from a simple a protest against Abbas and his security forces. It was also a rallying cry for pursuing with further vigor the armed struggle against Israel.
"No to peace and no to all the nonsense, we want bullets and rockets," some of the protesters chanted. Notably, these calls in favor of an armed struggle against Israel were coming from the streets of Ramallah and not the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
The protests also reflect Palestinians' rejection of the so-called peace process with Israel. In addition to the calls on Abbas to step down, the protesters demanded as well that the PA leadership cancel all agreements with Israel, first and foremost the Oslo Accords.
In other words, Palestinians are trying extremely hard to get their message across: Israel is our enemy, not our peace partner.
In a desperate bid to contain the growing resentment on the Palestinian street, Abbas ordered an inquiry into the police violence against the Ramallah protesters. In that episode, journalists and lawyers, too, were among those who were brutally beaten by Abbas's security officers.
Still, many Palestinians voiced skepticism about Abbas's intentions, and pointed out that previous commissions of inquiry into police violence have rarely led to punitive measures against those responsible. "The formation of a commission of inquiry into the police violence is another attempt by Abbas to contain the anger of the Palestinian street and avoid an intifada against his regime," remarked a Palestinian journalist in Ramallah. "Abbas's Zionist Palestinian Authority poses a threat to the Palestinian cause."
As Abbas was meeting with the US envoy, a public opinion poll published in Ramallah showed that a majority of 64% of Palestinians would like to see their president resign. Another 61% of Palestinians expressed dissatisfaction with Abbas's performance. The poll also found that if presidential elections were held in the West Bank and Gaza Strip today, Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh would receive the same percentage of votes as Abbas.
None of this -- not the protests of rage and not the Palestinians' expressions of disgust -- appears to bother Abbas.
This is a president who seems utterly unconnected to reality -- namely that a large number of Palestinians are disillusioned with him and see him as a puppet in the hands of Israel and the US. For now, he does not seem to care what his people think about him. But in the long run, he would never be able to deliver on any peace process with Israel without the backing of his people. Like his predecessor, Yasser Arafat, he does not want to go down in history as a "traitor" who sold out to Israel and the Jews.
Abbas, whose four-year-term term in office expired back in January 2009, is reported to have told the US envoy that a "historic" peace deal with Israel is possible. According to a statement released by the US Consulate in Jerusalem, Abbas also "committed to preventing inflammatory rhetoric and incitement (against Israel)."
So here is a Palestinian leader mouthing off about a "historic" deal with Israel, while only a few hundred meters away his people have made their message of rejection -- of him and of peace -- clear as a bell.
In a further irony, here is a Palestinian leader talking about preventing incitement while he and his media outlets and senior officials still spearhead a campaign to delegitimize and isolate Israel.
Just this week, Abbas decided to decorate for "bravery" senior UN official Rima Khalaf for publishing a controversial report that accuses Israel of "apartheid." Khalaf has become a hero in the eyes of many Palestinians because of her report and subsequent resignation.
Abbas's foreign minister, Riad Malki, has meanwhile voiced outrage over the UN secretary-general's decision to drop the "apartheid" report (the reason Khalaf resigned). Malki said that the PA leadership has instructed all its embassies and representatives around the world to distribute the report as evidence of Israeli "crimes" against the Palestinians.
Abbas's pledge to prevent inflammatory rhetoric against Israel seems to have missed his editors and journalists.
Take, for example, the Palestinian Authority-controlled media's response to last week's Jerusalem marathon. In the PA media, the sports event is depicted as part of Israel's scheme to "Judaize" Jerusalem and change the "Arab and Islamic character" of the city.
In addition, Abbas's media continues to portray visits by Jews to the Temple Mount as "provocative invasions" of the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The Jewish visitors are described as "settler gangs" who carry out "suspicious tours" of Islamic religious sites. It is precisely this kind of terminology that is driving many Palestinians to carry out stabbings and car-rammings against Israelis.
Abbas can make all the promises in the world to the new US envoy. Fulfillment of any of them, however, is a different story altogether.
Abbas has had multiple opportunities to reach a "historic" deal with Israel, yet he has never delivered. Quite the contrary: he has repeatedly rejected offers for holding direct talks with Israel, insisting instead on pursuing his campaign to internationalize the conflict with the hope of imposing a solution on Israel.
