LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 12/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.may12.17.htm

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

Bible Quotations For Today
Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 06/22-27/:"The next day the crowd that had stayed on the other side of the lake saw that there had been only one boat there. They also saw that Jesus had not got into the boat with his disciples, but that his disciples had gone away alone. Then some boats from Tiberias came near the place where they had eaten the bread after the Lord had given thanks. So when the crowd saw that neither Jesus nor his disciples were there, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum looking for Jesus. When they found him on the other side of the lake, they said to him, ‘Rabbi, when did you come here?’Jesus answered them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, you are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For it is on him that God the Father has set his seal.’"

We urge you to abstain from fornication; that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honour, not with lustful passion
First Letter to the Thessalonians 04/01-12/:"Finally, brothers and sisters, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus that, as you learned from us how you ought to live and to please God (as, in fact, you are doing), you should do so more and more. For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from fornication; that each one of you knows how to control your own body in holiness and honour, not with lustful passion, like the Gentiles who do not know God; that no one wrongs or exploits a brother or sister in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, just as we have already told you beforehand and solemnly warned you.For God did not call us to impurity but in holiness. Therefore whoever rejects this rejects not human authority but God, who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.Now concerning love of the brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anyone write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another; and indeed you do love all the brothers and sisters throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, beloved, to do so more and more, to aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly towards outsiders and be dependent on no one."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 11-12/17
Lebanon: Extending Parliament, extending crisis/Diana Moukalled/ArabNews/May 11/17
Germany Looks to Support Lebanon/Brent Nagtegaal/The Trumpet/ May 11/17
The Most Important Decision of the Trump Administration/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
Top US army general aligns with Israeli concern over Iran and its proxies/Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post/May 11/17
Spain: "Pacifist" Imam Arrested on Terror Charges/The New York Times once praised his moderation/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
Europe: Denying the Threat of Islamic Imperialism/Maria Polizoidou/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
The Candy Bar that Blew Barghouti's Cover/Palestinian Incitement against the Media/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
Security, intelligence services should reveal who is behind abductions in Iraq/Adnan Hussein/Al Arabiya/May 11/17


Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 11-12/17
Lebanon: Aoun, Berri Disagree Over Electoral Law
Saudi Envoy Invites Hariri to Arab-Islamic Summit with Trump
Lebanon’s Hariri Invited to Saudi-US Summit in Riyadh
Lebanon pushed to brink in election law stand-off
Nasrallah taunts Israel in speech commemorating assassinated Hezbollah military-wing leader
Hezbollah says future war would be on Israeli territory
Nasrallah Says Israel's Planned Wall Signals Its 'Defeat', Hizbullah to Leave Eastern Border
Lebanon: Extending Parliament, extending crisis
Lebanon, Cuba Sign Visa Exemption Agreement
Aoun on Corruption Accusations: Present Evidence or Stop Misleading Public Opinion
Shorter Meets Hariri and Bassil, Urges 'Timely and Transparent Elections'
Near-Unanimity on Proportional Representation amid Efforts to Convince FPM
Jumblat Says to Keep Silent amid Electoral Law 'Cold War'
Fenianos inaugurates new radar system at Beirut Airport
Machnouk chairs Central Security Council meeting
Falha: Radio Liban key francophone radio station in Arab world
Meeting at Serail dedicated to projects for Akkar
Adwan optimistic over developing new electoral law by June 19
Hasbani inaugurates 7th Arab Forum for Pharmaceutical Industry
Ambassador of China: International Cooperation Forum promises to strengthen economic partnership with Lebanon
Guidanian tackles with ambassadors of Argentina, South Korea promotion of tourism relations
Germany Looks to Support Lebanon
SNG Vehicle Torched in Fresh Attack on al-Jadeed TV


Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
May 11-12/17
Al-Azhar disowned a famous preacher for atoning Christians
Washington Studying the Possibility of a Summit between Netanyahu, Abbas,Trump
Assad: De-escalation zones chance for rebels to ‘reconcile’
Syrian Kurds clear mines after taking town and dam from ISIS
Kremlin says ‘too early’ to speak of thaw in Russia-US ties
UN Demands More Details of Deal Creating Syria Safe Zones
Turkish Public Prosecution: ISIS Planned for Attack Similar to Reina Nightclub
Clashes with PKK Militias in Eastern Turkey Kill Two Soldiers
Iraqi Forces Tighten Siege over ISIS in Mosul
Hamas: Suspect behind Faqha’s Assassination Arrested in Gaza
Moscow backs resumption of dialogue between Israel and Palestine
Preacher At Al-Aqsa Mosque Calls To Annihilate The Jews, Destroy The Palestinian Authority And Arab Rulers
Jordan Downs Drone near Syria Border

52% of Macron Parliamentary Candidates New to Politics, 50% Women

Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 11-12/17
Lebanon: Aoun, Berri Disagree Over Electoral Law
Beirut – Lebanon’s political scene witnessed on Wednesday a direct and unprecedented dispute between President Michel Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri over the ongoing electoral law crisis. Referring to a law proposed by Free Patriotic Movement leader and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Berri on Wednesday said that the 1960 electoral law, which was endorsed in the 2009 polls, was a “bad” law for the country. He warned against replacing it with confessionalism, saying: “Our purpose is not to move from a bad prison to one that is worse, from the 1960 [majoritarian] law to a sectarian law.”“We hold onto the national principles and national approach in dealing with the electoral law and we will never support any sectarian approach towards the new law,” he added. The speaker made his remarks during a meeting with MPs at his Ain al-Tineh residence in Beirut. Bassil’s proposal involves sectarian voting in its first round and proportional voting in the second round. The speaker’s comments came in response to Aoun, who said on Tuesday: “Every leader controlling his sectarian community does not want the minority in that community to be represented and does not want the emergence of an opposition popular bloc.”“Each one of them wants to steal some parliamentary seats from ‘his neighbor’, and ‘Christians are everyone’s neighbors’, and here lies the problem,” he added. On Wednesday, the Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, held an ordinary session during which it avoided tackling the issue of the electoral law to prevent a crisis inside the government. At the beginning of the session, Hariri underlined the need to consolidate government’s unity and maintain efforts to endorse a new voting system, “so that we can reach a [happy] ending very soon.”

Saudi Envoy Invites Hariri to Arab-Islamic Summit with Trump
Naharnet/May 11/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri held talks Thursday at the Grand Serail with the Chargé d'affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon, ​​Walid Al-Bukhari, and discussed with him the developments, the PM's office said. “I was honored to present an invitation from the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, to Prime Minister Hariri to participate in the Arab-Islamic-American Summit, which will be held on May 21 in Saudi Arabia,” Bukhari said after the meeting. “The aim of the Summit is to work towards the establishment of a new partnership to confront extremism and terrorism and reinforce the values ​​of tolerance and better living for the future of our generations in the Arab region,” the envoy added. The summit will be attended by U.S. President Donald Trump during his upcoming visit to the kingdom. Saudi media said King Abdullah II of Jordan, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Niger's Mahamadou Issoufou are among leaders invited by King Salman for the summit with Trump. Trump has frequently been accused of fueling Islamophobia but aides described his decision to visit Saudi Arabia as an effort to reset relations with the Muslim world. There will also be a separate meeting between monarchs of the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council and Trump, as well as bilateral talks between the Saudi and U.S. leaders, Riyadh's Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir has said. In addition to heads of state from Jordan, Algeria and Niger, the official Saudi Press Agency reported that Salman asked Yemeni President Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and Morocco's King Mohammed VI to attend. The leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and Tunisia have also received invitations, the Arab News daily reported on Wednesday. Saudi Arabia -- which is home to Islam's holiest sites -- will be Trump's first foreign stop since becoming president in January. "It is a clear message to the world that the United States and the Arab and Islamic countries can form a partnership," Jubeir said in Washington, according to SPA. The Saudis have found a more favorable ear in Washington under Trump, who has echoed their concerns about Iran's influence in the region.

Lebanon’s Hariri Invited to Saudi-US Summit in Riyadh
Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz has sent an official invitation to Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri inviting him to attend the Arab-Islamic-American Summit to be held in Riyadh on May 21. According to a statement by Hariri’s press office, the Charge d’affaires of the Saudi embassy in Lebanon, Walid Al-Bukhari, handed over to Hariri the invitation during a meeting at the Grand Serail. “The aim of the summit is to work towards an establishment of a new partnership to confront extremism and terrorism, and reinforce the values of tolerance and coexistence for the future of our generations in the Arab region,” said Bukhari, following the meeting. King Abdullah II of Jordan, Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika and Niger’s Mahamadou Issoufou are among the leaders invited by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz for the summit with United States President Donald Trump. In addition, Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI and the leaders of Turkey, Pakistan, Iraq and Tunisia have also received invitations. Saudi Arabia, which is home to Islam’s holiest sites, will be Trump’s first foreign stop as President.

Lebanon pushed to brink in election law stand-off
Tom Perry and Laila Bassam/Reurers/May 11/17/Lebanon is on the brink of crisis again with its politicians at odds over an election law at the heart of the nation's sectarian system, threatening to leave the country without a parliament for the first time. Parliament's term expires on June 20 and without a compromise Lebanon faces what one minister has called the most serious political crisis since the end of the 1975-90 civil war. Some analysts believe the dangers of a parliamentary vacuum - including the risk this would topple the government - will force a compromise deal, though there is no sign of one yet.
A short extension of parliament's term beyond June 20 now looks inevitable to allow more time for a deal, though a so-called "technical extension" of a few months will also require a political agreement. Leaders have ruled out a longer extension on concerns of a popular backlash that could cause unrest.
"This is the most dangerous crisis the country has been through since the Taif agreement," Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil told Reuters, referring to the 1989 peace deal that ended the civil war. "It is the first time since even before Taif that we are close to a (legislative) vacuum," he said. However, the prospect of a return to civil war appears remote. Lebanese leaders remain committed to containing sectarian tensions exacerbated by six years of war in Syria. The bigger risk is state paralysis as the government tries to revive an economy saddled by massive public debt and to cope with the strain of 1.5 million refugees from neighboring Syria. Parliament's 128 seats are split equally between Christians and Muslims under the terms of the Taif agreement, which diluted the Christians' power by reducing their seats in parliament and curbing the powers of the Maronite president. The agreement also strengthened the powers of the prime minister - a post reserved for a Sunni Muslim. The post of parliament speaker is reserved for a Shi'ite Muslim. Lebanon's once-dominant Maronite Christians are at the heart of the dispute. Maronite leaders say the law used to hold the last election gives Muslims too much say over which Christian MPs get elected. The main Christian party, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) founded by President Michel Aoun, wants a law that redraws constituencies so that more of the Christian seats are decided exclusively by Christian voters. Aoun said a new electoral law was one of his priorities when he took office last October in a deal that ended a 2-1/2-year vacuum in the presidency and saw Sunni politician Saad al-Hariri become prime minister. Lebanon last held a parliamentary election in 2009. Elections have been postponed twice since then, with MPs opting to extend their own term rather than tackle fundamental disagreements over how the polls should be conducted.
Critics say the Christian FPM's logic is too sectarian: the existing system has helped to forge political alliances that cut across sectarian lines. "Our position on the electoral law is not sectarian, but we are trying to restore the greatest number of rights to their owners," Aoun said in a written statement from the presidency. Proposals tabled by FPM leader Gebran Bassil, the foreign minister and Aoun's son-in-law, have been rejected by most other parties including his allies in the powerful, armed Shi'ite movement Hezbollah. Hezbollah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah noted in a speech this month that Lebanese Christians and Druze were more worried about the law than Sunnis and Shi'ites - Lebanon's dominant sects since the civil war. Nasrallah said to some Lebanese, it was a matter of "life or death" and a deal must be reached. Druze leader Walid Jumblatt said if there was no deal, the election should be held under the existing law to avoid a vacuum. Lawmakers were so far unable to find a way out of "a vicious circle", he told Reuters. In their efforts to strike a deal, politicians have broadened the talks to include the possible establishment of a senate envisaged by the Taif deal. At the time of Taif, it was agreed that the head of the senate should be a Druze. But that understanding has also become a point of contention. "We prefer that we stick to this agreement, and we want our other partners to understand us," Jumblatt said. "It's better to agree on the leadership of the senate - a package deal."Nabil Boumonsef, a commentator with an-Nahar newspaper, said he believed the risk of failure would force a compromise. "All the parties know the meaning of this possibility, and fear of its consequences will push them to a settlement at the last moment," he said. (Additional reporting by Reuters TV; Writing by Tom Perry; Editing by Louise Ireland and Janet Lawrence)

