LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 25/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today
Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark 16/15-20/:"‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.’So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it."

When the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth
Acts of the Apostles 01/01-14/:"In the first book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus did and taught from the beginning until the day when he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. After his suffering he presented himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over the course of forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. While staying with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for the promise of the Father. ‘This’, he said, ‘is what you have heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’So when they had come together, they asked him, ‘Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?’He replied, ‘It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’When he had said this, as they were watching, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going and they were gazing up towards heaven, suddenly two men in white robes stood by them. They said, ‘Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up towards heaven? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.’ Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.".

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 24-25/17
Hezbollah's bogus Liberation & Resistance Day/Elias Bejjani/May 25/17
Our Thoughts & Prayers Goes to the Victims Of The Manchester Terrorist Attack/Elias Bejjani/May 23/17
Michel Aoun moves to save his presidency/Michael Young/The National/May 24/17
Manchester: Europe Still 'Shocked, Shocked'/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 24/17
President Trump Should Extend His "Disruption" to Saudi Arabia/A. Z. Mohamed/Gatestone Institute/May 24/17
Terrorism Persists Because It Works/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/May 24/17
Want to defeat the legacy of ISIS? Try rebuilding non-Muslim communities it has destroyed
Alberto M.Fernandez/The Washington Post/May 25/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 24-25/17
Hezbollah's bogus Liberation & Resistance Day
Our Thoughts & Prayers Goes to the Victims Of The Manchester Terrorist Attack
Michel Aoun moves to save his presidency
Aoun Refers to 1960 Electoral Law, Amal Holds Bassil Responsible for Disrupting Deal
Future bloc praises Riyadh summit; Aoun defends Bassil
Gen. Aoun marks Liberation Day by vowing steadfast battle against terror
Bahrain FM Holds Lebanese Govt. Responsible for Hizbullah, Nasrallah Remarks
Berri Urges Internal Solutions, Says 'Greater Mideast Scheme' Has Begun
Gen. Joseph Aoun Hails Army's Efforts, Determined to Bring Kidnapped Soldiers Home
Hariri: Lebanon's Stance at Riyadh Summit Stems from Oath of Office, Ministerial Statement
Hamadeh Says Aoun Should Have Signed Election Decree
Berri for arranging our 'inner home' amidst serious developments in the region
Adwan Meets Hariri, Vows Stronger Efforts to Reach Electoral Law before June 19
Mashnouq: Polls under 1960 Law in September if No Agreement on New Law
Stances Interact after Riyadh Summit, Cabinet Renews BDL Governor Term
Hand Grenades Explode in Ras Baalbek Garbage Bin
Hariri chairs ministerial meeting on Litani River pollution
Sidon Table' launched under Norway's auspices
Jumblatt meets Vatican's State Secretary, Foreign Minister and Middle East Official
Army Commander meets TeleCommunications Minister, Armenian Ambassador, Red Cross delegation
Guidanian at 'Lebanon Travel' Forum: Summer season promising!
Information Minister, Lassen tackle cooperation prospects
Ibrahim meets ambassadors of UAE, India

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 24-25/17
At Least One Dead in Jakarta 'Suicide Bombing Attack'
Trump arrives in Brussels, ahead of EU, NATO talks
Trump meets Pope in Vatican after stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia
Trump Promises Peace Push after 'Fantastic' Pope Talks
U.S. General Denies Increase in Civilian Deaths under Trump
Qatar Probes 'Shameful Hacking' as Gulf Split Exposed
UAE and Saudi Arabia shut down Qatar and al Jazeera sites
Salman Abedi: Profile of the Manchester murderer
NATO must 'step up' after Manchester attack: Stoltenberg
Amber Rudd: Manchester bomber likely did not act alone
Libya Arrests Brother, Father of Manchester Bombing Suspect
Syria Refugees Stuck between Morocco and Algeria
16 Civilians Dead in Coalition Strikes near Raqa
Bahrain Warns Protesters after Deadly Crackdown

Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 24-25/17
Hezbollah's bogus Liberation & Resistance Day
Elias Bejjani/May 25/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=41013
Believe it or not, on May 25 each year since 2000 Lebanon has been celebrating a so-called "Liberation & Resistance Day." Sadly, this celebration commemorates a bogus event, and a phony heroism that did not actually take place.
On May 22, 2000 the Israeli Army unilaterally and for solely Israeli domestic reasons withdrew from the security zone of South Lebanon in accordance with UN Resolution 425. The withdrawal was a fatal Israeli decision that has inspired the Hamas terrorism acts and the on-going havoc in the Palestinian Gaza strip. During the last 13 years many Israeli officials and politicians form all parties openly and harshly criticized Barak's Government (Barak was PM at that time) hasty and unwise decision through which Israel' abandoned its ally the South Lebanon Army (SLA) and gave Hezbollah all south Lebanon on a plate of sliver. The unilateral Israeli withdrawal created a security vacuum in south Lebanon. The Syrians who were occupying Lebanon at that time and fully controlling its government, did not allow the Lebanese Army to deploy in the south and fill this vacuum after the Israeli withdrawal. Instead Syria helped the Hezbollah militia to militarily control the whole southern region, and even patrol the Israeli-Lebanese border.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli army's withdrawal was executed without any military battles, or even minor skirmishes with Hezbollah, or the Lebanese and Syrian armies. The Syrian regime, in a bid to justify both its on going occupation of Lebanon and the avoidance of disarming Hezbollah, came up with the "Shabaa Farms occupation big lie" and declared Hezbollah a Liberator, alleging it had forced Israel to withdrawal from South Lebanon.
Syria, in the same camouflaging and devious context, dictated to both the Lebanese parliament and government to declare May 25th a National Day under the tag of "Liberation & Resistance Day".
In reality Hezbollah did not force the Israeli withdrawal, and did not play any role in the Liberation of the southern Lebanese region. In fact both Hezbollah and Syria deliberately hindered and delayed the Israeli withdrawal for more than 14 years.
Every time the Israelis called on the Lebanese government to engage in a joint, serious effort under the United Nations umbrella to ensure a safe and mutually organized withdrawal of its army from South Lebanon, the Lebanese government refused to cooperate, did not agree to deploy its army in the south, and accused the Israelis of plotting to divide and split the Syrian-Lebanese joint track. This approach to the Israeli calls was an official Syrian decision dictated to all the Lebanese puppet governments during the Syrian occupation era.
Since then, Hezbollah has been hijacking Lebanon and its people, refusing to disarm and advocating for the annihilation of Israel. This Iranian mullahs' terrorist army stationed in Lebanon, is viciously hiding behind labels of resistance, liberation and religion. Hezbollah has recklessly jeopardized the Lebanese peoples' lives, safety, security and livelihood. It has been growing bolder and bolder in the last four years and mercilessly taking the Lebanese state and the Lebanese people hostage through terrorism, force and organized crime.
Sadly, Hezbollah is systematically devouring Lebanon day after day, and piece by piece, while at the same time marginalizing all its governmental institutions in a bid to topple the Lebanese state and erect in its place a Shiite Muslim regime, a replica of the Iranian Shiite mullahs' fundamentalist republic. Meanwhile the free world and Arabic countries are totally silent, indifferent, and idly watching from far away the horrible crime unfolding without taking any practical or tangible measures to put an end to this anti-Lebanese Syria-Iranian scheme that is executed through their spearhead, the Hezbollah armed militia.
Who is to be blamed for Hezbollah's current odd and bizarre status? Definitely the Syrians who have occupied Lebanon for more than 28 years (1976-2005). During their bloody and criminal occupation, Syria helped the Iranian Hezbollah militia build a state within Lebanon and fully control the Lebanese Shiite community. But also the majority of the Lebanese politicians, leaders, officials and clergymen share the responsibility because they were subservient and acted in a dire Dhimmitude, selfish and cowardly manner. If these so-called Lebanese leaders had been courageous and patriotic and had not appeased Hezbollah and turned a blind eye to all its vicious and human rights atrocities, intimidation tactics, crimes and expansionism schemes, this Iranian Shiite fundamentalist militia would not have been able to erect its own mini-state in the southern suburb of Beirut, and its numerous mini-cantons in the Bekaa Valley and the South; nor would Hezbollah have been able to build its mighty military power, with 70 thousand militiamen, or stockpile more than 50 thousand missiles and force the Iranian "Wilayat Al-Faqih" religious doctrine on the Lebanese Shiite community and confiscate its decision making process and freedoms.
Since Hezbollah's emergence in 1982, these politicians have been serving their own selfish interests and not the interests of the Lebanese people and the nation. They went along with Hezbollah's schemes, deluding themselves that its militia and weaponry would remain in South Lebanon and would not turn against them. This failure to serve the people of Lebanon allowed Hezbollah to make many Lebanese and most of the Arab-Muslim countries through its terrorism propaganda to blindly swallow its big lie of theatrical, faked resistance and Liberation.
Hezbollah would not have been able refuse to disarm in 1991, like all the other Lebanese militias in accordance to the "Taef Accord," which called for the disarmament of all militias. Hezbollah would not have become a state inside the Lebanese state, and a world-wide terrorism Iranian-Syrian tool which turned against them all after its war with Israel in year 2006 and after the UN troops were deployed on the Lebanese - Israeli borders in accordance with the UN Resolution 1701.
On May 7, 2008 Hezbollah invaded Sunni Western Beirut killing and injuring in cold blood hundreds of its civilian citizens, and attempted to take over by force Mount Lebanon.
Hezbollah's General Secretary Sheik Hassan Nasrallah called that day (May 7, 2008) a great and glorious victory for his resistance, and keeps on threatening the Lebanese that a replicate of that day will take place if they do not succumb and obey his Iranian orders.
Hezbollah is a deadly dragon that the Lebanese politicians have been allowing him to feed on sacrifices from the southern Lebanese citizens, especially on those who were living in the "Security Zone" and who fled to Israel in May 2000 after the Israeli withdrawal from south Lebanon. This dragon who enjoyed devouring his southern sacrifices has now turned on all the Lebanese and if they do not stand for their rights and dignity, he will keep on devouring them all one after the other.
We call on the Lebanese government, the Lebanese Parliament and on all the free and patriotic Lebanese politicians and leaders to cancel the May 25 National Day, because it is not national at all, and also to stop calling Hezbollah a resistance, put an end for its mini-state, cantons and weaponry, and secure a dignified, honorable and safe return for all the Lebanese citizens who have been taking refuge in Israel since May 2000.
N.B: This article was first published in 2010

Our Thoughts & Prayers Goes to the Victims Of The Manchester Terrorist Attack
صلاتنا لراحة نفوس ضحايا الإنفجار الإرهابي في مانشستر_بريطانيا
Elias Bejjani/May 23/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55573
Our thoughts & prayers goes to all the children, their parents, families and friends who were directly or indirectly affected by the Manchester (England) terrorist explosion that occurred few hours ago.
The terrorist explosion targeted an arena in Manchester where a concert attended by teenagers was held.
Initial reports stated that at least nineteen teenagers and women were killed and more than fifty injured.
May Almighty God bless the souls of the victims and shower on their families and friends all gifts of tolerance, courage, consolation, patience and faith. Meanwhile we wish quick and safe recovery to all the injured.
In reality and actuality there are no words that could help the victim's families cope with the great loss of their beloved innocent children and beloved one who happened to be in an arena attending a concert.
The terrorist or terrorists who committed this horrible, savage and bloody act of terrorism, as well as those who trained, financed and radicalized them being individuals, heads of organizations or officials in states are not human beings by any means and must be arrested and put on trial and face justice and pay for their crimes.
If they were human beings they would not have criminally murdered innocent children.
We loudly and strongly condemn this evil act of terrorism, and call on all world legitimate authorities to continue, strengthen and expend the global war on jihad terrorists and terrorism of all kinds and ideologies in a bid to eradicate them all once and for ever..