Abbas knows anyhow that he would never be able to win the support of a majority of Palestinians for any peace agreement he signs with Israel. No Palestinian leader is authorized to offer any concessions to Israel in return for peace.
The "cordial" and "positive" meeting with the new US envoy will change nothing -- certainly not Abbas's stripes.
Abbas's modus operandi is to flee from his problems at home by presenting himself to the international community as a leader who seeks peace. With every lick of the flames that threaten to engulf his palace of deception, the 82-year-old Abbas runs to seek sympathy among world leaders and international public opinion. Abbas's promises of peace are as empty as the political sway he parades to his Western donors.
**Khaled Abu Toameh, an award-winning journalist, is based in Jerusalem.
© 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

France: The Taboo of Muslim Racism and Anti-Semitism - Part II
Yves Mamou/Gatestone Institute/March 20/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10081/france-muslim-racism
Meklat's tweets, threatening women, gay celebrities and Jews, were shared by around a million on social networks. Then whole country discovered what the most "integrated" young Muslims had on their minds.
The scandal is not that "Divines" might be considered a hate film against France, against public schools, against police, against firemen, against the presentation of migrants and Muslims as eternal victims. The heroes in the movie are all suffering young Muslims, targets of a racist French society; nobody understands the beauty of their souls, etc. The scandal is that Houda Benyamina shared on Facebook a cartoon saying that Israel and the United States are manipulating ISIS.
"We forget by the way that for a significant proportion of the Muslim community, homophobia, anti-Semitism and misogyny are part of their cultural background." — Pascal Bruckner, speaking about Mehdi Meklat, Le Figaro.
In France last month, riots spread -- not only to Aulnay sous Bois and other suburbs of Paris in Seine Saint Denis, such as Le Tremblay-en-France, Villepinte, Bobigny, Torcy -- but farther, to Argenteuil (Val d'Oise), Mantes la Jolie (Yvelines), Grigny, Les Ulis, Lille (northern France), Marseille (southern France), Dijon (Burgundy) and, of course, right to the heart of Paris.
How many million euros of goods, shops, cars and buses were destroyed? Nobody knows. The daily Le Parisien published a confidential police memo saying that between February 7 and February 11, in Seine-Saint-Denis alone, 200 cars were burned, 160 garbage trucks were burned, hundreds of projectiles were thrown, 40 fireworks were fired at police, and 108 people were arrested.
Muslim Antisemitism: Hate Speech
Amid these riots, three other "explosions" took place.
Mehdi Meklat and Badroudine Said Abdallah affair. Mehdi Meklat and Badroudine Said Abdallah were until very recently, two cultural heroes. These two young Muslims were the darlings of the left mainstream media.[1]
In March 2016, they even had the honor of an article in The Washington Post:
"At 23, they are already celebrities, France's youngest public intellectuals.... neither sees the point of a university education, and their world begins where Paris ends, which is the point of their entire intellectual project.
"Their columns for the Liberation newspaper's Bondy Blog, their documentaries and their 2015 novel all reveal the two friends' overarching intent: showing the world the complicated reality of the Paris suburbs where they were born and raised."
Badroudine Said Abdallah (left) and Mehdi Meklat (right), featured on the cover of the French magazine Les Inrockuptibles, on February 1, 2017.
But in mid-February 2017, an unknown woman decided to share on Facebook some of Mehdi Meklat's tweets:
"I am going to slit your throat Muslim-style" read a tweet threatening Marine Le Pen. Another called for "Hitler to kill all the Jews", while a third said he wanted to "rape" former Charlie Hebdo editor-in-chief Charb, one of the victims of the January 2015 terror attacks, with a "Laguiole knife". Meklat also tweeted that he wanted to sodomize Brigitte Bardot with light bulbs.
Meklat's tweets were shared by around a million people on social networks. Then whole country discovered what the most "integrated" young Muslims had on their minds.
For nearly five years, it turned out (most of the time, under a pseudonym), Mehdi Meklat multiplied the homophobic, anti-Semitic, misogynist, offensive messages to certain personalities or was busy advocating terrorism. None of his tweets attacked, for instance, ISIS. The targets were all women, gay celebrities and Jews. When the scandal of his racist and anti-Semitic tweets began to explode on February 16, 2017, Meklat deleted more than 50,000 tweets in one night.
Meklat today lives outside France; he says he fears for his life.