Nasrallah taunts Israel in speech commemorating assassinated Hezbollah military-wing leader
Ynetnews/Reuters and Roi Kais/May 11/17/The secretary-general of the terrorist organization used the event to mark the anniversary of the assassination of Hezbollah's military commander to taunt Israel: 'Their means are worn out. … they know that any future confrontation could be inside occupied Palestinian territories.'Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah addressed on Thursday the incident of the Lebanese civilian who crossed the border into Israel last month: "The Israelis have erected a number of fences and installed advanced warning systems on the border … but a few weeks ago, a Lebanese citizen managed to cross the border and walk 10 kilometers until he reached a bus station in Kiryat Shmona. It shows that all these means are worn out. They discovered that their means, their technology, their army and their security are weak." According to the head of the Lebanese terrorist organization, the construction of a fence from Rosh Hanikra to Mount Hermon "is an admission of Lebanon's crushing victory and the admission of Israel's defeat."The Lebanese news website Al-Nashra reported that civilians in Lebanon had received a phone call from an unidentified number during Nasrallah's speech, saying: "Our martyr killer is now delivering a speech to you." The news website claimed that the number in question allegedly belonged to Hezbollah's information department. The Lebanese news website Al-Mulhak even posted WhatsApp messages received by Lebanese: "Nasrallah the murderer continues to lie."
Hezbollah's information department issued an official statement on the issue, saying that during Nasrallah's speech, the land lines of the information department were somehow manipulated to send out the condemning messages. Nasrallah's speech marked the occasion of the first anniversary of the assassination of Mustafa Badr al Din, head of the organization's military wing. "He is with us in our hearts and minds all the time," said the Hezbollah secretary-general. "We live thanks to his great sacrifice. He is the commander and fighter in every arena." Nasrallah implicitly referred to the claims, which were supported by Israel, that Hezbollah had eliminated Din. "Mustafa Badr al Din has been in charge of resistance operations for years," he said. "It's natural that the Zionists are trying to hurt him in revenge for their defeats."Nasrallah further said that any future conflict between the Shiite group and Israel could take place inside Israeli territory, at a time of high tension between the arch foes. In the live televised speech, he also said that the group had dismantled all its military positions along Lebanon's eastern border with Syria, and this area was now the "responsibility of the state." Israel "is scared and worried of any future confrontation … and knows that it could be inside the occupied Palestinian territories," Nasrallah said. Two Israeli air strikes against Hezbollah targets inside Syria in recent weeks have raised tension between the two. Nasrallah said the Syrian conflict had entered a new phase, without elaborating, but added that any opportunity to halt the fighting in the country should be seized. Nasrallah said that "the talk about an Israeli war against Lebanon and Hezbollah is part of the routine psychological war, and this is not new, and Israel has been talking about war for several years now. I say to the Lebanese people and all the people who live in Lebanon: 'Go about your routine lives and trust God.'"

Hezbollah says future war would be on Israeli territory
Ellen Francis and Laila Bassam/Reurers/May 11/17/Lebanese Hezbollah said on Thursday that any future conflict between the Shi'ite group and Israel could take place inside Israeli territory, as tensions rise between the arch foes. Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, Hezbollah's leader, also said in a speech televised live that the group was dismantling all its military positions along Lebanon's eastern border with Syria, and this area would now be patrolled just by the Lebanese army. Hezbollah, an ally of Tehran and Damascus, has been fighting for years in Syria's conflict against an array of rebels and Sunni Islamist fighters. The Syrian conflict has also been an arena where tensions between Israel and Hezbollah have ramped up. Recent Israeli air strikes against Hezbollah targets in Syria appeared to mark a more assertive stance toward the group.
The two sides last fought a war in 2006. Nasrallah played down the prospects of another imminent conflict, but warned it could take place on Israeli territory, after saying earlier this year that Hezbollah's rockets could hit targets anywhere inside the country. Israel "is scared and worried of any future confrontation ... and knows that it could be inside the occupied Palestinian territories," Nasrallah said. "There will be no place that is out of reach of the rockets of the resistance or the boots of the resistance fighters."Since the 2006 war, Nasrallah has often used his speeches to highlight the group's military capabilities in any potential future conflict with Israel, in what experts see as a calculated policy of deterrence. Israel meanwhile is determined to stop Hezbollah, which it sees as the top strategic threat on its borders, from using its role in the Syrian war to gain weapons and experience that could ultimately endanger Israel. Strikes carried out by Israel inside Syria have destroyed weapons Israel says were destined for Hezbollah, and have killed Hezbollah commanders. Nasrallah said Hezbollah was pulling out of areas along the Lebanon-Syria border, suggesting that the group had helped make the area secure. "Along the eastern Lebanese border there is no longer a need for our presence, so now we have dismantled and will dismantle (our) remaining military positions. The mission has been accomplished ... from now on (this area is) the responsibility of the state," he said. Sunni Islamist militants have regularly crossed the porous border in Lebanon's northeast, and staged a brief takeover of a the Lebanese town of Arsal in 2014 before being driven out. The militants have come under fire from the army and Hezbollah in that area.
Also In Middle East & North Africa
Nasrallah said Syria's conflict had reached a "new and critical phase" with insurgents severely weakened, and that Damascus, Moscow, Tehran and Hezbollah were "in more harmony politically and militarily than at any time". Any chance to halt the fighting was positive and should be supported, he said, in apparent reference to a Russian-led initiative to set up "de-escalation zones" in Syria. He also appeared to take aim at U.S. President Donald Trump, saying that leaders attending an upcoming summit between the United States and Gulf Arab states in Saudi Arabia "will go to see if there are still billions of dollars, oil and gas".Nasrallah blasted Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for recent pejorative comments about the Shi'ite religious beliefs of Iran's leadership. "When the Mahdi comes ... no oppressive king or tyrant will be left," he said, referring to the Shi'ite belief that a descendent of the Prophet Mohammed who vanished 1,000 years ago will re-emerge to establish global Islamic rule.(Writing by John Davison; Editing by Catherine Evans)

Nasrallah Says Israel's Planned Wall Signals Its 'Defeat', Hizbullah to Leave Eastern Border
Naharnet/May 11/17/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said Thursday that Israel's decision to build a wall along Lebanon's border is an acknowledgment of its “defeat,” as he declared that Hizbullah will end its military presence on Lebanon's eastern border with Syria. “This border wall is an acknowledgment of Lebanon's massive victory and Israel's defeat. It is a defeat of Israel's schemes and ambitions and an acknowledgment of the fall of the Greater Israel project which wanted to establish a state from the Nile to the Euphrates,” said Nasrallah in a televised speech marking the first anniversary of the death in Syria of Hizbullah military commander Mustafa Badreddine. “I call on the Lebanese people to trust the golden army-people-resistance equation because the enemy won't carry out its threats,” Nasrallah added. And in a repeat of his famous statement, Hizbullah's chief said that “when Israel hides behind high walls, it means that it is 'weaker than a spider's web.'”“The talk of an Israeli war on Lebanon and the resistance that has been going on for months now is part of the usual psychological war and the people should not fear it,” Nasrallah added. “I call on the Lebanese people and all those living in Lebanon to live their normal life, seeing as Israel has been launching threats for 12 years. Trust God who gave you several victories and trust your golden army-people-resistance equation,” Hizbullah's leader said. Turning to Lebanon's eastern border, Nasrallah revealed that Hizbullah “has started dismantling its military posts” there, seeing as its mission in the Lebanese-Syrian border region “has been accomplished.”As for the situation in the outskirts of the eastern Lebanese border town of Arsal, where jihadists from the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front groups are entrenched, Nasrallah said Hizbullah is ready to “communicate with the Syrian regime to return the biggest number of refugees to their villages in Syria.”“We call on the Lebanese political forces who might have contacts with the militants in Arsal's outskirts to help and cooperate in order to evacuate them from the area,” Nasrallah said. As for the electoral law crisis, Hizbullah's secretary general said “there is real hope to reach a new electoral law and things have made a lot of progress.”“Dialogue must continue and the political rhetoric must be pacified,” he urged. “Escalating the political rhetoric would complicate the efforts to reach an electoral law,” Nasrallah warned.

Lebanon: Extending Parliament, extending crisis
Diana Moukalled/ArabNews/May 11/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55181
Lebanon is living in a constitutional bubble that is about to burst because of the deficit of its political class and its inability to arrive at a new electoral law. After two consecutive extensions to the House of Deputies with ongoing acute political crises, Parliament is facing a third crunch time amid a hiatus of political forces, underpinned by their failure to reach agreement on such a piece of legislation. On April 12, President Michel Aoun used his constitutional right to postpone the meeting of the House of Deputies for a month. His aim was to block a legislative session called for by Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri to extend Parliament’s term after an agreement on a new electoral law could not be reached. The eve of that meeting saw the specter of another civil war because of the ongoing malaise in Parliament. Christian deputies and their supporters threatened to take to the streets in protest against the session for extension. Berri’s Amal movement and Hezbollah believe Aoun’s extension refusal would mean a vacuum in the leadership of the House of Deputies that would target their Shiite sect.
Aoun succeeded in delaying this bottleneck for a month via his constitutional right. It is the first time this has happened in the history of the Lebanese republic. The delay is about to end — the House is due to meet on May 15 — yet there is still no initiative for a new law and Lebanon is still in a political freeze. The only possible advancement is for political forces to agree on total percentages, leaving discussion on the distribution of electoral districts to negotiations and horse-trading. In public the national debate takes on a constitutional character, but the political problem relates to a fundamental imbalance in favor of the armed militia Hezbollah. This crisis reveals silent disagreement between Amal and Hezbollah on one hand, and Aoun and his son-in-law Gibran Bassil, head of the Free Patriotic Movement, on the other. In public the national debate takes on a constitutional character, but the political problem relates to a fundamental imbalance in favor of the armed militia Hezbollah. The coming days are expected to witness more constitutional crises in light of contradictory interpretations of proposed electoral laws, but the problem lies elsewhere. What of the strategic alliance between Hezbollah and Aoun? The party is clearly responding to Aoun via Berri, and the lack of an answer from the president to Hezbollah’s demands is aimed at preventing a parliamentary vacuum. If this is not fixed soon, Lebanon will enter a new crisis in light of new complexities relating to constitutional aspects of the House of Deputies and the country’s other institutions. This is a great worry for Hezbollah and Berri. Is the current crisis a local failure only or an extension of regional divisions? This will become clearer in the coming days and maybe hours.
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1097611/columns
• Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with extensive experience in both traditional and new media. She is also a columnist and freelance documentary producer. She can be reached on Twitter @dianamoukalled.

