LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 28/17

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today
I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 13/31-35/:"When he had gone out, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man has been glorified, and God has been glorified in him.If God has been glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself and will glorify him at once.Little children, I am with you only a little longer. You will look for me; and as I said to the Jews so now I say to you, "Where I am going, you cannot come."I give you a new commandment, that you love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.’"

God has put all things under Jesus's feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all
Letter to the Ephesians 01/15-23/:"I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love towards all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all."

Question: "What is the meaning and importance of the ascension of Jesus Christ?"
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55734
Answer: After Jesus rose from the dead, He "presented Himself alive" (Acts 1:3) to the women near the tomb (Matthew 28:9-10), to His disciples (Luke 24:36-43), and to more than 500 others (1 Corinthians 15:6). In the days following His resurrection, Jesus taught His disciples about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus and His disciples went to Mount Olivet, near Jerusalem. There, Jesus promised His followers that they would soon receive the Holy Spirit, and He instructed them to remain in Jerusalem until the Spirit had come. Then Jesus blessed them, and as He gave the blessing, He began to ascend into heaven. The account of Jesus' ascension is found in Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1:9-11.
It is plain from Scripture that Jesus' ascension was a literal, bodily return to heaven. He rose from the ground gradually and visibly, observed by many intent onlookers. As the disciples strained to catch a last glimpse of Jesus, a cloud hid Him from their view, and two angels appeared and promised Christ's return "in just the same way that you have watched Him go" (Acts 1:11).
The Ascension of Jesus Christ is meaningful for several reasons:
1) It signaled the end of His earthly ministry. God the Father had lovingly sent His Son into the world at Bethlehem, and now the Son was returning to the Father. The period of human limitation was at an end.
2) It signified success in His earthly work. All that He had come to do, He had accomplished.
3) It marked the return of His heavenly glory. Jesus' glory had been veiled during His sojourn on earth, with one brief exception at the Transfiguration (Matthew 17:1-9).
4) It symbolized His exaltation by the Father (Ephesians 1:20-23). The One with whom the Father is well pleased (Matthew 17:5) was received up in honor and given a name above all names (Philippians 2:9).
5) It allowed Him to prepare a place for us (John 14:2).
6) It indicated the beginning of His new work as High Priest (Hebrews 4:14-16) and Mediator of the New Covenant (Hebrews 9:15).
7) It set the pattern for His return. When Jesus comes to set up the Kingdom, He will return just as He left-literally, bodily, and visibly in the clouds (Acts 1:11; Daniel 7:13-14; Matthew 24:30; Revelation 1:7).
Currently, the Lord Jesus is in heaven. The Scriptures frequently picture Him at the right hand of the Father-a position of honor and authority (Psalm 110:1; Ephesians 1:20; Hebrews 8:1). Christ is the Head of the Church (Colossians 1:18), the giver of spiritual gifts (Ephesians 4:7-8), and the One who fills all in all (Ephesians 4:9-10).
Recommended Resource: Jesus: The Greatest Life of All by Charles Swindoll
**GotQuestions.org