Houda Benyamina and Oulaya Amamra: Facebook posts and tweets.
The French-Moroccan film-maker Houda Benyamina received a standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival and won the Camera D'Or prize for her film, "Divines". In February 2017, the very politically correct Académie des Césars (the French equivalent of Hollywood's Oscars) rewarded Houda Benyamina with a César for "Divines" as the Best First Film. The scandal is not that "Divines" might be considered a hate film against France, against public schools, against police, against firemen, against the presentation of migrants and Muslims as eternal victims. The heroes in the movie are all suffering young Muslims, targets of a French racist society; nobody understands the beauty of their souls, etc. The scandal is that Houda Benyamina shared on Facebook a cartoon saying that Israel and the United States are manipulating ISIS.
Oulaya Amamra, the young sister of Houda Benyamina, awarded by the Académie des Césars the prize for Best Young Actress in "Divines", was pictured posing with Mehdi Meklat. Like him, she frenetically deleted dozens of racist and homophobic tweets featuring terms like "dirty nigger".
Amamra did not apologize. She just said: "sorry, I was young".
Yacine Chaouat
On February 25, the Paris prosecutor launched an inquiry into Yacine Chaouat, a parliamentary assistant of the Socialist Party senator Roger Madec. Chaouat was suspected of sharing on Facebook some posts expressing "sympathy" for ISIS. "If the facts are true, they are disturbing. We're very clearly about apologizing for terrorism", said a source close to the investigation at the weekly L'Express. In Le Parisien, Chaouat replied he was the victim of a smear campaign.
In 2015, Chaouat had to resign from a nomination to be a member of the National Secretary of the Socialist Party: some of his colleagues suggested that Chaouat was justly condemned, because he had severely beaten his girlfriend.
Not all but...
Of course, not all Muslims living in French suburbs are anti-Semitic, violent, racist or homophobic. More importantly, the Mehdi Meklat and Houda Benyamina tweet scandal highlights the responsibility of mainstream media of the Left, who have chosen to turn a blind eye to their "protégés".
"For years, Le Monde, Liberation, Les Inrockuptibles, Télérama praised the great vitality of this kid from the suburbs, so funny, so smart that he proposed, through the voice of his "double evil" [a pseudonym of Meklat] to kill Jews, to sodomize Mrs. Valls [the prime minister's wife], spit on Charb [murdered in the Charlie Hebdo terrorist attack], to break the legs of Finkielkraut [noted philosopher]... The media wanted to deny the violence of kids from the suburbs or try to make it seem the natural expression of an oppressed minority. We forget, by the way, that for a significant proportion of the Muslim community, homophobia, anti-Semitism and misogyny are part of their cultural background."
All of this happened while, in January 2017, the great, Moroccan-born historian Georges Bensoussan appeared in court for having said on radio that anti-Semitism was transmitted in many Muslim families with "mother's milk".
It is to the credit of the French court that last week, Bensoussan was acquitted of "hate speech". Not surprisingly, the prosecutor has announced that the state will appeal the verdict.
**Yves Mamou is a journalist and author based in France. He worked for two decades for the daily, Le Monde, before his retirement.
[1] Liberation, Les Inrocks, Telerama, Le Monde, the public radio station France Inter. Their novels were published by the prestigious publishing house Le Seuil; they were hosted as columnists on the France Inter radio station. Meklat and "Badrou" had the honor of the Front Page of the trendy magazine Les InRockuptibles with Christiane Taubira, ex-minister of Justice of François Hollande.
© 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.

Facing Trump Administration, Iran Shows Fear And Military Self-Restraint, Halts Provocations, Threats, And Incitement – While Boosting Morale At Home And Delegating The Bulk Of Conflict To Its Proxies
By: A. Savyon and Yigal Carmon/MEMRI/March 20/17
Introduction
Since the establishment of the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, which is known to be against Iran's revolutionary regime, Iran has faced a new reality. On the one hand, the U.S. is acting to organize the Gulf countries and Arab countries into an arrangement that Arab media have dubbed an "Arab NATO" which is aimed against Iran. On the other hand, Iran senses that despite the Iran-Russia cooperation in recent years and in various areas, Russia is abandoning it for its other vital interests, such as an understanding with the U.S. in order to advance the lifting of the sanctions against it, and an understanding with Turkey as its top regional partner.[1]
These developments have given rise in Tehran to a sense that it is besieged and under an emerging existential threat, in light of the crystallization of a comprehensive U.S.-Russia-Arab (including Israel) front against the Iranian revolutionary regime.