Lebanon, Cuba Sign Visa Exemption Agreement
Beirut, May 10 (Prensa Latina) Lebanon and Cuba today signed a visa exemption agreement for diplomatic, official and service passports as part of their respective governments'' purpose of consolidating their relations and multi-sectoral cooperation. Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil and Deputy Foreign Minister of the Caribbean Island, Marcelino Medina signed the agreement that will facilitate exchange and contacts in both directions, besides simplifying travel procedures for officials, businessmen and other authorities, Diplomatic sources told Prensa Latina. Bassil was interested in the current economic situation of Cuba and praised the good level of bilateral ties, issues also addressed by the Caribbean official in official talks with the Foreign Ministry's General Secretary Charbel Wehbe. The signing of the agreement took place shortly after the president of this Arab country, Michel Aoun, received Medina, who is on a two-day official visit. Aoun spoke with Medina in the presidential palace of Baabda in the presence of the Cuban charge d'affaires here, Raúl Madrigal, and other diplomats of his country, and showed satisfaction for the links between Havana and Beirut, while he advocated expanding and Developing cooperation in several areas. Medina ends in Lebanon his tour through Algeria and the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), where he visited refugee camps and ratified his country's firm position with Arab causes. In Algiers, Medina met with the Algerian Minister of State, Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ramtane Lamamra, with whom he reviewed the historic and excellent political, economic, commercial and cooperation relations between the two countries, particularly in health and energy.

Aoun on Corruption Accusations: Present Evidence or Stop Misleading Public Opinion
Naharnet/May 11/17/President Michel Aoun on Thursday stressed that any accusations of corruption must be substantiated by “evidence.”“Anyone who has anything that points to specific corruption committed by public employees or political officials must present evidence or else they should stop misleading the public opinion,” Aoun said during a meeting with a delegation from the Central Council of the Maronite Societies. “Do not allow pessimism to creep into your spirit and do not believe the rumors that are aimed at frustrating you,” Aoun added, addressing the Lebanese. Separately, Aoun reassured that “there are no impending security threats, because the army and security forces are vigilant to maintain stability and they have the political cover to accomplish their missions professionally and skilfully.”Several political parties have recently accused Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil of Aoun's Free Patriotic Movement of foul play in the file of power generation ships, claims that have been denied by the minister.

Shorter Meets Hariri and Bassil, Urges 'Timely and Transparent Elections'
Naharnet/May 11/17/British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil Thursday morning, and discussed the “impending deadline” for parliamentary elections, the British Embassy said. “Just as I did with Speaker (Nabih) Berri some days ago, today I separately discussed the impending deadline for parliamentary elections with Prime Minister Hariri just now and earlier with Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil,” said Shorter after meeting Hariri. Welcoming the “political momentum that has brought renewed energy to Lebanon’s institutions through the election of the President, formation of the government and reactivation of the parliament,” the ambassador said “this has re-energized Lebanon’s international engagement, as seen for example by Lebanon’s strong showing at the Brussels Conference last month.”“It also underpins the continued strong bilateral cooperation between the UK and Lebanon,” Shorter said. Hoping the political momentum of the last few months can be “maintained,” Shorter said he highlighted to Hariri and Bassil the recent statements of the international community, urging all parties to “use the short time remaining to reach agreement on the framework for holding timely, peaceful and transparent elections.”“I am pleased that the Prime Minister and I agreed that a new law should include a quota for women,” Shorter went on to say. He cautioned that “there are only 41 days until the expiry of parliament’s mandate.”“Lebanon and its people have long been proud of their democratic tradition. The timely conduct of elections is key to ensuring that a healthy democracy is preserved,” Shorter pointed out.“The United Kingdom will continue to follow discussions on a new electoral law and timing of elections very closely,” the envoy added.

Near-Unanimity on Proportional Representation amid Efforts to Convince FPM
Naharnet/May 11/17/After all political forces except for the Free Patriotic Movement have announced their “rejection” of an electoral law proposal involving a sectarian qualification first round, a proportional representation system based on medium-sized districts has become the only alternative to the 1960 law or parliamentary “vacuum,” a media report said on Thursday. “If the FPM has the intention to agree to this choice, they better do it now before it becomes too late,” sources from both the March 8 camp and the Progressive Socialist Party told al-Akhbar newspaper. “Several political parties are willing to find a decent political exit for the FPM should it decide to facilitate the mission of holding elections on a national basis,” the sources added. In the absence of an agreement, the sources said, “a return to the 1960 law will become the only choice, and even this choice requires a technical extension of parliament's term in order to revise the deadlines.”The FPM had been among the first parties in the country to call for an electoral law based on proportional representation but recently it has been calling for a so-called hybrid electoral law that mixes proportional representation with the winner-takes-all system.
On Tuesday, President Michel Aoun, the founder of the FPM, stressed that a proportional representation system should have “restraints” or else it would be equivalent to a sudden abolition of political sectarianism. “We are demanding restraints, including a qualification system that allows the election of competent candidates who represent their sects, and we are open to any proposal that truly achieves these goals,” Aoun added.

Jumblat Says to Keep Silent amid Electoral Law 'Cold War'
Naharnet/May 11/17/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat has announced that he will enter a period of silence regarding the electoral law. “For the sake of reaching a consensual electoral law, I will abide by silence in this atmosphere of cold wars, and all comrades should also abide by this,” Jumblat tweeted. Jumblat's tweet comes amid political tensions over the electoral law. After an electoral law format proposed by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil was dismissed as “sectarian” and “divisive” by most parties, the political forces are currently mulling a proposal by Speaker Nabih Berri that calls for electing a parliament under a proportional representation law and creating a Senate that addresses the concerns of Lebanon's religious communities. But Berri's proposal has also sparked a debate over the proposed Senate's powers and the sectarian identity of its chairman. While Jumblat has insisted that the Senate's presidency should go to a Druze figure, as per deliberations that took place during the Taef peace conference, the Free Patriotic Movement has announced that the chairmanship should go to a Christian figure in order to maintain “equal power-sharing between Christians and Muslims.”

Fenianos inaugurates new radar system at Beirut Airport
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - Minister of Public Works and Transportation, Youssef Fenianos, opened on Thursday the new radar center at Rafic Hariri International Airport, in the presence of Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon Michelle Cameron. Fenianos announced that the new radar system would improve the airport's capacity and would also improve the collection of climate data to assist air traffic controllers in guiding airplanes and detecting military and civil targets in the Lebanese airspace. "We will spare no effort to ensure the safety of civil aviation by the adopting the best global techniques," he said. For her part, the Ambassador of Canada said that her country was proud of its efforts to ensure the safety of the Beirut Airport "which is considered one of the safest airports internationally". Finally, she welcomed the efforts of the Ministry of Public Works in this regard, as well as those of Beirut Airport officials, to protect the passengers.

Machnouk chairs Central Security Council meeting
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - Minister of Interior, Nuhad Machnouk, said while meeting with a delegation of the town of Tufail that he was greatly concerned with the file of the return of sons of this village to their houses and their lands. Machnouk stressed that further efforts will be made to ensure a safe and stable return to the sons of Tufail to the village. The Minister then chaired a special meeting of the Central Security Council, during which the case of the village of Tufail was raised. Decisions to be executed by the security forces have been taken in this context. The Council's meeting also touched on the shooting in the air, "a phenomenon which does not cease to leave behind dead and wounded." He considered that the spread of weapons is a social phenomenon that would require a "political remedy", stating that the security forces will hunt down the shooters and arrest them and call for firm sanctions against them. Various security files were also discussed during the meeting. It is to note that Machnouk had inspected on Thursday morning the headquarters of "Al-Jadeed" TV which was the target of an attack by unknown people.

Falha: Radio Liban key francophone radio station in Arab world
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - Minister of Information Melhem Riachy, represented by Director General of the Ministry of Information, Hassan Falha, sponsored the handing over of the traineeship certificates to "Radio Liban" radio presenters, who took part in sessions organized by the "Académie France Médias Monde".Falha said Radio Liban was one of the most important French-speaking radio stations in the Arab world, and even in the Middle East. He also applauded the French cooperation, stressing that Lebanon needed to be more open to the world, "since it is a crossroads for civilizations."

Meeting at Serail dedicated to projects for Akkar
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - The President of the Council of Ministers Saad Hariri said that the government wants to achieve balanced development for all regions, pointing out that emphasis has always been placed on the implementation of projects in Akkar without sufficient work in this regard. Speaking during the meeting of the Technical committee to coordinate services for the regions, dedicated today to Akkar, Hariri said that the purpose of these meetings is to identify projects that constitute a priority, to implement them in the coming years because it is unacceptable to continue in the pattern of implementing projects randomly. He said: "We cannot do everything at once, but we can schedule projects as we intend to do for other regions. For the first time, the Government would combine all the projects in the country with a view to launch a five or seven-year development plan. Each region would know the projects to be implemented, and when." The meeting was headed by Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani, who said that the meetings of the Technical committee constitute a strategic initiative launched by Prime Minister Hariri to prepare for the meetings of the Council of Ministers in different regions of Lebanon. It was attended by the mohafez of Akkar Imad Labaki and the concerned presidents of municipalities and representatives of ministries.

Adwan optimistic over developing new electoral law by June 19
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - Deputy chairman of the Executive Committee of the Lebanese Forces, MP Georges Adwan, said on Thursday that statements and positions in the media were of no use to anyone. "On the contrary, this would create climates that could prevent progress on the electoral law level," he said. Adwan, who spoke at the end of his meeting with Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail, said that those who have reservations about the electoral bills should express them at meetings held behind closed doors. Lastly, he said that, in light of the available data, a new electoral law would be created before June 19, and finally that the meetings between the various components were intensively held in order to resolve the issue.

Hasbani inaugurates 7th Arab Forum for Pharmaceutical Industry
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - Health Minister, Ghassan Hasbani, representing the President of the Republic, Michel Aoun, inaugurated the 7th Arab Forum for the Pharmaceutical and Health Industry on Thursday at Le Royal Hotel in Dbayeh in the presence of political and social figures. Minister Hasbani, who read out the opening speech, highlighted the importance of encouraging local production, by strengthening the quality of Lebanese products in line with international standards."After forty years of growth, we are on the doorstep of a new industrial revolution, the fourth revolution where robotics join computers and technology." The Minister of Health said his ministry worked with its Arab counterparts to improve the Arab pharmaceutical industry and the registration of medicines.