Michel Aoun moves to save his presidency
Michael Young/The National/May 24/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55610
Lebanon is nearing the end of parliament’s term on June 30 without any agreement over a new election law. Hovering over the current impasse lies a more disturbing reality. Hizbollah, Lebanon’s strongest party, has used the discord over the law to undermine any chance for the Lebanese state to consolidate its authority at the party’s expense. A simple logic sustains Hizbollah: an unaccountable armed group beholden to an outside power (Iran) can only thrive when the state is dysfunctional. Therefore, whatever undermines Lebanese institutions, above all elections, plays to the party’s advantage, so that Hizbollah’s independence becomes easier when the state is ineffective. After the end of president Michel Suleiman’s term in 2014, Hizbollah helped prolong the presidential vacuum by supporting the candidacy of Michel Aoun, knowing it would divide the political class. That Mr Aoun was elected last October only occurred because his rivals reversed themselves and supported his candidacy to end the two-year void.
Paradoxically, though Mr Aoun is an ally, Hizbollah views his presidency as a potential threat. If the president helps reinforce the state’s authority, this could harm the party’s interests. That is why in recent months it decided to back a new election law based on proportional representation. Hizbollah’s calculation was that if its rivals accepted such a law, they would be weakened politically; and if they continued to resist it, the Lebanese vacuum would be prolonged, giving it wide latitude to pursue its agenda. The debate over a proportional law has divided Lebanon’s politicians, in large part because many would have their political representation in parliament reduced if such a system were introduced. A proportional system would replace the winner-takes-all format of the current election law of 1960, allowing less influential representatives to enter parliament.
Two politicians in particular, Saad Hariri and Walid Jumblatt, could be expected to lose ground. Hizbollah would welcome this, as it regards both men as among its principal Lebanese opponents.
At the same time, Hizbollah doesn’t expect that it would lose much Shia support because of proportionality. The party and its ally the Amal movement together control a vast majority of Shia votes. The result of a proportional law, therefore, would probably be a united Shia parliamentary bloc facing rival political leaders who, though they may be dominant in their own communities, would no longer have the same hold over all candidates in their electoral districts as is the case under the 1960 law.
Initially, Mr Aoun and his Maronite Christian ally Samir Geagea facilitated Hizbollah’s efforts by staunchly opposing the 1960 law even before a replacement could be found. By doing so they allowed the party to hold tough on a proportional law and block the road of those who argued that in the absence of a consensus on a proportional law, Lebanon should return to the still-operative 1960 law.
Neither Mr Aoun nor Mr Geagea was trying to make Hizbollah’s obstruction any easier. Rather, both men were playing to their Christian bases, which oppose the 1960 law because they feel it gives too much latitude to Muslim politicians to pick Christian candidates for their electoral lists. In light of this they both refused to vote in favour of a new parliamentary extension, arguing there was time to reach a compromise. When this proved impossible, Mr Aoun engaged in a major turnaround of his own. On Tuesday, he stated that unless a new law was agreed, a return to the 1960 law was inevitable. His remarks, made in front of representatives of the press association, were aimed at averting a vacuum that could undermine his own presidency. Mr Aoun finally seemed to recognise the real dangers that would accompany further disagreement.
One of them is that Lebanon is in dire economic straits. The possibility of more institutional stalemate worries investors and the spectre of economic collapse has begun to rear its head. Six years of conflict in Syria has ravaged the economy, burdening it with some 1.5 million Syrian refugees. The empty manoeuvres of the political class are only making matters worse, eroding any international commitment to Lebanon. Though Mr Aoun has preserved his ties with Hizbollah, he is not willing to do so at the expense of his own presidential mandate. Moreover, the president may recall that in the elections of 2005 and 2009, he won historically large parliamentary blocs under the 1960 law. If his statements this week pave the way for an election within three months following the end of parliament’s term, then Mr Aoun will have sidestepped a debacle that Hizbollah seemed so keen to allow.
Perhaps Mr Aoun realised that the party, in wanting a weak state, might have brought Lebanon very close to ensuring that there was no state left to weaken. His revival of the 1960 law was nothing less than an effort to save his own presidency. We’ll soon see if he can succeed.
**Michael Young is a writer and editor in Beirut

Aoun Refers to 1960 Electoral Law, Amal Holds Bassil Responsible for Disrupting Deal
Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al Awsat/May 24/17/Beirut- Lebanon’s President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday that if parliament failed to agree on a new electoral law before its term expires on June 21, then the Constitution stipulates that electors be called to participate in the polls within 90 days based on the current law. The President’s comments were seen by some observers as a hint or a prelude to clearly announcing the failure of Lebanon’s political parties to agree on a new electoral law. While sources close to the Presidential Palace refused to place Aoun’s statements in the framework of deciding that the upcoming elections would be based on the 1960 law, member of Liberation and Development parliamentary bloc Ali Khreiss held the Free Patriotic Movement and its chief, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, without naming them, responsible for disrupting any deal on a new law. The bloc is headed by Speaker Nabih Berri, who heads Amal Movement. “Those disrupting an agreement over a new electoral law, are the same people who are still attached to the qualification electoral system and who refuse to let go of it,” Khreiss told Asharq Al-Awsat on Tuesday. It is known that Bassil had proposed the so-called qualification electoral system, which several Lebanese parties had considered a repetition of the sectarian and confessional divisions listed in the “Orthodox Gathering law,” which stipulates that each sect votes to its own deputies. Khreiss asked: “Why should we reach the date when Parliament’s term expires before agreeing on a new electoral law?”He said Aoun was attached to the three NOs: No to the vacuum, no to the 1960 law and no to the extension of parliament’s term. “However, if we reach June 21 without agreeing on a new law, we will enter a three-month vacuum before holding the elections based on the 1960 law. This means that the three NOs have directly or indirectly collapsed.”The Amal deputy said his party is still holding onto the three NOs and would refuse holding elections based on the current 1960 law. The sources at the Presidential Palace told Asharq Al-Awsat that “Aoun’s comments came to clear things up facing voices terrorizing people about a possible vacuum, and to name things as they are, without meaning that a decision was taken to adopt the 1960 law.” On Tuesday, Aoun said during a meeting with a delegation of the Press Club at the Presidential Palace in Baabda: “I do not want the 1960 law, but if we do not reach a solution, do I just leave the republic unrestrained?”Meanwhile, Interior Minister Nohad al-Mashnouq said Tuesday that the course of the new electoral law would be determined before May 29. “Parliamentary elections will be held before the end of 2017,” Mashnouq added in response to a question by United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon Sigrid Kaag.

Future bloc praises Riyadh summit; Aoun defends Bassil
The Daily Star/May. 24/17/BEIRUT: During its weekly meeting Tuesday, the Future Movement bloc praisde the success of the Arab Islamic American Summit held in Saudi Arabia over the weekend.The political bloc said the summit, which brought together over 50 international leaders including U.S. President Donald Trump in Riyadh Sunday, was a historic development. “The participants confirmed the necessity of uniting in the face of extremism and terrorism,” Future MP Mohammad Hajjar said after the meeting, reading the bloc’s statement. “They reconfirmed the need to confront outside interference in countries which is being done by Iran ... and this causes instability in the Arab region,” he added. The bloc called on Hezbollah to withdraw from Syria and come under the umbrella of the state. “[The bloc] calls on Hezbollah to give priority to its national interests in Lebanon, beginning with a review of its political strategies by withdrawing completely from Syria ... and respecting the Constitution, coexistence and the Taif Accord.”Meanwhile, President Michel Aoun threw his weight behind Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil’s comments that the Lebanese delegation was unaware of the wording of the summit’s final statement that singled out Hezbollah as a terrorist group. “What Bassil said regarding the Lebanese stance on the final statement from the summit is 100 percent accurate,” Aoun said during a meeting with a delegation from the Lebanese Press Club. When asked whether he anticipated a problem to arise in Wednesday’s Cabinet session over what took place in Riyadh, Aoun downplayed any potential rifts. “I don’t think [there will be any problems]. We [Lebanon] are committed to what was said during the swearing-in oath, the Cabinet statement, as well as my words at the Arab Summit [last March],” he said.
Coming back from the summit Sunday night, Bassil tweeted that he was unaware there would be a final statement from the meeting. He said the statement was read after the Lebanese delegation left the country. The delegation faced various responses from local officials, with Marada leader MP Sleiman Frangieh dubbing Bassil “a witness who saw nothing,” and the Kataeb Party condemning Aoun for not being invited and the delegation not being allowed to review the statement before it was issued.