This report will review the overall Iranian reaction to this new situation:
The Iranian Response To The New Developments
Iran's response to these new developments is characterized by fear of U.S. activity against its regime, as can be seen in several areas:
1. Considerable military restraint and a halt to long-range missile tests, in response to the warning by President Trump: Following Iran's failed January 29, 2017 launch of its long-range Khorramshahr missile, the Trump administration announced that Iran was being "put on notice." At that time, Iran had been making preparations to launch yet another long-range missile, and had made the practical arrangements for doing so; the launch was cancelled following the U.S. warning. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh complained, on March 9, that Iran had been so firmly deterred that it is even refraining from using a missile to launch a satellite into orbit: "We have a missile for non-military purposes for launching satellites. But it is being put into storage because of America's angry tone?! ... How much longer will we be blackmailed and forced to compromise? If we do not change our strategy, and continue to operate according to orders from officials who are stuck in the mud, our situation will deteriorate daily."[2]
The satellite images below, taken by ImageSat International (ISI),[3] show the launch site in Semnan. The first image, taken January 17, shows the launch site and launch pedestal as inactive; it also shows, on the ground, the emblem of the Iranian Space Agency (ISA) and the emblem of the Simorgh ("Phoenix") orbital carrier rocket that is used to launch satellites. The second image, taken February 3, shows the launch pedestal ready for launch and many vehicles at the launch site.
Left to right: Image 1: Launch site in Semnan showing inactive launch pedestal, with emblems, taken January 17, 2017; Image 2: Launch site showing pedestal ready for launch and vehicles surrounding the site, taken February 3, 2017.
Images 3 and 4 below, also taken February 3, show the integration facility during a visit by a VIP in advance of the launch. The VIP's vehicle, and many others, including jeeps from the VIP's motorcade, can be seen.
Left to right: Images 3 and 4, showing integration facility during the VIP's visit; taken February 3, 2017.
Image 5, taken two days later, on February 5, shows that the launch site is again inactive.
The day after the cancellation of the missile launch, on February 4, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh said: "America is looking for excuses surrounding our missile tests, because the enemy has set its sights on [harming] our security. The enemy deals with issues such as [our] nuclear capabilities and science, the might of [our] missiles, and so on. These are all merely excuses [to justify] their hostility towards the Islamic regime and the Iranian nation."[4]
Also indicating Iran's military self-restraint were February 9, 2017 statements by Defense Minister Hossein Dehghan. On the eve of Iran's Revolution Day, he spoke about "the new claim by American elements and media outlets regarding an additional missile test by Iran. These false claims," he added, "are a type of creating an enemy and Iranophobia. This is planned by the Zionist regime, which incites while spreading lies.
"First, this is a false claim, and nothing like [such a missile launch] happened; second, even if such a test was conducted, it had nothing to do with them at all; and third, Iran's missile program is a standard program, and missile tests are part of these plans, which are made in advance; these tests are conducted in order to maintain our country's defensive readiness."[5]
2. A halt to provocations against U.S. Navy vessels, and even an official IRGC statement that responsibility for handling the crews of foreign vessel apprehended penetrating Iranian territorial waters was being transferred from the IRGC to the civilian Ports & Maritime Organization (PMO): This is due to fear of a harsh response by the Trump administration to humiliation of American captives – as happened in January 2016, even though there had been no real response to this from the Obama administration.[6]
3. A halt to public threats to burn and sink U.S. Navy vessels in the Persian Gulf,[7] and a near-total moratorium on hostile anti-U.S. statements: The slogan "death to America" has disappeared almost entirely from the official discourse of regime spokesmen, including Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei himself,[8] as have public burnings of the American flag.[9]
In a March 16, 2017 article, the ideological camp mouthpiece Kayhan attacked the government of Iranian President Hassan Rohani, stating that the government is claiming that "when Trump was elected, [Rohani government officials] said that Trump was unpredictable and makes unconsidered decisions – and that is why it is better for us to refrain from saying anything to offend him..."[10]
4. Boosting morale and persuading Iranians of the might of their country and of the need for faith in God and in the armed forces' ability to face down the U.S.: One example of this was a television interview with Defense Minister Dehghan on February 7, 2017, on the eve of Revolution Day. In it, Dehghan said that today, that is, after Trump took office, Iran is on the defensive against the American threat: "We consider defense to be necessary for our country, for other Muslim countries, and for Muslims [in general]... It is certain that the enemies are lying in wait for our regime. It is our duty to equip ourselves to the point that no one dares threaten us, blackmail us, or attack our country. All defensive elements, together with the nation as a whole, stand against the enemy to prevent an attack by it, and if the enemy attacks, we will punish it...