Ambassador of China: International Cooperation Forum promises to strengthen economic partnership with Lebanon
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - China's ambassador to Lebanon, Wang Kejian, said via Radio Liban that the "International Cooperation Forum" to be held in Beijing this month "will promote trade and boost economic, cultural and social cooperation with the countries of the world." "The conference to be held on May 14 and 15 is deemed a high-level international meeting. The theme of 'the belt and road' is a trade and infrastructure plan proposed by China to link Asia with Europe and Africa," he said. The ambassador also noted that the forum which will be attended by Minister of Culture, Ghattas Khoury, and Chairman of the Council for Development and Reconstruction, Nabil Al-Jisr, from Lebanon, shall represent a golden opportunity to strengthen the economic partnership between Lebanon and China.

Guidanian tackles with ambassadors of Argentina, South Korea promotion of tourism relations
Thu 11 May 2017/NNA - Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian received South Korean Ambassador to Lebanon, Lee Yeong-Man, and Argentine's Ambassador to Lebanon, Ricardo Larriera, and discussed with them the tourism relations between Lebanon and their respective countries.

Germany Looks to Support Lebanon
Brent Nagtegaal/The Trumpet/ May 11/17
JERUSALEM—It is easy to label Lebanon as nothing more than an Iranian outpost. Iran’s proxy, Hezbollah, has a stranglehold on the nation’s government. However, it is easy to forget that most Lebanese resent Iranian control over their nation, and many are struggling to break its hold; no one more so than Lebanese Prime Minister Saud Hariri. Hariri has arguably the hardest job in Middle East politics. Lebanon’s constitution specifies that the prime minister’s office be occupied by a Sunni Arab, Hariri, in this case. The other two most powerful positions in Lebanon are divided between the two other large Lebanese demographics: The speaker of the house is a Shiite, and the president is a Maronite Christian. The idea behind the constitutional separation of powers according to sect was to prevent any one of them from dominating the national decision-making process. Though fair enough, this idea proved a failure last year when Christian leader Michael Aoun, a Hezbollah ally, was installed into the office of president. Viewed by outsiders, Aoun’s place in the presidency was the final link in the chain that all but locked up Iran’s domination of Lebanon.
Enter Saud Hariri, son of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri (who was murdered by Hezbollah), and longtime figurehead of the anti-Hezbollah alliance inside Lebanese politics. Hariri has the almost impossible job of keeping Lebanon afloat while fighting an ongoing hijacking perpetrated by Iran. This job has become even harder as foreign investors have all but fled the country in order to avoid supporting Iran. Lebanon’s largest financial backer, Saudi Arabia, cut off all funding last year.
And so, with Lebanon almost drowning in Syrian refugees (now a full 25 percent of its population) and the world deserting for fear of supporting Iran, Hariri has the hard task of hunting down foreign benefactors to bail out the nation and keep it from sinking. In April, Hariri visited Europe to try and drum up some support. Notable commentator on Lebanese affairs Tony Badran wrote on May 9: On the one hand, recognizing Europe’s desire to keep refugees away from its shores, Hariri is asking the Europeans to pay up. Ahead of his trip to Paris, Berlin and Brussels last month, Hariri made the pitch for a $10-$12 billion investment in Lebanon over the next seven years: “If the international community does not invest with us, we will have to take measures to see how these refugees could find another place for refuge,” he said. But it’s not just money for dealing with the refugees that Hariri is after. He wants investments in the Lebanese state infrastructure: bridges, learning institutions and utilities. Even the best salesman in the world would have a hard time getting foreigners to sign investment deals in a country at the precise time that Iran seems to have solidified control over it.
Nevertheless, its highly interesting where Hariri found a promise of support. Badran continued:
In Germany, Hariri seems to have found a receptive ear. In a joint press conference with Hariri, Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to continue support for Lebanon. What’s more, she presented this support in the terms that Hariri laid out: “We are also trying to use this crisis situation to promote economic momentum,” she said. “There shouldn’t be an impression [that] the international community only takes care of the refugees; we have to look at the whole of the country.” Already last year, Germany gifted about $411 million to Lebanon, making it the second largest backer of the state, after the United States.
Why would Germany want to look at supporting the “whole of the country” when Lebanon appears to belong to Iran? Is this purely an altruistic move to support a country in need? Or is there more to Germany’s actions in Lebanon? Certainly, humanitarian concerns are a factor in Germany’s support. However, it is also a possibility that Germany sees the strategic importance of a growing relationship with Lebanon, especially the Sunnis. Historically, before Sunni patronage from the Gulf, Lebanon received the bulk of its support from Europe, specifically from its post-World War I overseer, France. Are we seeing the start of a return of European support for Lebanon, this time through Germany? True, the $411 million donation last year and a promise to look after the “whole of the country” are hardly a power play to oust Iranian influence from Lebanon. However, viewed in light of the biblical prophecies that indicate Lebanon will fall out of the Iranian sphere of influence, and in favor of German patronage no less, Merkel’s comments and Germany’s actions should be watched closely.

SNG Vehicle Torched in Fresh Attack on al-Jadeed TV
Naharnet/May 11/17/A live broadcast vehicle was torched overnight outside al-Jadeed TV's headquarters in Beirut's Wata el-Msaitbeh neighborhood. Footage extracted from CCTV cameras and broadcast by the channel showed two men arriving on a motorcycle and entering a small residential building adjacent to al-Jadeed's HQ. Another CCTV video shows the Satellite News Gathering (SNG) vehicle going up in flames and a number of employees using fire extinguishers to douse the flames. Al-Jadeed said a highly flammable material was poured on the vehicle. The television's chairwoman Karma Khayat meanwhile told LBCI TV: “Whenever we air any report containing criticism against Speaker Nabih Berri, an attack on the station follows, knowing that we've broadcast thousands of reports targeting everyone without anyone acting in this manner.”In February, supporters of Berri's AMAL Movement attempted to storm al-Jadeed TV's building in protest at a satirical TV show that they deemed insulting to the parliament speaker and to AMAL founder Imam Moussa al-Sadr. The angry protesters hurled rocks and firecrackers at the building, smashing several windows and injuring two al-Jadeed employees and a policeman. Al-Jadeed's building had come under several such attacks in the past.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 11-12/17
Al-Azhar disowned a famous preacher for atoning Christians
Staff writer, Al Arabiya.net Thursday, 11 May 2017/Al-Azhar disowned a famous Egyptian preacher who expiated Christians; his fatwa was met with great controversy during the past two days. Al-Azhar said in an official statement on Thursday that “the Islamic Research Council discussed in its session held by the Sheikhs of Al-Azhar the statement of Dr. Salim Abdul Jalil on the Christian religion and Christians,” adding that “The Council is keen to state that what was issued by Dr. Salem is an expression of his personal opinion and is in no way an expression of Al-Azhar’s point of view or its entrusted bodies; Al Azhar doesn’t atone people.”The council considered that “Al-Azhar Al-Sharif is represented only through the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, the decisions issued by the Council of Senior Scholars together, the Islamic Research Center, or the House of Ifta in its fatwas, which adhere to the unquestioned Islamic principles of Al-Azhar Al-Sharif and among its scholars.”The Egyptian preacher, who was the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Awqaf in Egypt, made offensive comment to Christians and the Christian faith on a religious program broadcasted on Egyptian satellite. Immediately, the Minister of Awqaf issued a decree prohibiting him from preaching. For its part, the satellite channel decided to shut down the program of the preacher and to terminate his contract, they also apologized to their “Christian brothers.”Also, the preacher apologized for his remarks. On his Facebook page he wrote that his comments were: “misunderstood by some.
.

Washington Studying the Possibility of a Summit between Netanyahu, Abbas,Trump
Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/Tel Aviv – US President Donald Trump’s aides are looking into the possibility of holding a summit between Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and US President, according to political sources. The sources said that Abbas granted his approval for the meeting but Netanyahu hasn’t responded yet. Abbas said Tuesday that he was prepared to meet and negotiate with Israeli PM as part of Trump’s plan to broker a deal that ends the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.Speaking to reporters in Ramallah after a meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Abbas said: “We told [Trump] that we were ready to collaborate with him and meet the Israeli PM under his auspices to build peace,” adding that: “We told him again of our commitment to a peace based on justice, with international resolutions and the two-state solution as references.”
Diplomat Zalman Shoval, who is close to Netanyahu, stated that Trump wants to keep history in the past and rewrite the scenario, and he should be praised for his intentions. “Peace between Arabs and Jews is not a myth. There are no diplomatic equations. It is the beginning of tearing down the wall of Palestinians’ hostility that don’t want to accept Jews’ rights and do not agree on finding solutions for primary causes in the struggle,” said Shoval. He added that one should assume that with time, Trump will reach the conclusion that the solution lays in enhancing temporary and partial deals rather than final and complete ones.A settlers’ leader of Khalil city wrote an open letter to Trump entitled: “Jerusalem is not Manhattan, No Deal Mr. President” saying there is a fundamental failure in drawing an analogy between a business deal and a political-territorial conflict.
He told Trump that unlike commercial deals, diplomatic deals have many consequences. The settler said that Palestinians do not conceal their dream to put an end to the State of Israel, “the Zionist entity”, which Trump is fully aware of and criticized his predecessor Barack Obama for compromising-bargaining approach towards the Iranians, Syrian head of regime Basharal-Assad and North Korea. “The bottom line is that not everything is merchandise in the market. Real estate in Manhattan is not equivalent to the lands of Jerusalem: There, they have the largest market of lands in the world; here, we have the supreme expression of absolute values with a spiritual baggage that cannot be weighed, measured, bought and sold,” he wrote. He concluded his letter by saying: “In other words: No deal, Mr. President. And Jerusalem is just the gist of the essence of the entire “Holy Land,” and all those who tried to trade in it got their fingers burnt.” Israeli Leftist Party is planning a march to salute Trump for his efforts. The march is expected to be held few days after Trump’s visit on May 27 in Rabin Square in Tel Aviv. Peace Now is organizing the march entitled “Two Nations – One Hope” in collaboration with Labor Party, Geneva Initiative, and other organizations. Officially, joint Israeli and US security team are setting plans to ensure the protection of Trump during his visit scheduled in 10 days. Senior Israeli official said that teams are checking every detail starting from coffee mugs to the places Trump will be residing in. He added that despite previous bookings, King David Hotel was evacuated. A hotel official admitted that they don’t have an easy mission. In addition, on Wednesday a US security team arrived at Ben-Gurion Airport and held meetings with US officials in embassy in Tel Aviv, airport officials, and secret service to coordinate and secure the president’s trip. On May 22, Trump will land in Israel for his first visit. The visit will last just two days and he will hold several meetings. A state welcoming ceremony will be held at Ben-Gurion Airport. During the ceremony, speeches will be delivered by Trump, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin.