Gen. Aoun marks Liberation Day by vowing steadfast battle against terror
The Daily Star/May 24/17/BEIRUT: Lebanese Army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun Wednesday called on soldiers to remain steadfast in fending off Israeli aggression and vigilant in the war against terror. On the occasion of the 17th anniversary for the liberation of South Lebanon, the newly appointed army chief urged soldiers to remain "ready to challenge Israeli threats and committed to [U.N. Security Council] resolution 1701 in cooperation with the international peacekeeping force."The resolution ended the 2006 Israeli war against Lebanon after calling for an immediate end of hostilities, the deployment of the Lebanese Army and establishment of a weapons-free zone south of the Litani River.Lebanon's Resistance and Liberation Day commemorates the Israeli army’s withdrawal from south Lebanon in May 2000 after 22 years of occupation. Aoun also called on soldiers to remain vigilant and ready to "continue the battle against terror and seek to eradicate its threats permanently.""We are capable and determined," he said. The army chief addressed soldiers, saying: "You have been up to the challenge. The Israeli enemy ... hasn't been able to weaken you resolve, nor the attacks by terror groups domestically have been able to weaken your determination to confront them and paralyze their capabilities through pre-emptive operations."The army has been locked in a fight against terrorist groups, mainly Daesh and Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, formerly known as the Nusra Front, entrenched on the country’s northeastern outskirts. Since 2015, the Lebanese Army has stepped up its preemptive strikes against terror cells. The army and security forces have been cracking down on militants as part of pre-emptive operations against extremist sleeper-cells to deter threats. Aoun vowed to exert efforts to secure the release of the Daesh (ISIS)-abducted Lebanese soldiers. The nine soldiers have been held captive since Daesh, along with Jabhat Fatah al-Sham – previously known as the Nusra Front – briefly overran the northeast border town of Arsal in August 2014. More than 30 soldiers and policemen were initially captured but most were released. Some were killed in captivity, however, and nine army personnel are still being held by Daesh. General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim said in a statement issued on the same occasion that security forces were determined to avert Israeli and terror threats. He vowed that the directorate would remain "a shield in the face of threats to maintain the liberation accomplishment and repel any possible attacks on our (Lebanon's) sovereignty, based on our legitimate right to resists as long as our enemies are lurking our nation."Ibrahim hailed the security achievements, saying: "Your sacrifices ... managed to form a security valve for [the Lebanese] and expats."

Bahrain FM Holds Lebanese Govt. Responsible for Hizbullah, Nasrallah Remarks
Naharnet/May 24/17/Bahraini Foreign Minister Khaled bin Ahmed al-Khalifa has held the Lebanese government responsible for the remarks of Hizbullah and its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah against the kingdom's rulers. “The Lebanese government bears the responsibility for the insulting statements of its partner Hizbullah and its terrorist, demented leader,” the minister tweeted. “Enough with the empty talk and void reassurances,” he added, addressing the Lebanese government. Hizbullah had on Tuesday issued a statement warning the Bahraini government that any harm to influential Shiite spiritual leader Ayatollah Isa Qassim "will open the doors for unpredictable outcome and dangers." Hizbullah also condemned what it called “the brutal assault on unarmed civilians” outside Qassim's home in the town of Diraz, where five people were killed and dozens others were arrested on Tuesday.
Witnesses told AFP that several civilians were wounded when police officers fired at demonstrators throwing stones and Molotov cocktails at security forces.A total of 286 arrests were made, including “fugitives that had escaped from Jau Prison," the interior ministry said.

Berri Urges Internal Solutions, Says 'Greater Mideast Scheme' Has Begun
Naharnet/May 24/17/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri on Wednesday warned that “the grave economic situation is not less important than the political situations,” calling for “organizing our domestic situation amid the dangerous developments in the region.”“Contacts are still underway over the electoral law but there is nothing new until the moment,” MPs quoted Berri as saying during his weekly Ain el-Tineh meeting with lawmakers. Also on Wednesday, the speaker noted on his official Facebook page that “the implementation of the Greater Middle East scheme of (late Israeli leader) Shimon Peres has started.” The scheme stands for “dividing what's already divided and economic cooperation among all the peoples and countries of the region instead of granting the Palestinians a state,” Berri added.

Gen. Joseph Aoun Hails Army's Efforts, Determined to Bring Kidnapped Soldiers Home
Naharnet/May 24/17/Army Commander General Jospeh Aoun hailed the army's relentless efforts to confront terrorism and the Israeli army, vowing determination to unveil the fate of the soldiers abducted in 2014.In his Order of the Day addressing the army on the occasion of Resistance and Liberation Day, Aoun said: “The Lebanese are watching you on the homeland borders defending your land and people against the Israeli enemy and terrorism. “You have been up to the challenges that faced the country. The Israeli daily threats have failed to weaken your determination, and the attacks of terrorist groups failed to undermine your firmness to confront them and paralyze their capabilities through pre-emptive operations directed against their leaders," he said.Aoun urged vigilance and “full preparedness to confront the Israeli enemy and its schemes against our land, people and natural resources.”
He stressed commitment to UN Resolution 1701 “and its implementation in close cooperation with the international forces."Resolution 1701, which ended the Hizbullah-Israel war in 2006, expanded the mandate of U.N. troops in the South, which was originally formed in 1978 after the outbreak of Lebanon's 1975-1990 civil war. It imposed a strict embargo on weapons destined for Lebanese or foreign militias in Lebanon, and pressed Israel to end violations of Lebanon's airspace and to withdraw from northern Ghajar. The Gen. stressed determination to “use all available means to find out the fate of abducted soldiers and bring them back to their families and institution.”Militants from the Islamic State group and al-Qaida-linked al-Nusra Front overran Arsal in August 2014 and abducted several servicemen. While al-Nusra Front freed 16 servicemen in exchange for Islamist prisoners, there are no news on nine other hostages taken by the IS.The outskirts of Arsal and other towns bordering Syria continue to witness sporadic clashes between the army and the jihadists.Resistance and Liberation Day falls on May 25 and marks the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in 2000 following an occupation of 22 years.

Hariri: Lebanon's Stance at Riyadh Summit Stems from Oath of Office, Ministerial Statement
Naharnet/May 24/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri emphasized on Wednesday that Lebanon's position during the Riyadh summit stems from President Michel Aoun's oath of office and the ministerial statement of the government. “Lebanon's position, reflected through our national unity, stems from the oath of office and the ministerial statement. Positive atmospheres and distancing Lebanon from problems around us is crucial,” said Hariri during a cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace. He stressed that the country's participation in the conference was a normal procedure, “we are always working on restoring our relations with all countries, this is important for us,” said Hariri. "We have to acknowledge the changes happening in the region. We must distance Lebanon from that because we do not want to be part of any conflict. We do not want Lebanon to support one side against another, it is our major policy," Hariri stressed. The PM pointed out that he had discussed the situation in Lebanon and the region with several country leaders on the sidelines of the summit, and invited them to visit Lebanon. He also noted his agreement with Saudi officials to hold the Lebanese-Saudi Joint Economic Committee during the holy month of Ramadan. On the thorny electoral law issue, Hariri said: “There must be a way to agree on a new law. No one would accept vacuum or the 1960 (electoral law). I believe there is a real chance to agree on one.”

Hamadeh Says Aoun Should Have Signed Election Decree
Naharnet/May 24/17/Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh said if President Michel Aoun had signed the decrees inviting voters for the elections in line with the constitutional deadlines, he would have saved the country from risks of delayed elections, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday.
“If President Michel Aoun had signed the draft decrees submitted by Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq and calling the electoral bodies to stage elections on their constitutional dates, he would have saved the country from danger,” Hamadeh told the daily in an interview. In February, Aoun did not ink a decree signed by Mashnouq calling on voters to prepare for the upcoming parliamentary elections in order to avoid the polls being held under the disputed 1960 majoritarian law. The political parties are bickering over amending the current election law which divides seats among the different religious sects.
A number of law formats were suggested by different parties, but none of them succeeded at garnering approval of all sides.Touching on Aoun's Tuesday position and that of Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Hamadeh said: “I am puzzled. I can't determine the exact position of the (Aoun's) term which highly coincides with the law, and the rhetoric of the Foreign Minister who is again threatening with vacuum.”On Tuesday, Aoun hinted that he would call for staging the parliamentary polls under the 1960 law to avoid vacuum at the legislative authority. Head of the Free Patriotic Movement and Aoun's son-in-law, Bassil, warned on Tuesday that “those who try to prevent the FPM from passing a new electoral law will bear the responsibility for vacuum” at the legislative authority. The current parliament has failed to amend the law, and has extended its mandate twice amid criticism. New elections were supposed to be held in May 2017.

Berri for arranging our 'inner home' amidst serious developments in the region
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - House Speaker Nabih Berri warned Wednesday of the grave economic conditions, which are as equally important as the political situation, calling for "arranging our inner home in light of the critical developments in the region."Over the vote law, visiting deputies at Ain el-Teeneh said after their Wednesday meeting that "contacts are still ongoing regarding the electoral law," adding "there is nothing new at this level till now."It is to note that the meeting was attended by MP's Ali Bazzi, Hani Kobeissi, Bilal Farhat, Marwan Fares, Michel Moussa, Nabil Ncoula, Nawar el-Sahili, Ali Ammar, Abbas Hashem, Hassan Fadlallah, Ali Fayyad, Ali Khreiss and Kassem Hashem. On another note, Berri expressed his keen concern for the salary and ranks series during his meeting with MP Antoine Zahra later in the afternoon. Zahra noted, on emerging, that discussions focused on the agenda of the Parliament Council session scheduled for May 29, which includes the salary scale issue. Speaker Berri also met this afternoon with Roman Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and the East, Gregorious III Lahham, with talks centering on the prevailing situation in Lebanon and the region. The newly appointed Ambassador of Sri Lanka, Wijeratne Mendis, also called on the House Speaker Wednesday on a protocol visit.On the other hand, House Speaker Berri contacted his Algerian Counterpart, Said Bou Heja, congratulating him on his election, stressing "cooperation and coordination between both Parliament Councils, and brotherly ties for the benefit of Lebanon and Algeria."

Adwan Meets Hariri, Vows Stronger Efforts to Reach Electoral Law before June 19
Naharnet/May 24/17/Lebanese Forces deputy head MP George Adwan held talks with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday and announced that efforts will be intensified in a bid to reach an agreement on a new electoral law before the expiry of parliament's term. “We have several times stressed that we are against extension, vacuum and the 1960 law... None of us is willing to accept this or allow it to happen,” said Adwan after the meeting at the Grand Serail. “Today we are required to make initiatives and we will make initiatives together so that we can have an electoral law before June 19,” Adwan added. He noted that the initiatives and contacts “have not stopped” and “will be resumed as of tonight with a stronger frequency.”“We will try to overcome every obstacle and we will not back down from any step that we can do and I emphasize that we have become very close to reaching a new electoral law, because the vast majority of parties have agreed to the electoral system that should be endorsed, which is proportional representation, and we only have to put rules and restraints for this system so that it can preserve fairness and correct representation,” the lawmaker added. “We will try to dispel the pessimistic atmosphere that we witnessed over the past two days so that we can move forward, and this is what we have agreed on with PM Hariri and al-Mustaqbal Movement,” Adwan went on to say. He added: “We will not accept a return to the 1960 law, vacuum or extension.”