"The countries around us are no threat to us. The threat to us is an extra-regional threat known as the regime of arrogance [i.e. the U.S.], which is why we must acquire anything that gives us the upper hand – that is, asymmetric warfare. We must operate so that on the designated day [when war breaks out], not only will we not be caught off guard strategically, but we will surprise the enemy and inflict the maximum damage on it..."[11]
One example of efforts to boost national morale was a speech by IRGC Deputy Commander Hossein Salami, who had often issued threats to the U.S. and had said that Iran would destroy its forces in the Gulf. On February 2, 2017, Salami highlighted Iran's defensive capabilities in light of the uniting of ranks by its enemies: "Today, the enemies have joined forces against our great revolution, but their plans have been defeated. The entire world wants to wipe us off the geographical map... but the martyrs have shown that any superpower can be confronted with reliance on faith, with Islam, and with obedience to the leader. By relying on jihad and martyrdom, we can confront any power and defend the honor of Muslims.
"Our glorious history is full of victories over the arrogance [i.e. the U.S.]... The Islamic regime of Iran has succeeded in gaining major influence in the Islamic world... Our nation is so mighty... We are involved in a great jihad, and as long as the Muslims [meaning the Shi'ites] dream of martyrdom and rely on the directives of the Koran, which light our way, we will never be defeated, but we will defeat the enemy...
"Iran's mighty missile force is included in the list of unprecedented global deterrents. If the enemy fears our nuclear might, it can flee to the bomb shelters.
"The Iranian nation has learned to create might by reliance on internal faith... Every day, the number of defensive missiles, warships, and launchers increases. The air, land, and sea are under the control of this nation... here, in the land of heroes and martyrs."[12]
Also in his February 4 speech, IRGC Aerospace Force commander Amir Ali Hajizadeh highlighted Iran's ability to withstand an American attack: "The threats to Iran made by certain American elements are merely boasts. Due to my knowledge of the capabilities of our armed forces, I confidently say that a foreign threat will not influence our Islamic regime. We rely on the infinite might of God, while America relies on earthly equipment and might. We will emerge victorious from the arena in any possible scenario. We will not hesitate for a single moment in creating and strengthening our defensive capabilities... 24 hours a day, we work to defend the security of the nation, and if the enemy makes the smallest error, our missiles will land on its head like a thunderclap."[13]
5. Strengthening the resistance front and delegating the fight against Iran's enemies – the West, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and the Gulf states – to Iran's proxies: These proxies include the Shi'ite militias in Iraq and the Houthis in Yemen, as well as Syria, Hizbullah, and the Palestinian organizations, which are operated by Iran, to revive the battlefront against Israel (see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6811, Iran Prepares Militarily And Politically Vis-à-vis Trump Administration: Strategic Alliance With Russia, Dragging Israel Into War With Hizbullah, Palestinians, March 3, 2017).
The Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen have recently been firing missiles at Saudi Arabia: On March 17, the Houthis fired a medium-range ballistic missile at an Aramco facility in Jazan, Saudi Arabia.[14] Also on March 17, the Houthis fired three missiles at a mosque in an army base in Ma'rib Governorate during Friday prayers. The attack killed and wounded dozens of officers and soldiers.[15] Additionally, a locally made Yemeni Borkan-2 missile was fired at the King Salman airbase in Riyadh.[16]
Further, the Syrian regime has been escalating its responses to Israeli attacks on convoys transferring strategic missiles from Iran to Hizbullah. Unlike in the past, this week the Syrian regime fired anti-aircraft missiles at Israeli aircraft. MEMRI assesses that this was the result of Iranian pressure on Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad and on Hizbullah to respond in accordance with Iranian policy in order to spark a military confrontation with Israel.