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 27-28/17
The Majority of those Who allege to represent Christians in Lebanon know Nothing about Christianity/Elias Bejjani/May 27/17
Once Again Coptic children Are Brutally Massacred/Elias Bejjani/May 26/17
Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon: The potential for another war/Kareem Chehayeb/Middle East Eye/May 27/17
France: Macron, President of the Elites and Islamists/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/May 27/17
Inciters in Egypt should be Pursued Internationally/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
Anger from Qatar/Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
Peace for Israel, Palestine Requires Breaking The ‘Zero-Sum’ Game/Sherif Elgebeily/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
After Manchester, Terrorists will Keep Trying to Attack Britain/Richard Walton/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
UK: Welcome Mat for Jihadists/Khadija Khan/Gatestone Institute/May 27/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 27-28/17 forgiveness
The Majority of those Who allege to represent Christians in Lebanon know Nothing about Christianity
Once Again Coptic children Are Brutally Massacred
Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon: The potential for another war
6 Wounded after ISIS Militant Blows himself up against Lebanese Army Patrol
Lebanese ‘Hezbollah’ Associate Admits to US Money Laundering Conspiracy
Berri Adjourns Legislative Session to June 5
Army Shells Militant Posts in Arsal Outskirts amid IS-Nusra Clashes
Report: Berri Optimistic after Meeting Adwan, Fingers Crossed for 'Happy Ending'
General Security Arrests Suspect over Involvement with Terror Group
Hariri cables Sisi, Tawadros II in condemnation of Minya terrorist attack
Berri receives Bonn in a farewell visit
Bonn pays farewell visit to Hariri: France will remain present in Lebanon and will continue to do more for it
Army Commander inspects army regiment base in Ghosta
Hariri, Kabbani convene
Hasbani says upcoming hours crucial on voting law
Red Cross transports 4 wounded Nusra Front Syrians to Jeb Jennine Hospital
Mikati: Relativity essential at present

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 27-28/17
Tears and Anger as Egyptian Copts Bury Attack Victims
Egypt Hits Jihadists after Attack on Christians Kills 28
IS Claims Deadly Attack on Egypt Christians
Civilians Flee ISIS-held Syria Cities after Strikes
Nations Bombing IS Failing to Protect Civilians, Says U.N.
Civilians Flee IS-Held Syria Cities after Strikes
Syrian Demands for International Community to Blacklist IRGC
Ankara Threatens Washington against Isolating Moscow
Iraq Forces Launch Broad Attack on IS Holdouts in Mosul
Mosul Old City Offensive Imminent
Libya Rescues 20 Boats Carrying Thousands of Europe-Bound Migrants
Palestinian Prisoners in Israel End Mass Hunger Strike
Qatar cannot continue to face two ways
Disharmony at G7 as Trump Plays His Own Tune
Netanyahu Has Kidney Stones Removed
Explosion kills 18 near bus stop in Afghanistan
U.K. police arrest two more Manchester bombing suspects

Latest Lebanese Related News published on May 27-28/17
The Majority of those Who allege to represent Christians in Lebanon know Nothing about Christianity
Elias Bejjani/May 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55713
Sadly the majority of politicians, feudal-commercial-Stalinist parities and officials who claim to represent Christians in Lebanon and fight for both their rights and existence are in reality and actuality totally alienated from all that is Christianity.
Their conduct, approaches and aims totally contradict Christianity and has nothing to do with it. Christianity in its core and essence, teachings and values ​​is love, forgiveness, sacrifice, sincerity, humility, faith and hope . They are completely detached from all these basic Christian foundations and solid principles...
In reality the majority of those who falsely allege to represent the Lebanese Christians, politicians, parties as well as officials are a bunch of hypocrites' and Pharisees.
Based on their acts, achievements, affiliations, chameleon practices, inartistic rhetoric, and personal agendas they only represent their own individual interests and their people, church and communities.
The majority of those political narcissists are preys to the temptations of their own instincts and mere servants to the head of the demons, Lucifer, (Satan)
My Almighty Lord and His Angles safeguard and protects our people and our homeland from the politician's evil ambitions, delinquency, ruthlessness and the vanity of their whims.