Mashnouq: Polls under 1960 Law in September if No Agreement on New Law
Naharnet/May 24/17/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq announced Wednesday that the parliamentary elections will be held in September under the controversial 1960 electoral law should the parties fail to reach an agreement on a new law. “There are efforts to open an extraordinary legislative session in an attempt to help find an electoral law and should we fail in this, there will be elections in September under the 1960 law,” Mashnouq said.Parliament will conclude its ordinary session at the end of May and President Michel Aoun has jurisdiction to open an extraordinary session in coordination with the prime minister. The president can also invoke his powers to dissolve parliament ahead of the expiry of its term on June 20, which would force elections under the current law (1960 law) within a period not exceeding three months. Aoun had hinted Tuesday that the elections might be held under the 1960 law in order to prevent “chaos.” But Free Patriotic Movement chief Jebran Bassil announced later in the day that the FPM would seek to “block vacuum and the 1960 law” the same as it had blocked the “extension” of parliament's term.

Stances Interact after Riyadh Summit, Cabinet Renews BDL Governor Term
Naharnet/May 24/17/President Michel Aoun chaired an ordinary cabinet meeting at the Presidential Palace in Baabda that tackled agenda items, the outcomes that emerged after the Riyadh summit and renewed the term of the Central Bank Governor. Aoun chaired the meeting in the presence of Prime Minister Saad Hariri and the ministers, NNA said. Aoun and Hariri held a closed meeting before the session began, talks focused on the latest developments in the country. The President touched on the circumstances that accompanied the issuance of the Riyadh summit's final statement after the departure of the Lebanese delegation, he said: "Lebanon is committed to what is stated in the oath of office and the government’s ministerial statement.”He told the cabinet that he called the Higher Defense Council for a meeting on Friday to discuss the security situation in the country and the measures to be taken in several areas, especially during the holy month of Ramadan. The cabinet approved renewing the term of Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh for another six years. Before the cabinet convened, Minister of Women's Affairs Jean Oghassapian said the outcome of the Riyadh Summit must be comprehended, and parties in Lebanon “need not engage in useless debates about it.”Whether Hizbullah plans to mark a position with regard to the summit that mentioned the party among terror groups, Hizbullah Industry Minister Hussein Hajj Hassan said “you will learn later.”For his part, Youth and Sports Minister Mohammed Fneish said: “The government must make a clear position as for the summit's statement to clarify whether it agrees with it or not.” State Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Qanso said: “Before the Lebanese delegation headed to Riyadh, we raised attention that Lebanon must not make a negative position as for the Resistance because it would have negative repercussions on the internal arena. “Labeling the Resistance a terrorist organization is unacceptable. The statement issued after the summit touched on the Resistance. A proper position will be taken after the cabinet meeting,” he stressed.

Hand Grenades Explode in Ras Baalbek Garbage Bin
Naharnet/May 24/17/Two hand grenades exploded Wednesday evening inside a garbage container in the Bekaa border town of Ras Baalbek, causing no casualties, state-run National News Agency reported. “Army and intelligence units arrived immediately on the scene and cordoned off the area as a military expert headed to the site to specify the type of the grenades,” NNA added. Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) described the devices as “percussion bombs.”Al-Jadeed television said the garbage container lies near the Mar Elian Church.Media reports said the area had witnessed a similar incident around twenty days ago.

Hariri chairs ministerial meeting on Litani River pollution
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri chaired Wednesday a meeting by members of the ministerial committee in charge of following-up on the Litani River pollution. Attending the meeting was Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani, and Cabinet Ministers Hussein Haj Hassan, Jamal al-Jarrah, Tarek al-Khatib and Ceasar Abi Khalil, as well as Development and Reconstruction Development Council Head Nabil Jisr, PM Hariri's Advisor on Development Fadi Fawaz and Council of Ministers Secretary General Fouad Fleifel.On emerging, Abi Khalil said: "The ministerial committee pursued today its study of the Litani River pollution as a result of the factories spread along its course. A decision was taken to summon officials of 90 factories to the Grand Serail next week in wake of their environmental violations, whereby they will be given short notice by the relevant ministries to settle their situations under penalty of closing down."He added: "The State Security Service was also commissioned to monitor unlicensed factories and provide the necessary security to the Environment and Industry Ministry teams in charge of detecting all factories spread along the Litani River."On another note, the Prime Minister later met with Lebanese Forces Party Member, Deputy George Adwan, with talks touching on latest political developments in the country.

Sidon Table' launched under Norway's auspices
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - The "Lebanese traditional cuisine and Sidon table" have been inaugurated this Wednesday on Sidon waterfront opposite the old port, in an initiative funded by Norway. The opening ceremony was attended by Future bloc Head, MP Fouad Siniora, Social Affairs Minister Pierre Bou Assi, represented by his advisor Mario Abu Zeid, Norwegian Ambassador to Lebanon, Lynn Natasha Lindh, MP Bahia Hariri, UN General Coordinator in Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, and ranking dignitaries."Over the past 40 years, we have affirmed our commitment to our primary goal, the future of Lebanon's investment in human beings, which has been at the heart of our philanthropy," said MP Hariri. "Today, we are faced with a unique process of multilateral partnership and joint expertise. Together, we have built a new developmental model: (...) the integration of all energies to achieve one goal that (...) meets the needs of the entire city," she said."We are proud of this partnership and we want this day to be a tribute to you and your outstanding contribution to this developmental partnership around the Sidon table..." Hariri concluded. For her part, the Ambassador of Norway said her country "is one of the partners in this project which, in Ms. Hariri's words, was crowned with success for what it includes of know-how, passion, determination, skills and much more." "We look forward to the future projects (...) and we will be ready to contribute, especially in order to promote commercial traffic and other activities in Sidon and in different cities of Lebanon," she said.

Jumblatt meets Vatican's State Secretary, Foreign Minister and Middle East Official
Wed 24 May/NNA - Democratic Gathering Head, MP Walid Jumblatt, met Wednesday with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, in presence of Foreign Minister Paul Richard Gallagher and Middle East Affairs Official. The meeting was also attended by Jumblatt's son, Taymour, and "Democratic Gathering" Members, Deputies Henry Helou and Ghazi Aridi.

Army Commander meets TeleCommunications Minister, Armenian Ambassador, Red Cross delegation
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, met Wednesday at his Yarzeh office with Tele-Communications Minister, Jamal Jarrah, with talks touching on latest developments in the country and issues related to the Bekaa region. Armenian Ambassador to Lebanon, Samvel Mkrtchyan, also visited the Army Chief, with whom he reviewed the internal and regional prevailing situation, in addition to bilateral relations between the Lebanese and Armenian Armed Forces. General Aoun later received a Red Cross delegation, headed by Secretary General Georges Keteneh, with discussions centering on ways of strengthening the joint coordination between both institutions. Lebanese American University President, Dr. Joseph Jabbra, also visited the Army Commander today, accompanied by a University delegation.

Guidanian at 'Lebanon Travel' Forum: Summer season promising!
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian deemed Wednesday that "Lebanon's summer season will be promising."Speaking at the inauguration of the "Lebanon Travel Forum" at Beirut Hippodrome, Guidanian considered that "such forums and exhibitions help to support and improve tourism in Lebanon."He added: "The international tourism forum that will be held tomorrow, with the participation of 150 international companies in the field of marketing, conferences and exhibitions, will place Lebanon on the international tourism map."In turn, Director of the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Lebanon, Anne Patterson, who joined Minister Guidanian in patronizing the forum opening, stressed on the US government's "continued support for economic development in Lebanon to increase employment by supporting key sectors, such as tourism.""The US government has invested more than $ 2.25 million to promote rural tourism in Lebanon through the development of tourism projects, products and places that generate income for small businesses, especially through the development of economic and work opportunities," added Patterson. "Travel Lebanon" Forum, in its fourth edition, is organized by the Hospitality Services Company, with the support of the Lebanese Productive Sector Improvement Program (LIVCD), funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism. The Forum will continue till May 27th, with more than 50 tourism partners from various Lebanese regions participating.

Information Minister, Lassen tackle cooperation prospects
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - Minister of Information, Melhem Riachy received at his ministerial office the European Union Ambassador, Christina Lassen, with talks touching on local and regional affairs and ways to boost cooperation between the Ministry and the EU.
The meeting also touched on projects related to the Ministry of Information, in particular, and the Lebanese media in general, particularly the means to assist troubled media institutions, develop relevant laws and amend the Syndicate of Editors statutes.

Ibrahim meets ambassadors of UAE, India
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - General Security Chief, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, received this morning the UAE Ambassador to Lebanon, Hamad Saeed Al Shamsi, and discussed with him the local and regional political situation. Ambassador Al Shamsi praised the efforts of the General Security in maintaining security and stability, in addition to following up on the conditions of UAE nationals. General Ibrahim later met with the Indian ambassador to Lebanon, Sanjiv Arora, who thanked Major General Ibrahim for the coordination and cooperation between the Directorate General of General Security and the Indian Embassy over the affairs of the Indian community in order to facilitate their stay on Lebanese territory.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 24-25/17
At Least One Dead in Jakarta 'Suicide Bombing Attack'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/A suspected suicide bombing rocked a busy bus terminal in the Indonesian capital Jakarta Wednesday, killing one policeman in the latest terror attack to hit the Muslim-majority country. Five police officers were also injured in the explosion at the bus station in the east of the city. "There has been a bomb, for now we suspect it is a suicide bombing," deputy national police chief Syafruddin, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, told TV station TVOne. He said the bomber was killed along with one police officer, adding that five other policemen were injured. "The police personnel had been providing security," to people in the area, he added. The terminal, Kampung Melayu, is a local hub served by minibuses and buses. It is a working class district of the city, not popular with foreigners or tourists. Police and witnesses said earlier they had heard two blasts during the attack. "At first I saw smoke and shattered glass, the earth was shaking, I was shocked. After a few minutes there was another blast," a woman at the terminal, Rosmala, a shopkeeper who goes by only one name, told AFP. Another eyewitness, Sultan Muhammad Firdaus, told local television station Kompas TV that he had heard two explosions. "I was on a flyover and then I heard the first explosion... There was a 10 minute gap between the two explosions." "The explosions were quite loud, I could hear them clearly," he said.East Jakarta police chief Andry Wibowo said that the damage at the bus terminal indicated that the explosion had been "pretty big."Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, has long struggled with Islamic militancy and hundreds of radicals from the Southeast Asian state have flocked to fight with IS, sparking fears that weakened extremist outfits could get a new lease of life.
A gun and suicide attack in the capital Jakarta left four attackers and four civilians dead in January last year, and was the first assault claimed by the Islamic State group in Southeast Asia. Indonesia has suffered a series of Islamic militant attacks in the past 15 years, including the 2002 Bali bombings that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists. A sustained crackdown weakened the most dangerous networks but the emergence of IS has proved a potent new rallying cry for radicals. Numerous recent IS-linked plots in Indonesia have been botched or foiled, with analysts saying that many of the country's militants lack the capacity to launch serious attacks.