Furthermore, it should be mentioned that as part of the Iranian regime's efforts to revive the Palestinian front against Israel, on February 21, 2017, Tehran held the Sixth Conference in Support of the Palestinian Intifada. In his opening remarks at the conference, Supreme Leader Khamenei stressed the need to assist resistance movements in their military struggle against Israel, and said that Iran's aid to these movements is directly tied to the level of these movements' commitment to the principles of "resistance" (i.e. the struggle against Israel). He especially highlighted the need to continue aiding the resistance in the West bank, saying: "The main pivot of the Resistance is the steadfastness and endurance of the Palestinian people who have raised courageous and resistant children. Meeting the needs of the Palestinian people and Palestinian resistance is an important and vital responsibility which should be carried out by all of us. In doing so, we should not ignore the basic needs of the Resistance in the West Bank because the West Bank shoulders the main burden of the suppressed intifada." (see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6795, Khamenei In Speech At Iran's Sixth International Conference In Support Of Palestinian Intifada: 'We [Stand] With Every Group That Is Steadfast On This Path [Of Resistance]'; 'Cancerous Tumor' Israel Must Be Cured In Several Phases, February 21, 2017).
It should also be mentioned that as part of Iranian efforts against Israel, Hizbullah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah has recently made aggressive statements about Israel in interviews with Iranian and Lebanese media.
6. Attempting to connect Russia to Iran in a strategic alliance (see MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 6795, Iran Prepares Militarily And Politically Vis-à-vis Trump Administration: Strategic Alliance With Russia, Dragging Israel Into War With Hizbullah, Palestinians, March 3, 2017).
7. Clinging insistently to the JCPOA, even in light of actions by the U.S. that Iranian representatives had once stated would lead Iran to revert to a pre-JCPOA situation.
Moreover, in this context, MEMRI assesses that Iran will under no circumstances withdraw from the JCPOA, even if the Trump administration increases the sanctions against it, and even if the U.S. takes military action against Iranian interests in the region. This is because the JCPOA is an historic achievement for Iran, since it grants it the status of a nuclear state. Furthermore, according to the Iranian regime mouthpiece Kayhan, the Rohani government had presented the JCPOA as a tool to prevent a war against the Iranian regime.[17]
*A. Savyon is Director of the MEMRI Iranian Media Project; Y. Carmon is President of MEMRI.
[1] See MEMRI Inquiry and Analysis No. 1303, 'Iran Diplomacy' Following Tripartite U.S.-Russia-Turkey Military Chiefs of Staff Meeting: 'If You Aren't Sitting At The Table, You Are Being Eaten At The Table,' March 15, 2017.
[2] Tasnim (Iran), March 9, 2017.
[3] ISI – ImageSat International – is a privately owned company which provides confidential earth imagery acquisition under prioritized tasking management with very high resolution image quality.
[4] Tasnim (Iran), February 4, 2017.
[5] Asr-e-Iran (Iran), February 9, 2017.
[6] According to IRGC Navy commander Ali Fadavi, the IRGC signed an agreement with the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran (PMO) under which the crews of all foreign naval vessels penetrating Iranian territorial waters and captured by the IRGC would be handed over to the PMO. Defapress.ir February 27, 2017.
[7] An isolated incident on March 4, 2017 saw IRGC boats approach an American destroyer, forcing it to change course. The Iranians later argued that the incident came about because the destroyer had deviated from its regular path. Tasnim (Iran), March 8, 2017.
[8] Assembly of Experts head and Guardian Council secretary Ayatollah Ahmad Jannati was the one official who did use the "death to America" slogan during a Revolution Day parade on February 10, 2017. He said: "Today, we all chant the slogan 'death to America' and trample its flag. This means we will not compromise nor back down to evil. We are not alone in the world, and throughout the world there are many nations that trample the American flag. Hostility towards America is the slogan of all those who are oppressed and desire freedom. We will never end our hostility towards evil, and we will always chant the slogan 'no to humiliation.'" Fars (Iran), February 10, 2017.
[9] It should be noted that some attempted to justify this by calling it a sign of respect for the American people who voted against Trump.
[10] Kayhan (Iran), March 16, 2017. It should be mentioned that while the ideological camp's hawks, such as the IRGC and Kayhan, accuse the pragmatic camp and President Rohani of responsibility for this policy of self-restraint, Supreme Leader Khamenei consents to this policy, and even leads it himself.
[11] Tasnim (Iran), February 8, 2017.