Assad: De-escalation zones chance for rebels to ‘reconcile’
Reuters Friday, 12 May 2017/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said that de-escalation zones proposed by his ally Russia were a chance for rebels to “reconcile” with Damascus and drive out ISIS militants, but vowed to fight on calling UN-led peace talks fruitless. Assad pledged, in an interview with Belarusian TV Channel ONT aired on Thursday, to defend the zones and to crush, with the support of Iran and Hezbollah, those who try to breach them. Efforts over the past year to halt the six-year Syrian war have fallen flat, and a ceasefire agreed to by the government side and militia in December was violated early on. Russia’s proposal for zones took effect last week, covering areas in the west of the country and Damascus has suggested there could be a role for Russian military police. Assad said the primary aim was to protect civilians.“The second goal is to give the militants who want reconciliation with the state a chance ... to settle their cases, hand over their weapons in return for amnesty,” he said. Damascus has said rebels should help drive ISIS groups out of the de-escalation zones, and sees so-called reconciliation agreements, which have involved the evacuation of militia from besieged areas, as an alternative to peace talks.
Violence reduced somewhat after the de-escalation zones were announced last week, but heavy fighting persists in some areas. Syria’s opposition rejected the Russian plan, calling it a threat to the country’s territorial integrity and refusing to recognize Iran as a guarantor of any ceasefire plan. Assad said he was “not tired” and would continue to fight terrorists - the government’s term for all insurgents. He also said US President Donald Trump had ordered strikes against a Syrian air base last month - a response to an alleged chemical attack against civilians - in order to “present his credentials” to US political and lobby groups.

Syrian Kurds clear mines after taking town and dam from ISIS
The Associated Press, Beirut Thursday, 11 May 2017/Syrian Kurdish-led forces were clearing mines at the country’s largest dam and the nearby town of Tabqa on Thursday, a day after seizing them from ISIS militants. The capture of Tabqa, a key step in the advance on Raqqa, the extremist group’s de-facto capital, came seven weeks after the launch of the Kurdish-led offensive, backed by the US-led international coalition. It also came a day after the Trump administration announced it will supply the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces with heavier weapons, a decision that infuriated Turkey, which views the main Kurdish militia in the group as an extension of an outlawed rebel movement fighting an insurgency in its southeast. The SDF, which also includes Arab fighters, has captured large swathes of land in northern Syria from ISIS with the help of US-led airstrikes. But the Kurdish YPG, which forms the backbone of the group, is linked to the Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, which Turkey, the US and other Western nations view as a terrorist group. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called on the US to reverse its decision, saying weapons in the hands of the Kurdish-led forces are a “threat” to his country. Unnerved by the Kurdish advances along the border, Turkey sent troops into Syria last year to help allied Syrian forces battle ISIS and block the SDF. The capture of Tabqa sets the stage for an advance on Raqqa, some 25 miles (40 kilometers) to the east. A spokesman for the coalition, Col. John Dorrian, said that after Tabqa is secured, the Syrian Kurdish-led forces will continue operations to “isolate and seize Raqqa.” orrian said 30,000 residents had been displaced since the fight for Tabqa began on March 21, and that the priority was now to protect those who remained. The media office of the Syrian Democratic Forces said Thursday a special operation was underway to de-mine the dam and the surrounding area. Concerns were raised earlier this year that the dam could be damaged in the fighting or degraded by lack of maintenance, or that the extremists might sabotage it to flood the surrounding areas.

Kremlin says ‘too early’ to speak of thaw in Russia-US ties
AFP, Moscow Thursday, 11 May 2017/The Kremlin said Thursday it was too early to speak of a thaw in ties with Washington, a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met US President Donald Trump. “It’s too early to draw this conclusion,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. But he added: “Of course the fact that a dialogue is taking place is very positive.”Peskov said both Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to be at the G20 summit in Germany in July, which “could serve as a good occasion” for them to meet. Wednesday’s meeting came as Trump was embroiled in a political firestorm over the investigations into allegations his US presidential election campaign had colluded with Russia. Lavrov met both Trump and US counterpart Rex Tillerson in Washington, saying the US president was seeking “mutually beneficial” and “pragmatic” relations with Moscow. “The goal of both president Trump and president Putin is to have concrete results which will be tangible and which will allow (us) to alleviate problems, including on the international agenda,” he told reporters. Tillerson also travelled to Moscow last month for talks with Lavrov. Tillerson, who also had a closed-door meeting with Putin during his visit, deplored the “low level of trust” between the two powers, whose relations have sunk to a post-Cold War low over the conflicts in Ukraine and Syria. “The world’s two foremost nuclear powers cannot have this kind of relationship,” the US secretary of state said. In a shock move on Tuesday, Trump sacked FBI chief James Comey, the man overseeing federal investigations into suspected Kremlin interference in the 2016 US vote.

UN Demands More Details of Deal Creating Syria Safe Zones
Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/The United Nations says it needs more information on an agreement reached in the Kazakh capital of Astana last week to establish “de-escalation zones” in Syria before it can endorse it, a UN aid official said on Thursday. The memorandum signed by Russia, Turkey and Iran came into effect on the weekend and calls for a truce — renewable after six months — between regime and opposition forces in four designated safe zones as well as the delivery of aid and medical supplies. “Russia and Turkey and Iran explained to us today and yesterday … that they will work very openly, proactively, with United Nations and humanitarian partners to implement this agreement,” UN Syria humanitarian adviser Jan Egeland told reporters. “We do have a million questions and concerns but I think we don’t have the luxury that some have, of this distant cynicism, and saying it will fail. We need this to succeed.” France’s ambassador to the UN François Delattre questioned whether the UN has “all elements we need to understand the substance of the agreement and the way it is going to be implemented. “The answer to this question is ‘not yet’,” he added. Sweden’s ambassador to the UN Olof Skoog said he hoped for more information before voting on the resolution. “We want peace and stability and humanitarian access in Syria,” Skoog added. Council members are expected to meet behind closed doors this week to discuss the terms of the deal. The three guarantors have until June 4 to establish the borders of the safe zones while details on who will oversee the ceasefires and the aid deliveries is not yet clear. “There will need to be effective monitoring mechanisms as well as full and sustained humanitarian access,” said a UN diplomat. Implementing the deal would be “complicated,” the diplomat said. UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura said he was convening what he called “rather business-like, rather short” peace talks in Geneva from May 16-19 to take advantage of the momentum. The political weight of the signatories and the staggered timing of the deal gave it a strong chance of working. A key aspect of the Astana deal was that it was an “interim” arrangement to address urgent issues, not a permanent partition of Syria, he said. De Mistura said the Astana talks had also made rapid progress on agreements covering prisoner releases and de-mining, and both were almost complete. Egeland said he could point to one concrete result from Astana: the reported reduction in fighting and aerial attacks. But aid convoys were only being allowed in at the rate of one per week, with no permission letters coming from the regime. Although some recent local surrenders meant the number of people who were hard to reach with aid had fallen by 10 percent to 4.5 million, a further 625,000 were besieged – 80 percent of them by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad, he said.

Turkish Public Prosecution: ISIS Planned for Attack Similar to Reina Nightclub

Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/Ankara- Judicial Turkish sources have unveiled an ISIS plot to carry out an attack similar to that in Reina nightclub which took place on New Year’s Eve, killing 39 people and wounding 69.Sources revealed that the indictment prepared by the Public Prosecution in Istanbul against the executor of Reina club attack Abdulkadir Masharipov showed that one of the suspects was planning a similar attack. According to the brief, the accused, 54, is a member of ISIS and had the same tasks and skills as those of Masharipov. The brief mentioned that four suspects were residing with the accused but managed to escape from the back window during the raid on Feb. 22. The Public Prosecution demanded 40 life sentences and 2,397 days in jail against Uzbekistan citizen Masharipov– the indictment included also 57 accusations against him. Masharipov was arrested in Istanbul’s Esenyurt neighborhood on January 16. He was accompanied by an Iraqi and three women, one from Egypt, another from Somalia and the third from Senegal. Masharipov confessed that he received orders from an ISIS leader north Syria and that he – in his turn – sent him pictures and videos from the nightclub through Telegram. Later, the US Army revealed on April 21 that an assistant of ISIS leader in Syria Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed and he was assigned to plan for the terrorist attack on Reina nightclub. The assistant called Abdul Rahman al-Uzbeki was also responsible for recruiting militants to join the group and funding terror attacks. He was also involved in terror attacks outside of Iraq and Syria.

Clashes with PKK Militias in Eastern Turkey Kill Two Soldiers
Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/At least two Turkish soldiers were killed when troops clashed with Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) during operation in Dogubayazit district of Agri province, said the Ankara-based international news outlet Anadolu Agency. A clash broke out between security forces and PKK terrorists near Kislak in a rural area in Agri’s Dogubeyazit district, according to a statement by the province’s governorship, the agency added.The PKK is an armed terrorist organization, listed as such by the United States and the European Union. Founded in 1974 and assuming paramilitary functions in 1984, the separatist PKK has used violence and terrorism in pursuit of Kurdish secession from the Republic of Turkey. PKK actions and terror tactics have led to tens of thousands of military and civilian deaths over the past decades and have prevented lasting stability in southeastern Turkey. More so, the two injured soldiers were rushed to a hospital in the Van province while others were sent to Dogubeyazit State Hospital. Operations to nab the terrorists remained underway, a security source told Anadolu on condition of anonymity due to restrictions on speaking with the media. The PKK is listed as a terrorist organization also by the US and the EU. It resumed its 30-year armed campaign against the Turkish state in July 2015. Since then, PKK terrorist attacks have killed over 600 security personnel and also claimed the lives of numerous civilians, including women and children, while more than 7,000 PKK terrorists have been neutralized by Turkish army operations.

Iraqi Forces Tighten Siege over ISIS in Mosul
Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/Mosul – ISIS members have started fleeing northern and western sides of Mosul towards regions ruled by them in the Old City, making use of its narrow streets, security sources revealed. Sources added that Iraqi security forces liberated on Wednesday new neighborhoods and raided others in the west of Mosul, while conflicts are ongoing between besieged ISIS members and the security forces. An officer in the Iraqi Army said to Asharq Al-Awsat: “As security forces continue to push forward in all directions in the northwest and following the massive losses at the group’s side, ISIS armed men started to flee to regions ruled by them in the Old City – in Mosul.”Old City includes thousands of besieged civilians – by the regime – amidst hunger, fear and shortage of medication and services. Although security forces have opened several secure facilities for their exit, yet ISIS snipers are preventing their safe arrival to security forces troops. Citizen Hamed al-Obediy told Asharq Al-Awsat that he escaped on Wednesday along with 100 others from the Old City, and that ISIS armed men were absent at that moment or else “we would have been killed by now. They daily kill dozens of women, children and men who attempt to flee the region,” he added. Commander of Federal Police Forces Lieutenant General Raed Shaker Jawdat told Asharq Al-Awsat that the forces are advancing in a quick pace towards northwest Mosul and besieging ISIS members in the fifth bridge region. He added that the forces have liberated Harmat district, killed six group members and seized the ammunition depot and the command center. Jawdat concluded that terrorists’ defenses are collapsing.

Hamas: Suspect behind Faqha’s Assassination Arrested in Gaza
Asharq Al-Awsat English/May 11/17/Hamas has arrested the suspected murderer of one of its key military commanders in Gaza, the Palestinian movement’s leader Ismail Haniya said Thursday. The killing of Mazen Faqha in the heart of Hamas-controlled Gaza shocked the movement and raised fears of a fresh conflict with Israel as it rose to be the chief suspect behind the assassination. “He has confessed to the crime,” Haniya told reporters in Gaza city. No details were provided on the suspect’s identity, though Hamas has previously suggested Palestinian collaborators had worked with Israel on the assassination. “Punishment will be carried out against the murderer,” Haniya added. Hamas recently executed three men it accused of collaboration with Israel. Faqha was shot dead on March 24 near his house in Gaza City. He had been in charge of forming cells for the movement’s military wing in the occupied West Bank. Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007, immediately blamed Israel, with which it has fought three wars since 2008. Israel never confirmed nor denied involvement in the killing. Haniya’s news conference was held outside Faqha’s house in Gaza City and attended by his widow and Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s Gaza chief. A Hamas source said on condition of anonymity that the suspect had “participated in the morning in a reconstruction of the crime”, after numerous security forces were seen in front of Faqha’s home earlier in the day. A second source said Hamas’s military wing would decide “when and how vengeance (against Israel) will take place.”Reports in the Israeli media Thursday quoted unnamed defense officials as saying there were signs Hamas was stepping up attempts to carry out attacks in the occupied West Bank.