Trump arrives in Brussels, ahead of EU, NATO talks
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - U.S. President Donald Trump arrived in Brussels from Rome on Wednesday ahead of meetings on Thursday with other NATO leaders and the heads of European Union institutions. Having met Pope Francis at the Vatican earlier in the day, Trump will meet Belgium's King Philippe and Prime Minister Charles Michel in Brussels later on Wednesday on the fourth leg of his first foreign trip since taking office. -- REUTERS

Trump meets Pope in Vatican after stops in Israel, Saudi Arabia
Reuters/May 24/17 /While his talks in Saudi Arabia and Israel were mostly friendly, the meeting between the pontiff and US president had the potential to be a little more confrontational. VATICAN CITY - US President Donald Trump met Pope Francis, one of his most high profile critics, at the Vatican on Wednesday and after an exchange of gifts he promised he would not forget the pontiff's message during their half-hour discussion. Trump and the pope have expressed opposing views on issues such as immigration and climate change and the two men exchanged sharp words during the presidential campaign last year. Under clear blue skies, Trump received a tribute from the Swiss Guard in a Vatican courtyard where he was greeted by Archbishop Georg Ganswein, the prefect of the pontifical household. Trump looked uncomfortable as he entered a small elevator taking him to the third floor of the Apostolic Palace, where he was accompanied by Ganswein and other officials along a frescoed corridor to the pope's private study. Following behind Trump were his wife Melania, daughter Ivanka, her husband, Jared Kushner, a top White House aide, national security adviser H.R. McMaster and adviser Hope Hicks.
The pope smiled faintly as he greeted Trump outside the study. Trump, seeming subdued, said "it is a great honor."The two men then posed for photographs and the pope kept a stern face while Trump beamed for the cameras. At the end of the private encounter the pope, smiling and looking far more relaxed, gave the president a small sculptured olive tree symbolizing peace. Trump thanked him and said, "we can use peace."Speaking in Spanish through an interpreter, the pope also gave Trump a signed copy of the message he delivered at the last World Peace Day and three of his major writings including his 2015 encyclical on the need to protect the environment. "Well, I'll be reading them," Trump said. He gave the pope a boxed set of writings by Martin Luther King.As Trump left he told his host, "thank you, I won't forget what you said." Trump's meeting with Pope Francis, his third stop on a nine-day foreign tour due to end on Saturday, was part of his world tour of religions after meeting leaders of Muslim nations in Saudi Arabia and visiting holy sites in Jerusalem. While his talks in Saudi Arabia and Israel were mostly friendly, the meeting between the head of the Roman Catholic Church and the thrice-married, blunt-spoken Trump had the potential to be a little more confrontational.
SHARP EXCHANGES
The pope said last year a man who thinks about building walls and not bridges is "not Christian," a sharp reprimand for Trump's vow to build a wall along the US border with Mexico. Trump said it was "disgraceful" of the Argentine-born pope, who represents just over half of the world's two billion Christians, to question his faith."If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS' ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president," Trump said during the campaign. Trump's softer stance on environmental regulations also is at odds with Francis' view that climate change is caused mostly by human activity. The Vatican also took a dim view of Trump's anti-Muslim campaign rhetoric, although Trump softened his tone considerably in a major speech in Riyadh. Francis said last week he would be "sincere" with Trump but did not want to judge him before listening to him in person. Part of Trump's motivation for meeting the pope was to dramatize how the three major religions should rally against the threat from Islamist militants. “We thought that this trip was essential to put together the Muslim faith, the Jewish faith and then the Catholic faith, the Christian faith," said a senior White House official who briefed reporters on Trump's Air Force One flight to Rome. "By putting everybody together you can really build a coalition and show that it’s not a Muslim problem, it’s not a Jewish problem, it’s not a Catholic problem, it’s not a Christian problem, it really is a world problem," the official said. Trump at first did not plan to stop in Rome during his visit to Europe, which some in the Vatican saw as a snub. When he changed his mind, the Vatican squeezed him in at 8:30 a.m. on a Wednesday morning, an unusual day and an unusually early time.Francis holds his weekly audience with the general public on Wednesday at 10 a.m. in St Peter's Square. After the meeting, Trump moves on to Brussels for a NATO summit, followed by the last stop on his trip, at a Group of Seven summit in Sicily.

Trump Promises Peace Push after 'Fantastic' Pope Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/Donald Trump vowed Wednesday to use his U.S. presidency to promote peace around the world after what he depicted as an inspirational meeting with an initially grim-faced Pope Francis. Meeting face-to-face for the first time, the two leaders sidestepped profound differences over a string of issues ranging from the environment to the plight of migrants and the poor. And the U.S. President emerged from a half-hour meeting at the Vatican gushing with enthusiasm about the 80-year-old pontiff, to the point of the former TV star appearing slightly star-struck. "Honor of a lifetime to meet His Holiness Pope Francis," Trump wrote on Twitter before leaving Rome for Brussels and the next leg of his first overseas trip as president."I leave the Vatican more determined than ever to pursue PEACE in our world."Trump later arrived in Brussels, a city he once dubbed a "hellhole", ahead of his first summits on Thursday with wary leaders of NATO and the European Union. Trump's declaration of intent followed a keenly-anticipated encounter between the billionaire businessman and the former Jesuit priest who has made championing the poor and the third world major themes of his papacy. In their world view and tastes, the Argentine pontiff who eschews the use of the palaces at his disposal and the luxury hotel tycoon appear worlds apart. But if there was any friction when they finally met, it occurred behind closed doors. In front of the cameras, both men were mostly all smiles, relaxed and even jovial."He is something," Trump later said of his host. "We had a fantastic meeting." The Vatican described the discussions as "cordial" and emphasized the two men's joint opposition to abortion and shared concern for persecuted Christians in the Middle East.
History of spats
The pope had presented Trump with a medallion engraved with an olive tree, the international symbol of peace. Francis also gave Trump copies of the three major texts he has published as pope, including one on the environment which urges the industrialized world to curb carbon emissions or risk catastrophic consequences for the planet. Trump, who has threatened to ignore the Paris accords on emissions and described global warming as a hoax, vowed to read them. A Vatican statement on the meeting highlighted "the joint commitment in favor of life, and freedom of worship and conscience." Trump told his host as he left, "Thank you. Thank you. I won't forget what you said.""I give it to you so you can be an instrument of peace," he said in Spanish. "We can use peace," Trump replied. Trump's gifts included a collection of first editions by Martin Luther King and a bronze sculpture. Trump's administration has pleased the Church by axing rules protecting tax-funded financing of family planning clinics that offer abortions. Accompanied by his wife Melania and daughter Ivanka, Trump met Francis in the private library of the Apostolic Palace, the lavish papal residence that the current pope eschews in favor of more modest lodgings. Afterwards, the first couple were given a private tour of the Sistine Chapel and St Peter's Basilica. While Donald dropped in on Italy's President and met Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni, Melania visited a children's hospital and Ivanka met women trafficked from Africa for the sex trade.
In Brussels, Trump has a light schedule on Wednesday with meetings with Belgian King Philippe and Queen Mathilde and with Prime Minister Charles Michel. On Thursday he first meets EU President Donald Tusk and European Commission chief Jean-Claude Juncker, having previously backed Britain's shock Brexit vote and saying the EU was a doomed would-be superstate.He will then hold his first summit with the 28 leaders of the NATO military alliance, which he dubbed "obsolete" on the campaign trail, where he is expected to press them to join the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State in the wake of the Manchester attack in Britain.
Jumbo-sized SUV
Pope Francis and Trump's past spats include the pope describing plans for a border wall with Mexico as not Christian and Trump evoking a possible Islamist attack on the Vatican which would make the pontiff glad to have him as president. But there have also been conciliatory moves. In 2013, Trump tweeted that "the new pope is a humble man, very much like me" while Francis had promised to judge the man not the image. Trump's Vatican visit was the third leg of his overseas trip, after stops in Saudi Arabia and Israel and the Palestinian territories. The high-profile trip has diverted attention from Trump's domestic pressures over alleged campaign collusion with Russia. With his poll numbers at a record low for a recently-elected president, he will be hoping for a boost after rubbing shoulders with the popular pope.

U.S. General Denies Increase in Civilian Deaths under Trump
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/A top U.S. Air Force official on Wednesday denied claims that civilian casualties in Iraq and Syria are soaring under President Donald Trump, who has given greater leeway to battlefield commanders. Airwars, a London-based collective of journalists and researchers that tracks civilian deaths in Iraq and Syria, this week said it has seen numbers jump since Trump came into power. The group estimates as many as 366 civilians were killed in Iraq and Syria in April alone. Another Britain-based group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, on Tuesday said U.S.-led air strikes killed 225 civilians in Syria over the past month. "I am not going to agree to those numbers," said Lieutenant General Jeffrey Harrigian, who heads U.S. Air Forces Central Command. "We have different numbers that we have garnered through our assessments and our analysis of it." As of the most recent Centcom count at the end of April, a total of 396 civilians had been killed since the beginning of the bombing campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria nearly three years ago. The U.S. military insists that its precision targeting abilities are the best in the world and that it takes every measure to avoid hitting civilians, including by aborting missile strikes at the last moment if a civilian unexpectedly wanders into the target zone. But Airwars Director Chris Wood said a rise in civilian deaths has been particularly noticeable around the IS stronghold of Raqa in Syria, where thousands of jihadists are dug in ahead of an upcoming offensive to recapture the city. "With three full months of airstrike and civilian casualty data from Donald Trump’s presidency, we are now seeing the emergence of clear trends," Woods said. Raqa provides "the clearest evidence yet that protections for civilians on the battlefield appear to have been scaled back -– with the inevitable consequence of higher deaths and injuries," he added. The coalition has sharply increased the number of bombs it is dropping, and Trump has allowed commanders to more quickly approve strikes and fulfil a plan to "annihilate" IS. Harrigian insisted fatalities have not risen as a result. "My direct answer to that is no," he said. "With respect to the administration's guidance to us, the rules of engagement have not changed. So, we are executing those (strikes) in accordance with the training that we've had and the deliberate process that we use to target military-appropriate targets."