[12] Tasnim (Iran), February 2, 2017.
[13] Tasnim (Iran), February 4, 2017.
[14] Al-Akhbar (Lebanon), March 18, 2017.
[15] 'Okaz (Saudi Arabia), March 18, 2017.
[16] Al-Quds Al-Arabi (London), March 18, 2017.
[17] Kayhan (Iran), March 16, 2017.

War in Space Is Becoming a Real Threat
David Ignatius/The Washington Post/March 20/17
Among the memorabilia in Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein’s office is a fragment of the Wright brothers’ first airplane. But the most intriguing items may be two small plastic satellites on sticks that can be maneuvered to simulate a dogfight in space.
Space is now a potential battle zone, Goldfein explains in an interview. The Air Force wants to ensure “space superiority,” which he says means “freedom from attack and freedom to maneuver.”
If you think cyberwar raises some tricky issues, get your mind around this next big threat worrying the Pentagon. Similar problems exist in both the cyber and space domains: U.S. commercial and military interests are interwoven but deeply suspicious of each other; the technologies are borderless but are being weaponized by hostile nation-states; and attacks on satellites and other systems may be invisible and difficult to attribute.
Today’s digital world hangs on the satellite networks that invisibly circle the globe. They’re the wiring system for many commercial and military operations down below, and they’re highly vulnerable to attack. Russia has jammed GPS reception in Ukraine; China has hacked U.S. weather satellites; North Korea has jammed signals over the demilitarized zone.
The cloud overhead is thickening: As of mid-2016, the Union of Concerned Scientists counted 1,419 satellites orbiting the globe, including 576 from the United States, 181 from China and 140 from Russia. More than half are in low Earth orbit; most of the rest are geostationary, about 22,000 miles from Earth. Roughly 350 satellites, or 25 percent of the total, are for military use. At least 12 nations now have space-launch capability.
Space warfare has been a staple of science fiction for decades, but real-world fears were checked by a 1967 Outer Space Treaty, which banned the use of nuclear weapons there. But the treaty didn’t ban the use of conventional weapons in space, and Russia began its first anti-satellite weapons program in 1961, according to leading expert Brian Weeden of the Secure World Foundation. After the Cold War ended, fears eased about space conflict.
A wake-up call came with China’s 2007 test of an anti-satellite missile that destroyed a Chinese target in space (creating more than 3,000 dangerous fragments). The Chinese have now conducted a total of eight tests of satellite-killer rockets, Weeden says. Russia, too, has resumed similar tests. The United States is also thought to have what amount to anti-satellite rockets in the “midcourse” leg of its missile-defense system.
Rocket attacks against satellites worry the Pentagon less these days than electronic ones. Satellites could use jammers to sabotage other satellites. Ground systems can already create electronic bubbles that block GPS signals. The Russians used this technology to disable a Ukrainian drone in 2014, according to a report by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, cited by Weeden.
Keeping space systems safe is crucial for the planet, but protection is dispersed among a jumble of overlapping and conflicting authorities. The military and the intelligence communities barely talked to each other for decades on this issue, but last year the Air Force created a Joint Interagency Combined Space Operations Center that will soon have about 200 representatives coordinating operations across agencies.
But military liaison with private space users is still primitive. A “commercial integration cell” at the Air Force Joint Space Operations Center (yes, it’s a different entity) works with six big companies. But most commercial concerns share their satellite-location data through the Space Data Association, based in the Isle of Man. Meanwhile, the Federal Aviation Administration is eager to extend supervision of commercial flights to space activity, said Marcia Smith of Space Policy Online.
The United States is even warier of sharing its space secrets than its communications intelligence. There’s no “Five Eyes” partnership yet, though Britain, Australia and Canada are creating space-operations centers that could someday share data with an Air Force unit that was established 11 years ago. One little-discussed U.S. snooping operation is the Geosynchronous Space Situational Awareness Program, which has four satellites monitoring the other traffic 22,000 miles above the planet.
As on Earth, the hidden danger is hacking, official or otherwise. Orbits can be changed; sensors can be blinded; data can be corrupted. Facts could become as fragile in space as on Earth, if systems aren’t protected. But first, suspicious space mavens must learn to talk with each other.
When space is a battleground, such cooperation is difficult. As Goldfein said in a recent speech, “There really is no such thing as war in space, it’s just war.”