Moscow backs resumption of dialogue between Israel and Palestine
AFP, Moscow Thursday, 11 May 2017/Moscow supports the resumption of dialogue between Israel and Palestine, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday, as his US counterpart Donald Trump prepares to visit Israel. Putin said Russia “will continue to give its full support to the resumption of direct dialogue between Palestinians and Israelis”, following talks with Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas in the southern Russian city of Sochi. “The peaceful coexistence of the two states -- Palestine and Israel -- is an indispensable condition to ensure genuine security and stability in this region,” Putin said. Abbas meanwhile said Palestine “values Russia’s counter terrorism efforts, as well as its contribution to strengthening security and stability in the Middle East, including in Syria,” Russia’s RIA Novosti state news agency reported. After Putin’s meeting with Abbas, Russia’s defense ministry said that Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman had called his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu on Thursday. The two ministers discussed defense cooperation between Russia and Palestine as well as regional security issues, the ministry said in a statement.Abbas said Thursday he welcomed “President Trump’s desire to help find a solution” to the Israel-Palestinian conflict, according to a transcript published by official Palestinian news agency Wafa. “I told him that we were completely ready to cooperate with him and undertake efforts to reach a historical peace plan to end the conflict between us and the Israelis,” Abbas said. Abbas said Tuesday that Trump was expected to visit the Palestinian territories “soon” and that he was ready to meet Israel’s prime minister as part of the US president’s peace efforts. Trump is expected in Israel later this month as part of his first foreign trip, and Abbas said Tuesday “we are looking forward to his visit soon to Bethlehem” in the occupied West Bank, with speculation it will occur on May 23.

Preacher At Al-Aqsa Mosque Calls To Annihilate The Jews, Destroy The Palestinian Authority And Arab Rulers
The Middle East Media Research Institute/May 11/17/Palestinian preacher Ali Abu Ahmad, speaking at an Al-Aqsa Mosque rally, said that the occupation of Palestine by the Jews, the "vilest" and "most despicable and cowardly of creatures," was due to the fall of the Caliphate, and called upon Islamic armies to mobilize their forces "to finish off the monstrous entity of the Jews." His prayers to "annihilate all the Jews," to "destroy the [Palestinian] Authority of shame and disgrace," and to "destroy the rulers of the wicked [Muslim] mini-states" were answered by cries of "amen." A video-clip of the address was posted on the Internet on May 6. Ali Abu Ahmed: "The cause of the prisoners in the prisons of the occupation is not detached from the cause of the people of Palestine, and the cause of the Islamic nation, the mother of all causes - which is the fact that there is no Caliphate. Indeed, servants of Allah, with the fall of the Caliphate Palestine was occupied by the Jews, the vilest of creatures, and the place of the Prophet's nocturnal journey was defiled, blood was spilled, the honor of women was violated, the elderly were humiliated and the children were killed - by the Jews, the most despicable and cowardly of creatures.
"Oh armies of the Islamic nation, if you take up arms in order to please your masters and your rulers, know that the rulers of the wicked (Muslim) mini-states have let you down, after they turned toward America and the West. On the other hand, if you take up arms to please Allah - and we believe that this is the reason - your time has come. The time for you to mobilize your armies has arrived, in order to come to the aid of the prisoners, and of the place of the Prophet's nocturnal journey in Palestine, and in order to support Muslims everywhere. It is time for you to mobilize in order to finish off the monstrous entity of the Jews.
"Oh Allah, destroy the rulers of the wicked (Muslim) mini-states!"
All: "Amen."
Ahmed: "Oh Allah, destroy the (Palestinian) Authority of shame and disgrace!"
All: "Amen."
Ahmed: "Oh Allah, annihilate all the Jews!"
All: "Amen."
Ahmed: "Oh Allah, enable us to kill them!"
All: "Amen."
Ahmed: "Oh Allah, bestow upon us the honor of the Caliphate soon!"

Jordan Downs Drone near Syria Border
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 11/17/Jordan's air force has shot down an unidentified drone near the border with war-torn Syria, the military said on Wednesday. "F-16 fighter jets from the royal air force downed a drone near the northern border with Syria," an air force official said, reading from a statement. Air force staff were gathering the debris of the aircraft in the northern province of Mafraq to analyze them, he said. The kingdom shares a desert border of more than 370 kilometers (230 miles) with Syria, where a six-year war has killed more than 320,000 people and displaced millions.The U.N. refugee agency says it has registered more than 650,000 Syrian refugees in Jordan since the war broke out in 2011. Amman says it hosts 1.3 million Syrian refugees. Jordan shot down an identified a drone in Mafraq in 2014.The kingdom is part of the U.S.-led coalition fighting the Islamic State jihadist group in Syria and Iraq.

52% of Macron Parliamentary Candidates New to Politics, 50% Women
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 11/17/Incoming French president Emmanuel Macron's centrist movement on Thursday unveiled 428 candidates for June's general election, 52 percent of whom are new to politics and half of whom are women.The secretary general of Macron's La Republique en Marche (Republic on the Move), Richard Ferrand, said that 52 percent of those chosen from more than 19,000 applicants "have never held elected office" and that 214 were women.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 11-12/17
The Most Important Decision of the Trump Administration
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55189
Having fired FBI Director James Comey, President Trump must now make a decision that could shape the future of our country. He is being accused, both by Democrats and even some Republicans, of a conflict of interest in firing the public official who was heading an investigation of members of his administration, including some who are close him. The letter from respected Deputy Attorney General Rod J. Rosenstein provided a justification for terminating Comey, but many Americans believe that President Trump seized on this letter as an excuse for firing a man whose potential investigative results worried him. They do not believe that the real reason related to Comey's unfairness to Hillary Clinton. We will never know what went on inside the head of the President. His motives in firing Comey will always remain a matter of dispute. But reasonable Americans of both parties can plausibly believe that he did not fire Comey for the reasons so eloquently set forth in Rosenstein's letter. Nor do they believe that Rosenstein spontaneously decided, on his own, to write the letter.
Only President Trump can prove that he was motivated by the public interest rather than by personal considerations. He can prove that by appointing a replacement for Comey who is at least as tough and independent as Comey himself. If he appoints such a person, he will allay doubts, at least among reasonable and objective Americans, that he was motivated by a desire to weaken the investigation of the Russian connection. But if he appoints someone who is less likely to be vigorous in uncovering the truth, he will confirm the suspicion of those who question his intentions.
President Trump can also allay doubts if he were to announce his support for an independent Commission, modeled on the 911 Commission, to investigate all aspects of the alleged Russian connection, including the leaks growing out of the current investigation. All Americans should be interested in learning the unvarnished truth about these important issues.
The ball is now in the President's court. There is a great deal at stake in how the President handles this potential crisis. President Richard Nixon ended up losing his office because of how he mishandled the investigation being conducted by Archibald Cox. President Trump can avoid endangering his presidency if he does the right thing now, even if he did the wrong thing in firing Comey.
President Nixon lost his presidency largely because fellow Republicans turned against him despite his overwhelming victory in the 1972 election. The firing of Archibald Cox turned into the Saturday Night Massacre when his Republican appointees, Attorney General Elliot Richardson and Deputy Attorney General William Ruckelshaus, resigned in protest over his firing of the respected Special Prosecutor. None of this has yet happened in the current situation. But fellow Congressional Republicans and even Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein may well turn against President Trump were he to appoint a replacement for Comey who was, or appeared to be, partial to the President. It is in the President's interest, as well as in the interest of the country, that Comey's replacement is beyond reproach or suspicion.
Virtually all the pundits who have commented on the President's actions have either attacked him vociferously or defended him uncritically. When dramatic events like this occur, the first casualty is nuance. I have chosen, while criticizing the President whose decision to fire Comey, to focus on the future. It is imperative that the President look forward to the impact that his nomination will have on the country, on his party, and on his presidency. He did what he did, and he been justly criticized for creating the appearance, if not the reality, of conflict of interest. The past is not necessarily prologue. President Trump can learn from his mistake and lean over backwards to do the right thing going forward. That right thing begins with who he nominates to replace Comey, and it continues with his support of a truly independent and non-partisan investigative commission.
All Americans have a stake in seeing President Trump do the right thing now.
*Alan M. Dershowitz, Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law, Emeritus, at Harvard Law School and author of "Taking the Stand: My Life in the Law" and "Electile Dysfunction: A Guide for the Unaroused Voter."
© 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.

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10333/trump-comey

Top US army general aligns with Israeli concern over Iran and its proxies
Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post/May 11/17
US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Joseph Dunford pointed at Iran, Hezbollah and Syria threats during Israel visit and promises US collaboration as the challenges mount in the region. Iran’s potential role in enforcing the Russian-proposed de-escalation zones in southern Syria has raised concerns for Israel, General Joseph Dunford, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman said on Tuesday during his visit to the country. Dunford, who was in Israel on his third official visit this week told reporters traveling with him that he discussed issues of mutual concerns in the region with Israeli military officials, including Iran’s influence in the region, Hezbollah’s presence in southern Syria and the presence of the Islamic State group in the tri-border area of Israel, Syria and Jordan.
Iranian military official: We have 100,000 missiles in Lebanon ready to hit Israel
Israeli defense officials salute top US Army general
While Jerusalem is pleased with the progress being made in the fight against ISIS, Israel is concerned of the role that Iran would play in the region and Syria “the day ISIS is defeated.”“Clearly, the major concern is Iran’s influence in the region -- their malign activities in the region, what’s happening with Iran in Iraq and Iran in Syria,” the top US general said according to Department of Defense news. “The greatest challenge from Iran is the Iranian threat network,” which includes the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Quds Force and the support they provide for the Hezbollah, Dunford said, adding that should the Lebanese Shi'ite terror group attack, Israel “would have two fronts to deal with.” An agreement on “de-escalation zones” and safe zones in several large areas of western and southern Syria, including along the Israeli-Syrian border near the Golan Heights, were signed last week in Astana by Russia, Iran and Turkey.
“To be clear, the Russians proposed these deconfliction zones in Astana,” Dunford said, and while Moscow would like the United States to be a part, no decision has yet been made.
“What we are doing now is prudently talking to military planners, and in our conversations with the Israelis we are asking about the proposal and what it would look like on the ground,” Dunford said, adding that “it is fair to say that the Israelis would want to make sure that their security concerns are addressed.”
Transportation and Intelligence Minister Israel Katz, who returned on Thursday from a work visit to the US where he met with government officials as well as senior intelligence officials, also warned on Thursday against Iran and Hezbollah's growth in Syria and in southern Syria in particular.
Netanyahu says US should lead the way in 'setting clear boundaries' for Iran. Katz also warned against the creation of a territorial continuum from Iran through Iraq and Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon and explained that an Iranian military presence in Syria and Lebanon would obligate Israel to allocate a significant amount of resources to enhance its preparedness in the Golan Heights and in the Galilee. The minister urged the Americans to impose additional sanctions on both Iran and Hezbollah, who is creating their own weapons with the aid they receive from Tehran, in order to weaken the terror group and prevent a situation in which Israel would have to attack Lebanon should the group decide to attack Israel. The strategic importance of the Golan and the Iranian presence there has Israel concerned, and Jerusalem has reportedly carried out dozens of strikes inside Syria against senior Iranian commanders as well as Hezbollah convoys to prevent the group from obtaining advanced weaponry. Hezbollah is one of the most prominent terror organizations in the world, and while the group has become bogged down fighting in Syria for President Bashar Assad, they have gained immeasurable fighting experience, as well as new advanced weaponry such as Soviet-made T-72 tanks, Russian Kornet anti-tank missiles, armored personnel carriers, rapid response motorcycles and KS-12A anti-aircraft weapons. While the terror group may currently be using 40 year old tanks, a senior officer in the IDF’s armoured corps recently voiced concern that as Hezbollah is becoming much stronger and that Israel is worried that the terror group might get its hands on more advanced tanks in the future. In November Hezbollah Deputy Secretary General Naim Qassem was quoted by Lebanese Daily Al Safir as saying that Hezbollah “now has a heavily armed and well-trained army and the resistance does not need to rely on guerilla tactics.” While the group officially denied Qassem’s remarks, according to Dunford the group “now fields a conventional force armed with missiles, rockets, artillery, armored vehicles and tanks.”