Qatar Probes 'Shameful Hacking' as Gulf Split Exposed
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/Qatar launched an investigation and went into damage control mode on Wednesday after accusing hackers of putting what it called false remarks by the emir on state media. The four-hour cyber attack, which hit the Qatar News Agency's website and Twitter account, caused ripples in the Gulf state and across the Middle East because of the content of the stories. Among the topics supposedly addressed by Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani were the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, strategic relations with Iran, and comments about Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. There were also remarks about alleged "tensions" between Qatar and the administration of US President Donald Trump. The Twitter account carried a statement from Foreign Mnister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani about Qatar withdrawing its ambassadors from several nearby countries. His ministry denied the story. Qatar said what occurred was a "shameful cybercrime" and that the reports were completely untrue.It added an investigation had been launched and the hackers would be "traced and prosecuted.""QNA's website was hacked at 12:14am on Wednesday morning, with hackers publishing false statements attributed to HH the Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani," said the foreign ministry. "The official further said that it is clear this shameful cybercrime was instigated and perpetrated with malicious intent," it said in a statement. But it was unable to contain the fallout, with media outlets taking seriously the remarks attributed to the emir and attacks on social media accounts continuing. The "false statement" was still being widely reported by broadcasters and newspapers across the region, including in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, many hours after Doha's denial.
Anti-Qatar organizations
One analyst on the Saudi state news channel, Al-Akhbariya, called Tamim's alleged remarks "political adolescence".Twitter users swapped insults and accusations. Saudi media slammed the alleged statement describing Shiite-dominated Iran as a "stability guarantor" in the region. A page on the Al-Arabiya English website had an article entitled: "Proof that Qatar News Agency was not hacked."At the same time, Doha-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera was unavailable for some time in the UAE, though it was unclear if it was blocked on purpose. The Al-Jazeera Arabic website was also inaccessible in Saudi Arabia during Wednesday.Qatar said it was "surprised by the stance of some media outlets and TV channels" in continuing to report the comments attributed to the emir. Some in Qatar compared those responsible for reporting the contents of the hack to Nazi Germany's propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbels. The alleged cyber attack comes just days after Doha claimed it had been the victim of an orchestrated smear campaign over its alleged "support" for terrorism, and said it was being targeted by anti-Qatar organizations. Doha has faced criticism for its support of rebel groups fighting Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and in recent weeks has been accused outright of funding terror in U.S. media articles. Qatar is also home to the former leader of Hamas, Khaled Meshaal, who this month used his Doha base, where he has lived in exile for several years, to launch a new policy document. One analyst, Durham University's Dr Christopher Davidson, said the incident emphasized long-standing divisions between Qatar and other Gulf powers such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE, over issues including Doha's support for the Muslim Brotherhood. "This is still part of the serious fracture between the two different camps in the Gulf, the divisions remain about the vision for the region," he said.

UAE and Saudi Arabia shut down Qatar and al Jazeera sites
/May 24/17/The UAE Foreign Ministry has issued an official statement announcing the shut down of Qatar, pro Qatar, pro Muslim Brotherhood sites in the UAE and Saudi Arabia. This escalation came after reports yesterday about Qatar's emir statements said to have attacked five Gulf states, criticized the US and President Trump and endorsed Hamas, Hezbollah and Iran. While the Qatari Government is denying such statements, the rest of the Gulf seems to reject such denials. This crisis, if not resolved, could lead to a new Gulf policy towards Qatar. Observers in Washington are trying to find the original speech by Qatar ruler to confirm that indeed these statements were made, or not. Below, the official statement by UAE Foreign Ministry in Arabic

Salman Abedi: Profile of the Manchester murderer
Reuters/May 24/17 /Suicide bomber blamed for the death of 22 people is believed to have recently returned from Libya. MANCHESTER, England - The suspected suicide bomber who killed 22 people at a concert in Manchester, northern England, on Monday has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi, British police said. Abedi was born in Manchester in 1994 to parents of Libyan birth, US security officials said, citing British intelligence officials. Prime Minister Theresa May confirmed Abedi was born and brought up in Britain. His parents emigrated from Libya to London before moving to the Fallowfield area of south Manchester, where they have lived for at least 10 years, the US officials said.Police raided a house in Elsmore Road in Fallowfield earlier on Tuesday . A US government source said investigators were looking into whether Abedi had traveled to Libya and whether he had been in touch with Islamic State militants there. The Times newspaper said Abedi was believed to have returned to Britain from Libya recently. The University of Salford, based in Manchester, said in a statement that Abedi was one of its students and it was helping the police with their investigation. A 23-year-old man arrested by police in a separate move in south Manchester in connection with the attack on Tuesday was believed to be Abedi's brother, news reports said. Abedi had a sister named Jomana Abedi, the US security officials said. Abdalla Yousef, a spokesman for the Didsbury Mosque in Manchester, said Abedi's father and brother had prayed there but Abedi had worshipped at another mosque. "I have managed to track down somebody who knows the family. He confirmed his father and sister and the rest of the family had moved to Libya and had moved there straight after the revolution after Gadaffi was killed," Yousef said.
He said it was possible the brothers had traveled between the two countries since then.A trustee of the mosque, Fawzi Haffar, said Abedi's father was currently in Libya and had been there for a while.

NATO must 'step up' after Manchester attack: Stoltenberg
Wed 24 May 2017 /NATO head Jens Stoltenberg said on Wednesday that the Manchester bombing shows the alliance must agree at a summit with US President Donald Trump to do more to combat terrorism. Terrorism will be top of the agenda at Thursday's meeting in Brussels which comes amid sharp divisions over joining the US-led coalition against the Islamic State group. "I expect NATO allies to step up and agree to do more in the fight against terrorism, not least because of the attack we saw in Manchester," Stoltemberg told a news conference on the eve of the summit. Trump arrives in Brussels later Wednesday having said NATO was "obsolete" because it did not focus on the threat of Islamist terrorism. He has since softened the criticism but still wants NATO to join the anti-IS coalition itself as an important gesture of support for the campaigns in Syria and Iraq. All 28 allies have joined the coalition as individual countries and if NATO became a member, that would significantly boost coordination in the war against IS in Syria and Iraq, Stoltenberg recalled.He said the "brutal attack" claimed by IS showed the terror threat remained ever present. "Many allies would like to see NATO as a full member of the coalition," Stoltenberg added. "Firstly, because it sends a strong message of unity... and especially in light of the attack in Manchester, I think it is important to send this message of unity against terrorism," he said. NATO currently provides AWACS surveillance planes to help anti-IS operations and trains officers in Iraq but it stresses that these are and should remain non-combat roles.Diplomatic sources say some of the allies, including France and Germany, are reluctant to go further for fear of getting dragged into a ground war and risking NATO's standing with Arab powers. They are also concerned NATO could end up taking over control of the whole operation in Iraq.New French President Emmanuel Macron is due to meet Trump for lunch Thursday when the issue is expected to be a major talking point. -- AFP

Amber Rudd: Manchester bomber likely did not act alone
Wed 24 May 2017/NNA - A man suspected of killing at least 22 people and wounding dozens at a concert arena in England "likely" did not act alone, Britain's home secretary said.Amber Rudd told public broadcaster BBC on Wednesday that suspected suicide bomber Salem Abedi, a 22-year-old Briton, had been known to security services "up to a point".Her comments came as security was being ramped up in the wake of the attack, which was carried out in the northern city of Manchester, England, at the Manchester Arena, on Monday evening. The suspect apparently detonated a device in the foyer of the concert venue, following a performance by the American pop star Ariana Grande.

Libya Arrests Brother, Father of Manchester Bombing Suspect
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/Libya has arrested a brother and the father of the man suspected of carrying out the bombing in the British city of Manchester, a relative and security sources said Wednesday. The family source, asking not to be identified, said intelligence services had arrested Hashem Abedi, who like his older brother Salman was born in Britain, on Tuesday. One of the forces that supports Libya's U.N.-backed unity government posted a picture on its Facebook page of Hashem Abedi after detaining him. "The father, Ramadan Abedi, has also just been arrested," said Ahmed bin Salem, a spokesman for the Deterrence Force, which acts as Government of National Accord's police. He said the brother was aware of Salman Abedi's attack plan and that the two brothers were both members of the Islamic State group. The Monday night bombing at a pop concert killed 22 people, including children as young as eight. IS claimed responsibility for the attack on Tuesday through its social media channels, saying "one of the caliphate's soldiers placed bombs among the crowds".Hashem had been "under surveillance for a month and a half" and "investigation teams supplied intelligence that he was planning a terrorist attack in the capital Tripoli", the Deterrence Force said on its Facebook page. He was arrested on Tuesday evening as he received 4,500 Libyan dinars (around 650 dollars) from his brother Salman, it said, without providing further details. The relative said Salman had traveled to Manchester from Libya four days before the bombing. "His father wanted his son to stay in Libya but Salman insisted on going to Manchester." Salman Abedi, 22, was born in Manchester to Libyan parents who reportedly fled the regime of slain dictator Moammar Gadhafi. Britain's interior minister, Amber Rudd, confirmed on Wednesday that Salman was known to intelligence services and that it was "likely" he was not working alone. Her French counterpart Gerard Collomb said he had become radicalized after a trip to Libya and probably Syria, according to information received from UK intelligence services. "In any case, the links with Daesh are proven," Collomb said, using another term for IS.

Syria Refugees Stuck between Morocco and Algeria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/A group of around 50 Syrian refugees trapped between Morocco and Algeria face a "catastrophic situation" as they are unable to move in either direction, rights watchdogs warned Wednesday. "We denounce the catastrophic situation in which entire Syrian families survive in the zone between the two borders around the area of Figuig (in Morocco) and Beni Ounif (in Algeria)," they said in a statement. The Moroccan Association of Human Rights (AMDH) and Algeria's League for the Defense of Human Rights (LADDH) called on the two governments to help the refugees. The plight of those trapped "is serious enough for the authorities of the two countries to speak at a table to find a solution," they said in the statement. Women and children are among those who have been stranded in the no man's land since the end of April. At the time, Morocco accused its neighbor of expelling the refugees to "sow trouble" and "generate an uncontrollable flow of migrants." Algeria "categorically" rejected the accusations as false. It sparked a diplomatic spat, with each country summoning the other's ambassador. The land zone between the two countries has been closed since 1994. The North African rivals have very difficult relations, especially over the question of Western Sahara.

16 Civilians Dead in Coalition Strikes near Raqa
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/At least 16 civilians were killed in bombing raids early Wednesday by the U.S.-led coalition near the Islamic State group's Syrian bastion Raqa, a monitor said. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the toll included a woman and her five children, as well as three couples. "The coalition strikes hit al-Baruda, a village about 15 kilometers (10 miles) west of Raqa city," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman. "Most of those killed had fled eastern parts of the province of Homs," he added. The U.S.-led coalition is providing air cover for a major offensive to capture Raqa city, the heart of IS territory in Syria. As of Wednesday, the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) were only three kilometers (two miles) from Raqa at their closest point to the east. The strikes on al-Baruda come after the Observatory reported the highest monthly civilian death toll for the coalition since it began bombing Syria on September 23, 2014. Between April 23 and May 23 of this year, coalition strikes killed a total of 225 civilians in Syria, the Britain-based Observatory said. Earlier this month, the U.S. military said that coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria had "unintentionally" killed a total of 352 civilians since 2014. More than 320,000 people have been killed and millions more displaced since Syria's conflict broke out in March 2011.

Bahrain Warns Protesters after Deadly Crackdown
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 24/17/Bahrain on Wednesday warned people against holding protests a day after police shot dead five demonstrators in the home village of the spiritual leader of the kingdom's Shiite majority. Security forces would "challenge, in accordance with the law, any gathering or incitement" to protest, the interior ministry said in a statement. Dozens were also wounded after police on Tuesday opened fire on a demonstration in Diraz, the scene of a long-running sit-in outside the home of cleric Isa Qassim. The ministry identified four of the five protesters killed in Wednesday's statement, and said 31 members of the security forces were wounded. Police arrested 286 "wanted persons," including at least 11 prison escapees, the ministry said. It said the sit-in had become a refuge for "wanted persons and fugitives." The Sunni-ruled kingdom has been rocked by unrest since 2011, when local authorities backed by a Saudi military force crushed Shiite-led protests demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister. Authorities have accused Qassim, who was sentenced on Sunday to a suspended one-year jail term for illegal fund-raising and money laundering, of serving "foreign interests" and promoting "sectarianism and violence." A court last year stripped him of his citizenship, sparking repeated sit-ins outside his residence in Diraz.A Manama court on Wednesday deprived three more Shiite Bahrainis of their citizenship and sentenced them to time in jail over forming "a terrorist cell linked to Iran," a judicial source said. Two of the three defendants were in Iran at the time of the sentencing, the source said.
Bahraini authorities have accused Iran of fomenting unrest in the kingdom, but Tehran has consistently denied involvement.
Riyadh supports Manama
Saudi Arabia on Wednesday defended the actions of Bahraini authorities in opening fire on the protest. The security of Bahrain "is an integral part" of Saudi security, the official Saudi Press Agency quoted a source in Riyadh's foreign ministry as saying. "The source affirmed the support of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the measures being taken", including in Diraz, to "address all terrorist attempts aimed at destabilizing and damaging" security and order, the source said. Bahrain is located just across a causeway from Saudi Arabia, most of whose Shiite minority live on the Gulf coast or other eastern communities.
The Bahraini clampdown on dissent has drawn harsh condemnation from international rights groups and governments. Amnesty International has called for an independent investigation into the use by authorities on Tuesday of "excessive force" against protesters it said were mostly peaceful. A US State Department official said Washington was "concerned" by the reports of protesters killed and was following events in Bahrain very closely. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, meanwhile, said the deadly crackdown by Bahraini forces on protesters was the "first concrete result" of U.S. President Donald Trump "cozying up to despots" in Saudi Arabia. The tiny Gulf state is a key regional ally of the United States and is home to its Fifth Fleet, but the administration of former president Barack Obama often scolded Manama over rights concerns.However Trump made a clear break from previous U.S. policy at the weekend when he told Bahrain's King Hamad in Saudi Arabia there "has been a little strain but there won't be strain with this administration."

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 24-25/17
Manchester: Europe Still 'Shocked, Shocked'
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/May 24/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55607
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10408/manchester-bombing-shock
After hearing of the Manchester terrorist attack, politicians once more communicated their by now old-routine of "shock" and "grief" at the predictable outcome of their own policies.
Most dumbfounding of all, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she was watching the developments in Manchester "with grief and horror" and that she found the attack "incomprehensible".
Every time a European leader publicly endorses Islam as a great faith, a "religion of peace", or claims that violence in Islam is a "perversion of a great faith", despite massive evidence to the contrary, they signal in the strongest way possible that with every devastating attack, the West is ripe for the taking.
When ISIS attacked the Bataclan Theater in Paris in November 2015, it did so because, in its own words, it was "where hundreds of pagans gathered for a concert of prostitution and vice." A year earlier, ISIS had forbidden all music as haram (forbidden). Many Islamic scholars support the idea that Islam forbids the 'sinful' music of the West.
It should, therefore, not be a surprise to anybody that Islamic terrorists might target a concert by the American pop singer Ariana Grande in Manchester on May 22. In addition, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security warned last September that terrorists are focused on concerts, sporting events and outdoor gatherings because such venues "often pursue simple, achievable attacks with an emphasis on economic impact and mass casualties".
Islamic State claimed responsibility for the Manchester suicide bombing, in which a device laced with screws and bolts was detonated. Twenty-two people, children and adults, were murdered in the explosion that ripped through the Manchester concert area; more than 50 people were wounded. While the media is describing the use of nail bombs at the concert hall as a new and surprising tactic, it is in fact an extremely old one, practiced by Arab terrorists on Israelis for decades.
Nevertheless, after hearing of the Manchester terrorist attack, politicians once more communicated their by now old-routine of "shock" and "grief" at the predictable outcome of their own policies. The usual platitudes of "thoughts and hearts" being with the victims of the attack, accompanied professed shock.
President of the European Council Donald Tusk, tweeted: "My heart is in Manchester this night. Our thoughts are with the victims." Leader of the British Liberal Democrats, Tim Farron, condemned the "shocking and horrific" attack. British Home Secretary Amber Rudd said it was a "tragic incident", while Labour party leader Jeremy Corbyn called it a "terrible incident". Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his citizens were "shocked by the news of the horrific attack in Manchester tonight". Most dumbfounding of all, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said that she was watching the developments in Manchester "with grief and horror" and that she found the attack "incomprehensible".
After 9/11 in the United States; the 2004 Madrid train bombings, which killed nearly 200 and wounded 2000; the 2005 attacks on London's transit system where 56 people were killed and 700 wounded; the 2015 attacks in Paris, where ISIS killed 130 people and wounded nearly 400; the March 2016 attacks on the Brussels airport and metro station, where 31 people were killed and 300 wounded; the July 2016 attack in Nice, where 86 people, including ten children, were killed and more than 200 people wounded; the December 2016 attack in Berlin, where 12 people were killed and almost 50 wounded; the March 2017 attack on Westminster that killed three people and wounded more than 20; the April 2017 attack in Stockholm, where 5 people were killed, including one 11-year-old girl; let alone countless attacks in Israel, Western leaders have run out of all conceivable excuses to be shocked and surprised at Islamic terrorism occurring in their cities at ever-increasing frequency.
All the above-mentioned attacks are just the spectacular ones. There have been innumerable others, sometimes at the rate of several attacks per month, which barely made the headlines, such as the Muslim man who, a little over a month ago, tortured and stabbed a 66-year-old Jewish woman in Paris and then, while shouting "Allahu Akbar", threw her out of the window; or the Paris airport attacker in March, who came "to die for Allah" and accomplished his goal without, miraculously, taking any innocent bystanders with him,
After the last spectacular terrorist atrocity in the UK, which aimed at the very heart of European democratic civilization by targeting the Houses of Parliament and Westminster Bridge, British PM Theresa May said: "It is wrong to describe this as Islamic terrorism. It is Islamist terrorism and the perversion of a great faith".It is impossible to fight back against that which you refuse to understand or acknowledge, but then again, European leaders seem to have no intention of fighting back, as they have evidently chosen an entirely different tactic, namely that of appeasement.
Every time a European leader publicly endorses Islam as a great faith, a "religion of peace", or claims that violence in Islam is a "perversion of a great faith", despite massive evidence to the contrary -- the actual violent contents of the Quran and the hadiths, which include repeated exhortations to fight the "infidels" -- they signal in the strongest way possible to organizations such as ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram, Hezbollah and Hamas, that with every devastating attack, the West is ripe for the taking. The terror organizations and their supporters see European leaders' immense fear of causing even the slightest offense, despite protestations to the contrary from leaders such as Theresa May.
The fear is accompanied by a persistent resolve to pretend, at whatever cost -- even that of the lives of their citizens -- that Europe is not at war, even though it is blindingly clear that others are at war with it.
These terrorist organizations perceive that when ministers in countries such as Sweden, where according to news reports, 150 ISIS fighters have returned and are apparently walking around freely, propose the integration of Islamic State jihadists back into Swedish society -- as a solution to terrorism! -- it will not take much more effort to make these leaders submit completely, as Sweden almost certainly has. This "solution" can only work on terrorists as encouragement to carry out even more terrorism -- as is overwhelmingly evident from the increasing frequency of terrorist attacks on European soil.
While European politicians, incredibly, believe that their tactics are preventing terrorism, they are in fact empowering it as much as possible: Terrorists do not react to heartfelt sympathy, teddy bears and candlelit vigils. If anything, it arguably makes them even more disgusted with Western society, which they want to transform into a caliphate under Islamic sharia law.
Politicians seem to lose sight all the time of the Islamist goal of the caliphate. Islamic terrorism is not "mindless violence" but clearly calculated terror to force the eventual submission of the targeted society. So far, with the West inert and in denial, the terrorists seem to be winning.
*Judith Bergman is a writer, columnist, lawyer and political analyst.
© 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.