Spain: "Pacifist" Imam Arrested on Terror Charges/The New York Times once praised his moderation
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10332/hesham-shashaa
Several months after the New York Times published its hagiography of Shashaa, he was arrested for physically assaulting his third wife, who was hospitalized with a broken nose and shoulder. "The attack was obviously very brutal," a hospital spokesperson said at the time. "What a man does with his wife does not concern the authorities," Shashaa said.
Spanish High Court Judge Eloy Velasco ordered Shashaa — who lives in a 10,000 square meter (108,000 square foot) mansion in Teulada-Moraira, a small coastal town on Spain's Mediterranean coast, with his four wives and 18 children — to be held in prison without bail.
Spanish authorities are now investigating the source of Shashaa's wealth. His mosque in Munich was shuttered in October 2015 due to financial difficulties, while the mansion he purchased in Spain in February 2015 is said to be worth more than half a million euros.
More than two weeks after Shashaa was arrested, the New York Times still has not reported on the fate of its poster boy for Salafist pacifism.
Spanish authorities have arrested a Muslim cleric — whom the New York Times once praised for his efforts to fight radicalization within Germany's Islamic community — for alleged ties to the Islamic State.
Hesham Shashaa (aka Abu Adam), a 46-year-old Egyptian-Palestinian, was detained near Alicante in southeastern Spain on April 26 on charges of aiding the Islamic State, extolling terrorism and promoting Salafi-jihadism.
Spanish Interior Ministry said that Shashaa had facilitated the travel to Spain of Islamic State jihadists from Syria and Iraq by providing them with money, refuge and fake documents.
Most recently, Shashaa had made arrangements for two jihadists — who are the subjects of international arrest warrants for their membership of the Islamic State — to travel from Turkey to Spain by providing them with false passports.
In addition, Shashaa fraudulently tried to obtain for two jihadists letters of invitation with the aim of facilitating their travel from Egypt to Spain.
According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, Shashaa has also been charged with disseminating Islamic State propaganda:
"The detainee took advantage of his privileged position within the Islamic Community of the province of Alicante to spread content extolling attacks committed by the terrorist organization Islamic State and cruelly disparaging their victims. In addition, he used social networks as a tool to generate hate by publishing videos in which terrorist leaders indoctrinate their followers to engage in violent jihad."
Jijona, in Alicante Province, Spain. (Image source: Getty Images)
On April 29, Spanish High Court Judge Eloy Velasco ordered Shashaa — who lives in a 10,000 square meter (108,000 square foot) mansion in Teulada-Moraira, a small coastal town on Spain's Mediterranean coast, with his four wives and 18 children — to be held in prison without bail. Velasco ruled that Shashaa was a flight risk and that there was a danger he would repeat his criminal behavior (reiteración delictiva).
Shashaa settled in Spain in 2012, shortly after the New York Times published a glowing profile of his moderation while he was an imam at the Darul Quran mosque in Munich, Germany. The story, entitled "Munich Imam Strives to Dilute the Elixir of Radical Islam," stated:
"A growing number of imams in Europe and the Middle East have denounced suicide missions and terrorist acts. Many of these imams, however, still view Al-Qaeda, the Taliban or Hamas as legitimate resistance movements, while Mr. Shashaa openly declares that they are violating the tenets of Islam.
"He travels to mosques and madrasas throughout Europe, as well as the Middle East and Pakistan, telling young Muslims that fighting against American troops and other forces is a violation of their religion. He condemns militant recruiters in his sermons, urges worshipers at Friday Prayer to call the police if they hear about plans for an attack and readily talks with law enforcement officials about the reasons for radicalization and the best way to combat it."
In an interview with the Times, Shashaa portrayed himself as a pacifist:
"They [the militants] use the religion for their personal aims and declare war on Jews and Christians, but I want people to follow what Islam really says. We cannot just sit down and let other people hijack our religion."
The Times also quoted a senior German security official, who said:
"We know that he speaks and works against terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda or the Taliban, and that is important. He is the only example of someone who is doing it in this way here in Germany, and in this sense he is effective."
Shashaa told the Times that he ended up in Germany after he lost his briefcase there on a 2000 stopover while on his way to Britain from Romania, where he had been living. "Everything was gone, the papers, the money," he said. "So I thought it was God's will that I should stay here."
Several months after the New York Times published its hagiography of Shashaa, he was arrested for physically assaulting his third wife, who was hospitalized with a broken nose and shoulder. "The attack was obviously very brutal," a hospital spokesperson said at the time.
The woman, a Syrian, told police that she had wanted to live a more Western lifestyle; she wanted to find a job and stop wearing the hijab. Shashaa refused. After the woman called police, Shashaa refused to let them in. "What a man does with his wife does not concern the authorities," he said. Shashaa was arrested and then released.
During a raid on Shashaa's mosque in Munich, police found copies of a book — Women in the Shade of Islam — which has been banned in Germany because of its calls for violence against women. Shashaa defended his possession of the book: "I need to know what is in these books. How else will I know how to argue with recruiters?"
Spanish authorities believe Shashaa moved to Spain to evade German law enforcement, which had become increasingly suspicious of his activities. Die Zeit reported:
"In 2012, German intelligence called him a Salafist: He opposed a pluralistic society, repeatedly stated that a woman should not leave the house without her husband's permission, and during the Gaza War in 2009 preached a sermon that disparaged Jews. He wants a theocracy, which would be inconsistent with the separation of powers, the rule of law and the parliamentary system. He posted several videos with extremist content. According to the 2012 intelligence findings, his claims to have distanced himself from extremism were deemed 'questionable.'"
Shashaa, who does not speak Spanish, said he moved to Spain to establish a "center for cultural understanding." Through an interpreter, Shashaa told a Spanish newspaper that "spreading culture is the best way to end prejudice and to promote tolerance." He said that his cultural center would operate under the premise of "openness and integration" and that its doors would be "open to the whole world." He added that the walls of the center "must be made of glass so that everyone can see how we are and what is going on in there." Shashaa also insisted that "fundamentalism is a disease we must eradicate."
Spanish authorities are now investigating the source of Shashaa's wealth. His mosque in Munich was shuttered in October 2015 due to financial difficulties, while the mansion he purchased in Spain in February 2015 is said to be worth more than half a million euros.
Meanwhile, more than two weeks after Shashaa was arrested, the New York Times still has not reported on the fate of its poster boy for Salafist pacifism.
*Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute. Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter.
© 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.

Europe: Denying the Threat of Islamic Imperialism
Maria Polizoidou/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10236/europe-islamic-imperialism
The UN report and Erdogan's rhetoric both evidently expresses the Muslim world's thoughts about what it apparently thinks should be the fate of Israel and Europe. So far, not a single Muslim state has condemned or opposed Erdogan's aggression against Judeo-Christian civilization.
The enemy is already inside the gates; many European regimes seem unaware that there is even a threat.
The logic of much of Europe's religious and political community seems to be that if the elephant in the room is spoken to nicely and made to look cute and adorable, people will not think of it as a threat to their safety.
The Western world can no longer ignore the latest elephant in the room: Islamic imperialism. Europe has gone so far as to hamper free speech on the subject, apparently preferring to put the safety of its citizens at risk over admitting that the elephant exists.
Meanwhile, Muslim countries make not the slightest effort to hide their intentions, as recent actions of 18 such states at the United Nations illustrate. They cooperated in the preparation of the report released in March by the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (UNESCWA), which accused Israel of "the crime of apartheid," despite knowing full well that such a baseless claim would be rejected by the world body now that Donald Trump is at the helm of the free world. The reason they went ahead with it anyway was to convey to the West that delegitimizing the Jewish state was merely the first step in a master plan to unravel all of Judeo-Christian civilization and values.
For a body such as UNESCWA to declare the State of Israel in an official Institute's report, as being guilty of "the crime of apartheid" according to international law, shows that Islamic expansionism is a real and an active political problem.
UNESCWA must have had some idea, before publishing the report, that such a loopy conclusion could not be adopted, even by the UN, which has been doing its utmost to rewrite historical facts. In the last few years, UNESCO has repeatedly declared pre-Islamic historical sites Islamic.
Nevertheless, UNESCWA proceeded to pass this surreal political concoction, probably to declare to the Western world again its attempts to delegitimize the State of Israel and all the freedoms it represents in the Judeo-Christian world that might threaten the expansion of Islam.
It was an attempt to project power.
Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Turkey, which even before his new, absolute powers, wanted to represent all of Sunni Islam, shows to the Western world the true face of Islamic imperialism and the conventional, irregular and cyber war it appears to have declared on the Christian world.
The UN report and Erdogan's rhetoric both evidently expresses the Muslim world's thoughts about what it apparently thinks should be the fate of Israel and Europe. So far, not a single Muslim state has condemned or opposed Erdogan's aggression against Judeo-Christian civilization.
According to Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs Mevlut Cavusoglu, "[T]here will soon be religious wars inside Europe". The enemy is already inside the gates; many European regimes seem unaware that there is even a threat.
Corrupted elites, with the help of many in the international community, try to suffocate Israel economically; and the biased and dishonest media seem to be trying to hide from the public that they work as proxies of Islamic imperialism, promoting Islamic ideology and condemning the values of the West.
Pope Francis and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew use Jesus's phrase "Love each other as I have loved you" as a religious justification to love people who are ordered -- under threat of eternal hellfire -- not only never to love you, but to have nothing whatever to do with you, apart from trying to win you over to their firmly-held belief:
"O you who have believed, do not take the Jews and the Christians as allies. They are [in fact] allies of one another. And whoever is an ally to them among you - then indeed, he is [one] of them." -- Qur'an 5:51
The logic of much of Europe's religious and political community seems to be that if the elephant in the room is spoken to nicely and made to look cute and adorable, people will not think of it as a threat to their safety.
Left-wing ideologues and unwitting fellow travelers hide the nature of the elephant. This was the approach of President Obama, who, along with European leaders, provided space in which the elephant could operate, grow and undermine the fabric of Western societies.
Key to this enabling has been a Western focus on fake politics -- such as the obsession with issues such as transgender bathrooms and rights for women who are already blessed with rights -- while Islamists are actually oppressing gays and women in the most rigid fashion.
The Obama administration metamorphosed real politics into fake politics, where people talk -- instead of about freedom and democracy -- about feminism, gender studies, transgender bathrooms, feeling offended and endless vaginology.
Christian leaders have also been trying to deflect from the threat. Both Pope Francis and Greek Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I use Jesus's phrase, "Love each other as I have loved you" to disguise and minimize it.
Meanwhile, the elephant in the room gets bigger and bigger and is ready, according to the Turkish president's statements, to destroy the house.
The West seems addicted to prettying up terrorist organizations such as the Muslim Brotherhood or the PLO. Wishing away danger is nothing new to the West. It was not until President Ronald Reagan exposed the Soviet Union as an "evil empire," for example, that the threat of Communism began to be taken seriously. Within six years, the USSR collapsed.
The behavior of many Western political leaders, jumping from one definition to another about the "true nature of Islam," has so far been disastrous. The tenets of Islam are there or all to see; people in the West seem not to want to look.
What are we Westerners doing trying to tell Muslims what their religion is, in the first place? Do they try to tell us what "real Christianity" is?
Sadly, too much of what we have seen of Islam in the West has been violent. Countless attacks, with shouts of "Allahu Akbar" have been claimed in the name of Islam. In terms of what their religion stands for, you at least have to give them credit for being forthright. We in the West are the ones who have lied.
Ultimately, if we do not confront this problem, this problem will confront us.
**Maria Polizoidou, a reporter, broadcast journalist, and consultant on international and foreign affairs, is based in Greece.
© 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.