President Trump Should Extend His "Disruption" to Saudi Arabia
A. Z. Mohamed/Gatestone Institute/May 24/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10407/trump-saudi-arabia-disruption
Although Washington and Riyadh have clear common interests, they share few values. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. It is the cradle of Wahhabism, a particularly closed form of fundamentalist Islam. It has an abysmal human-rights record, denying its subjects and citizens civil and religious liberties. Such issues may be internal, but they have serious implications for America and the rest of the world.
The kingdom is unable to make the ideological argument against terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, as according to its own religious ideology, the Quran prohibits Muslims from allying with non-Muslims.
It was ironic that Trump's address to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh on May 21 was devoted to combating practices in which the House of Saud itself engages.
At an Israeli Independence Day event in Washington, D.C. on May 2, on the eve of Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas's meeting at the White House, National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster referred to U.S. President Donald Trump as "not a super patient man," who "does not have time to debate over doctrine."
McMaster then said that those who call Trump "disruptive" are right, "and this is good... because we can no longer afford to invest in policies that do not advance the interests and values of the United States and our allies."
This was echoed by former U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates days before Trump embarked on his first foreign trip to Riyadh, Jerusalem, Bethlehem and the Vatican -- albeit in relation to Pyongyang. In an interview with CBS News' "Face the Nation" on May 14, Gates said:
"There is a need for disruption. We've had three administrations follow a pretty consistent policy toward North Korea, and it really hasn't gotten us anywhere... [T]he tough talk on North Korea, the military deployments, sending the missile defense system to South Korea ... [Trump has] gotten China's attention to a degree that his predecessors have not."
However, Gates cautioned, "[T]here's the risk of being too spontaneous and too disruptive where you end up doing more harm than damage. And figuring out that balance is where having strong people around you matters."
In the first place, although Washington and Riyadh have clear common interests -- one realizes that although preventing Iran's imperialist expansion and nuclear program is of paramount importance -- it is crucial to remember that they share few values. Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy. It is the cradle of Wahhabism, a particularly closed form of fundamentalist Islam. It has an abysmal human-rights record, denying its subjects and citizens civil and religious liberties. Such issues may be internal, but they have serious implications for America and the rest of the world.
Secondly, uncritical and unconditional U.S. support for the Saudis cause many Arab and Muslim states to accuse Washington of double standards -- accepting from Riyadh what it claims to reject from other Middle East regimes. It also leads them to view Saudi Arabia as a hypocritical American proxy in the Islamic world. The kingdom is unable to make the ideological argument against terrorist organizations such as al-Qaeda and ISIS, as according to its own religious ideology, the Quran prohibits Muslims from allying with non-Muslims.
Further, although Saudi Arabia is considered, even by Israeli officials, as a leading moderate Arab country, its version of Islam and its political regime are fiercely radical, suppressive, and xenophobic. It was ironic that Trump's address to the Arab Islamic American Summit at the King Abdulaziz Conference Center in Riyadh on May 21 was devoted to combating practices in which the House of Saud itself engages.
This is where the "disruptive" approach comes in, but it is neither needed nor recommended in relation to consensus issues, such as stopping Iran's nuclear program and restarting Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Instead, "disruption" should be used by the U.S. to encourage Saudi normalization with Israel; to minimize Saudi interference in the domestic affairs of its neighbors, and to curb its hawkish ambition to become a regional superpower.
It is precisely this type of "disruption" that is required to overcome the policy of previous American administrations, which -- in the words of McMaster -- "do not advance the interests and values of the United States and our allies."
*A.Z. Mohamed is a Muslim born and raised 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.

Terrorism Persists Because It Works
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/May 24/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10409/terrorism-persists-because-it-works
Every time a horrendous terrorist attack victimizes innocent victims we wring our hands and promise to increase security and take other necessary preventive measures. But we fail to recognize how friends and allies play such an important role in encouraging, incentivizing, and inciting terrorism.
If we are to have any chance of reducing terrorism, we must get to its root cause. It is not poverty, disenfranchisement, despair or any of the other abuse excuses offered to explain, if not to justify, terrorism as an act of desperation. It is anything but. Many terrorists, such as those who participated in the 9/11 attacks, were educated, well-off, mobile and even successful. They made a rational cost-benefit decision to murder innocent civilians for one simple reason: they believe that terrorism works.
And tragically they are right. The international community has rewarded terrorism while punishing those who try to fight it by reasonable means. It all began with a decision by Yasser Arafat and other Palestinian terrorist groups to employ the tactic of terrorism as a primary means of bringing the Palestinian issue to the forefront of world concern. Based on the merits and demerits of the Palestinian case, it does not deserve this stature. The treatment of the Tibetans by China, the Kurds by most of the Arab world, and the people of Chechen by Russia has been or at least as bad. But their response to grievances has been largely ignored by the international community and the media because they mostly sought remedies within the law rather than through terrorism.
The Palestinian situation has been different. The hijacking of airplanes, the murders of Olympic athletes at Munich, the killing of Israeli children at Ma'alot, and the many other terrorist atrocities perpetrated by Palestinian terrorists has elevated their cause above all other causes in the human rights community. Although the Palestinians have not yet gotten a state – because they twice rejected generous offers of statehood – their cause still dominates the United Nations and numerous human rights groups.
Other groups with grievances have learned from the success of Palestinian terrorism and have emulated the use of that barbaric tactic. Even today, when the Palestinian authority claims to reject terrorism, they reward the families of suicide bombers and other terrorists by large compensation packages that increase with the number of innocent victims. If the perpetrator of the Manchester massacre had been Palestinian and if the massacre had taken place in an Israeli auditorium, the Palestinian authority would have paid his family a small fortune for murdering so many children. There is a name for people and organizations that pay other people for killing innocent civilians: it's called accessory to murder. If the Mafia offered bounties to kill its opponents, no one would sympathize with those who made the offer. Yet the Palestinian leadership that does the same thing is welcomed and honored throughout the world.
The Palestinian authority also glorifies terrorists by naming parks, stadiums, streets and other public places after the mass murderers of children. Our "ally" Qatar finances Hamas which the United States has correctly declared to be a terrorist organization. Our enemy Iran, also finances, facilitates and encourages terrorism against the United States, Israel and other western democracies, without suffering any real consequences. The United Nations glorifies terrorism by placing countries that support terrorism in high positions of authority and honor and by welcoming with open arms the promoters of terrorism.
On the other hand Israel, which has led the world in efforts to combat terrorism by reasonable and lawful means, gets attacked by the international community more than any other country in the world. Promoters of terrorism are treated better at the United Nations than opponents of terrorism. The boycott divestment tactic (BDS) is directed only against Israel and not against the many nations that support terrorism.
Terrorism will continue as long as it continues to bear fruits. The fruits may be different for different causes. Sometimes it is simply publicity. Sometimes it is a recruitment tool. Sometimes it brings about concessions as it did in many European countries. Some European countries that have now been plagued by terrorism even released captured Palestinian terrorists. England, France, Italy and Germany were among the countries that released Palestinian terrorists in the hope of preventing terrorist attacks on their soil. Their selfish and immoral tactic backfired: it only caused them to become even more inviting targets for the murderous terrorists.
But no matter how terrorism works, the reality that it does, will make it difficult if not impossible to stem its malignant spread around the world. To make it not work, the entire world must unite in never rewarding terrorism and always punishing those who facilitate it.
© 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.

Want to defeat the legacy of ISIS? Try rebuilding non-Muslim communities it has destroyed
By Alberto M.Fernandez/The Washington Post/May 25/17
Muslims and Christian Iraqi civilians carry a wooden cross last month near a monastery in Mosul, northern Iraq. A group of civilian activists raised the cross as a message of love and peaceful coexistence between communities in Mosul, an Iraqi activist said. (Omar Alhayali/European Pressphoto Agency)
The Islamic State’s self-declared caliphate is crumbling, if all too slowly. Sadly, though, its ultimate collapse will not be the end of the story. It will leave behind a still-lethal insurgency that will almost certainly attempt to stage terrorist attacks around the world as well as a wide swath of physical destruction and devastated lives stretching from Aleppo to Ramadi.
And yet, even while the Islamic State is “losing,” there is no denying that it has also “won” some things. It has created grim facts on the ground. It has wiped out communities that will never rise again. Many Yazidi villages and towns within its orbit are destined to remain permanently empty because of slaughter and the flight of despairing survivors. Islamic State jihadists also succeeded in destroying the ancient Christian community of Mosul, whose surviving members were robbed of everything they had when they were expelled from the city in July 2014. Many of the survivors of these same minority groups remain scattered around the region, and some still haven’t decided whether they should stay, with all the risks that it would entail, or leave forever. The Islamic State has torn a hole in the fabric of the region’s millennia-old diversity that can never be fully repaired.
President Trump’s speech in Riyadh on Sunday sought, as two presidents before him have done, to break down the talk of hostile divides between civilizations. He should be commended for doing so. So, too, should those ordinary Americans who strive to break through long-established narratives of bigotry and stereotyping. In January 2017, when a fire destroyed a mosque in Victoria, Tex., ordinary Americans raised more than $1 million for its reconstruction.
As the Islamic State recedes, there is a vital opportunity for majority-Muslim states to build on the positive vibe of the Riyadh gathering. Scholars such as William McCants and David Andrew Weinberg have made concrete suggestions on changes to Salafi proselytizing and Saudi textbooks, respectively. The U.S. and Saudi governments also announced a range of steps involving terrorist financing, arms sales and a messaging center.
But we should also consider fresh ways for Muslim leaders to attack negative stereotypes by showing concrete support for restoring what the Islamic State sought to exterminate. Even the resurrection of a single community would be a powerful message of solidarity and diversity in a Middle East that is becoming increasingly monochrome while a globalized West grows more diverse.
The situation in Mosul, now a uniformly Sunni Muslim city cleansed of its minorities, is dire. The same may be true soon in Raqqa, the “capital” of the Islamic State’s territory. Yet despite all the suffering it inflicted on its Sunni Muslim population, the Islamic State did not seek to exterminate and erase every trace of the community’s existence down to the last tombstone. In contrast, Yazidis were enslaved in large numbers and Christians mostly expelled, while the material culture of both was targeted for obliteration.
There is no way all this damage can be repaired. But there are ways to take a stand against this policy of destruction. In Lebanon in 1939, a new settlement was established at the ancient site of Anjar incorporating survivors of the heroic Armenian stand against genocide at Musa Dagh. Some years later in Israel, one kibbutz incorporated and commemorated survivors of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and other Jewish partisans.
Imagine the resurrection of a non-Muslim community that the Islamic State sought to exterminate. What a powerful message that would send. And the message would resonate even more strongly if the work were to be done with the support of Muslim states.
Such an initiative could be implemented almost anywhere. Syria or Iraq, of course, are the most likely sites. Given the complex political realities, probably the least problematic area would be on Iraq’s Nineveh Plain, either by restoring an already existing town or establishing a new settlement.
Some have mocked the theme of Trump’s so-called “Abrahamic Adventure.” But any acts of kindness and solidarity by states, communities and individuals that break down barriers among the three great Abrahamic religions make good sense. This would be true no matter who is in the White House, and even if the Islamic State had never reared its hideous head. Moreover, restoring a community is a far more tangible result than the next round of interfaith meetings or well-meaning declarations about tolerance that rarely seem to have real impact.
Religious and ethnic diversity has always been a major characteristic of the Muslim East. That was the reality, despite the despotism of the sultan or the prince of the day. Today, that precious quality is under threat like never before, and not only at the hands of the Islamic State. If the states of the region are indeed as united against the Islamic State as they claim, then they should also work to ensure that the results of the group’s zeal are not set in stone and that they are not complicit in reaping the fruits of its infamy.
This requires not words, but action. It is entirely reasonable for the United States to encourage its partners to take steps to restore as much of the ethnic and religious diversity as possible in areas that were under the Islamic State’s control. Now is the time to start.