The Candy Bar that Blew Barghouti's Cover/Palestinian Incitement against the Media
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 11/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10330/barghouti-eating
Tellingly, although Nasser Abu Bakr's conflict of interest has been reported several times, his spectacular breach of journalistic ethics does not seem to bother his employers at Agence France-Presse (AFP). Worse, it calls into serious question AFP's professional ethics.
Let us be clear on this: Abu Bakr and his PA friends are demanding that the Israeli and international media refrain from reporting anything offensive about the Palestinians. That is censorship -- not to mention shock-troop thuggery.
Since his appointment as chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), Abu Bakr has spearheaded a campaign to boycott Israeli journalists and media organizations. He has repeatedly accused Israeli journalists of serving as an "arm" of the Israeli military authorities and government. Ironically, it is Abu Bakr and his PJS who serve as part of the Palestinian Authority (PA) leadership establishment and do not conceal their role as officials.
The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate (PJS), a body dominated by loyalists to Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas, has resumed its incitement against Israeli media outlets and journalists.
On May 7, Israeli authorities released a video showing imprisoned Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti, who is leading a "hunger strike" of more than 1,000 inmates held in Israeli prisons, secretly eating a candy bar in the bathroom of his prison cell. Israeli media outlets and journalists, like many of their Western colleagues, reported on the video, which has seriously embarrassed Barghouti and many other Palestinians.
The prisoners' "hunger strike" is not about torture or denial of medical treatment. The prisoners seek expanded visitation rights, better access to public phones and more access to higher education.
But Barghouti, who began leading the "hunger strike" on April 17, has more on his mind than incarceration privileges.
The "hunger strike" is actually a strike against Mahmoud Abbas, who Barghouti believes has marginalized him, denying him an official senior position in Fatah.
It is worth noting that no one in the Israeli media was involved in the secret filming of Barghouti. Nor did any Israeli journalist know in advance about the authorities' decision to film Barghouti. All the Israeli media did was report on the release of the scandalous video, together with analysis about the implications of the video on the Palestinian prisoners' "hunger strike."Yet the moment the video appeared in the Israeli media, Palestinian Authority officials and several Palestinian institutions and groups rushed to make serious and unfounded charges against the Israeli media for reporting on the video.
The charges, needless to say, are so grave that they endanger the lives of Israeli journalists covering Palestinian affairs.
Strikingly, the worst threats against Israeli media came from none other than the body representing hundreds of Palestinian journalists -- the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate. Equally disturbing, the PJS is headed by Nasser Abu Bakr, a highly partisan political activist -- and veteran journalist with the French news agency Agence France-Presse (AFP).
A statement issued by Abu Bakr's PJS, shortly after the Barghouti video was broadcast on Israeli television and radio stations, accused Israeli journalists of "collusion with the Israeli occupation authorities."
The statement warned Palestinian, Arab and Western media outlets against dealing with Israeli journalists, whom it accused of "broadcasting poison" by exposing that Barghouti was eating while claiming to be on hunger strike.
The PJS falsely accused Israeli media outlets of committing a "crime by seeking to break the will of the hunger-striking prisoners by publishing false claims" about Barghouti's eating.
The PJS said that its chairman, AFP's Abu Bakr, has filed a complaint with the International Federation of Journalists against Israeli reporters. According to Abu Bakr, the Israeli media is "involved in the crime of starving and terrorizing our prisoners and are major accomplices of the actions of the occupation."
This is far from the first time that Abu Bakr, who, unethically for AFP, holds a senior job with the international news agency, has been involved in incitement against Israeli journalists and media outlets. Moreover, in addition to his job as chairman of the PJS and reporter with AFP, Abu Bakr recently ran in internal elections for Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction. Tellingly, although Nasser Abu Bakr's conflict of interest has been reported several times, his spectacular breach of journalistic ethics does not seem to bother his employers at Agence France-Presse. Worse, it calls AFP's professional ethics into serious question.
Would AFP ever hire a journalist to report about the French presidential elections while this journalist was running in the election or holding a senior job with the French government?
Since his appointment as PJS chairman, Abu Bakr has spearheaded a campaign to boycott Israeli journalists and media organizations. He has repeatedly accused Israeli journalists of serving as an "arm" of the Israeli military authorities and government. Ironically, it is Abu Bakr and his PJS who serve as part of the Palestinian Authority leadership establishment and do not conceal their role as official organs.
Instead of reporting objectively about the controversy surrounding Barghouti's "hunger strike" and the fact that the jailed Fatah leader was caught cheating, Abu Bakr and his PJS chose to wage a vicious campaign of incitement against Israeli media organizations and journalists for simply reporting the truth.
One can understand why Abu Bakr is so furious about the scandal surrounding Barghouti's "hunger strike": he belongs to the same Fatah faction whose members are purportedly fasting in Israeli prisons.
This conflict of interest explains why the PJS and the PA leadership have instructed Palestinian journalists and media organizations to refrain from reporting about the video showing Barghouti enjoying a snack in his prison cell.
Threats against Israeli journalists are intended to deter them from reporting about any topic that could shed a negative light on the Palestinians.
This is, in fact, the preferred method of intimidation among Palestinians. It was first used against Palestinian and Western journalists who dared to criticize Palestinian leaders or report about corruption and terror-advocacy by Palestinian officials. In recent years, the campaign of intimidation has expanded to include Israeli journalists covering Palestinian affairs. No wonder, then, that many Israeli journalists have stopped reporting about anything that could anger PA officials in Ramallah. These Israeli journalists claim that they deliberately avoid any criticism of the PA because they do not want to "lose access to sources" among the Palestinians.
This campaign against Israeli journalists is far from an isolated move. It ought to be seen in the context of the overall Palestinian incitement against Israel. While Abbas is busy lying to Trump and the rest of the Western world that his society is raising Palestinian youth on a "culture of peace," the latest threats against Israeli journalists prove once again the depth of his deception.These threats should be taken seriously for two reasons: they pose a direct threat to the safety of Israeli reporters working in PA-controlled territories and, second, they constitute a flagrant assault on freedom of expression and the media.
Let us be clear on this: Abu Bakr and his PA friends are demanding that the Israeli and international media refrain from reporting anything offensive about the Palestinians. That is censorship -- not to mention shock-troop thuggery.
Will international human rights groups and the International Federation of Journalists call out the Palestinians for inciting against Israeli journalists and demanding censorship of unpleasant facts? Or will they take their habitual tack, holding off on their denunciations until they have something negative to say about Israel?
Western journalists would do well to hold the Palestinians accountable for these threats. If they choose not to, their next visit to Ramallah will involve significant appeasement of demanding PA personnel.
*Bassam Tawil is a scholar based in the Middle East.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

Security, intelligence services should reveal who is behind abductions in Iraq
Adnan Hussein/Al Arabiya/May 11/17
Seven civil society activists were kidnapped in Baghdad earlier this week. The strong reaction by national politicians, the media and social media was not expressing any surprise at these abductions, rather they voiced their anger that these incidents have become worse than before. According to them, the frequency of these kidnappings signified increasing incapability of the state to do anything to confront this phenomenon.
The seven activists were kidnapped without any trace from their homes in the heart of Baghdad. Before this incident, dozens or rather hundreds were abducted. Some were kidnapped for years before they were released or before we know anything about their fate or about who abducted them.
Organized gangs usually kidnap businessmen and prominent employees to demand ransoms or settle accounts. However, no one asks for a ransom in exchange for releasing kidnapped civilians who are usually activists who became prominent during the popular activism which has been ongoing for two years now.
Jalal Al Shahmani and Waai al-Jabouri have been kidnapped from Baghdad and Babel for more than a year and a half now and no one has learnt anything about their fate yet.
Some Islamist parties’ leaders are shameless in attacking civil society activists and secularists while delivering public speeches, and one of them even went as far as blaming them for what’s happening in the country! As part of this propaganda, they began to target universities to market Islamist parties and criticize secular and civil society groups. Many civil society students were thus detained or expelled from some universities.
It’s difficult to put these kidnappings outside the context of some influential parties’ efforts to abort popular activism and undermine it after its slogans and work received the growing support of many people, especially from students and youth. Meanwhile, the Islamist movement’s reputation is on the wane due to its failure in managing the state and society. Not only that but these Islamic movement parties have also never quit struggling over power, influence and money.
Propaganda against secularism
For months now, and as the countdown for the local elections has begun –scheduled for next September but likely to be postponed till next year – and the parliamentary elections – to be held within one year – the propaganda against secularism and the civil society has increased.
This propaganda first began on social media then found its way to radio stations and television channels affiliated with Islamic parties. Some Islamist parties’ leaders are shameless in attacking civil society activists and secularists while delivering public speeches, and one of them even went as far as blaming them for what’s happening in the country! As part of this propaganda, they began to target universities to market Islamist parties and criticize secular and civil society groups. Many civil society students were thus detained or expelled from some universities.
As a prelude to this, many media figures were arrested or abducted for some time. Journalist Afrah Shawki is only one example of these kidnappings.
Restraints have been imposed on youths and the death of a young boy in a police station in the town of Tuwairij a few days ago falls within this context.
I think it’s difficult not to put all these incidents within the context of organized work by one or several parties. Who is this party or these parties? The national security apparatus and the national intelligence services know. They’re supposed to and they should. What good are they for if are not among those who know?