Once Again Coptic children Are Brutally Massacred
Elias Bejjani/May 26/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55683
More than 40 Egyptian Coptic Christians, mostly children, were brutally and savagely murdered,  while many others severely injured in Egypt this morning while on their way to visit a Coptic Monastery
As news agencies reported, the monstrous assailants were ten males, dressed in military attire, and heavily armed.
The 10 cowardly murderers targeted  a convoy of buses and cars that were carrying the Coptic children with their escorts to the monastery.
One wonders what is the rationale and what are the gains of killing for just the sake and pleasure of killing?
The reasonable questions are, what did these murderers accomplish in murdering innocent children,
What actually are their ultimate evil schemes, and what do they really want?
For heavens sake, who are these creatures that target innocent Coptic Christian Egyptian children while on their way to a religious monastery for praying, worshiping, supplication and reverence?
Who are these ugly monsters that enjoy, dance and hail the scenes of blood, disasters and tragedies? ..
Who does finance them and why?
Who trains, educates, breeds and uses these human like robots?
Who orchestrates, plans and facilitate these inhuman atrocities?
Who are those creatures that cherished and rejoice in watching weeping and howling  mothers whose children are slaughtered in front of their eyes and cut into pieces?
What kind of creatures are those mean cowards and barbarians who attack unarmed civilians, innocent children that are unable to defend themselves?
Who are these Draculas who hate, and hold grudges against other people to the extent that they explode their children, decapitate their clergy, confiscate their properties and destroy their worshiping places?
Who are these bloodthirsty monsters who never get satisfied with blood shedding, but always grow more and more barbaric, brutal and savage?
We wonder, are these barbarians and murderers actually human beings with emotions and feelings?
Do they actually fear Almighty God and take in account His last Day of Judgment?
Do they have human minds and human standards ?
In accordance with all religious, human and moral standards, these monster must be void from all that human, and merely alienated from all religions teachings, humanity standards, values ​​and moral principles.
In actuality and practicality, These are demonic creatures stripped of all feelings, sensations, and all that is intellectuality and reason.
They are practically mere satanic enemies for all that is humanity, peace, love, religions, civilization, science, tolerance, human rights and freedoms.
We call on each and every human being, all over the world who condemns such evil and brutal acts to pray and ask almighty to receive and dwell the souls of the Coptic martyrs in His heaven alongside the righteous and saints.
Meanwhile we wish all the injured a quick and safe recovery.
May Almighty God shower on the families of the victims all gifts of forgiveness, patience, faith and consolation.

Israel, Hezbollah and Lebanon: The potential for another war
Kareem Chehayeb/Middle East Eye/May 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55730
Is this the calm before the storm? How would Lebanon fare against an Israeli assault compared with 2006? Israel’s 2006 war with Lebanon was not decisive: the Israelis failed to eliminate Hezbollah. During the intervening decade, there has been anticipation here and there of yet another war or series of skirmishes. But while regional uprisings and armed conflicts emerged, that confrontation never came. But the chatter from both Israel and Hezbollah’s of late has increased speculation about the potential for another war. US President Donald Trump unsurprisingly primarily focused on Hezbollah and Iran in his speech at the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh last week.Hezbollah has since gained even greater political influence in Lebanon, and become a key regional player in Syria, Iraq and Yemen While putting them under the same umbrella as ISIS and al-Qaeda, he also ignored the Gulf states' role in war and repression across the region, notably in Yemen and Bahrain. If anything, he praised it. A war is looking likely again, but it will not resemble that which happened back in 2006. Hezbollah has since gained even greater political influence in Lebanon and become a key regional player in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. Israel, on the other hand, has become even more relentless than before. One can only expect that it will be more trigger-happy than it was 11 years ago. The Lebanese army and Hezbollah? It’s complicated
Lebanon touts its security apparatus as the Lebanese Army and the resistance, which, in other words, is Hezbollah.
President Michel Aoun, whose party, the Free Patriotic Movement, has shared strong ties with Hezbollah since a memorandum of understanding in 2007, has echoed these sentiments. In an interview with Egypt’s CBC TV in February, Aoun said: "As long as the army doesn't have the needed power to fend off [Israel’s] threats ... We feel the need for [Hezbollah's] weapons to be there to complement the role of the army." This sounds like a straightforward idea, particularly considering the fact that Israel still occupies Shebaa Farms and routinely violates Lebanese airspace and borders. While the United States has showered the Lebanese Army with military aid, most recently 1,000 machine guns and heavy artillery, those have clearly been intended for securing the eastern border against Islamic State (IS) group and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham (formerly Jabhat al-Nusra). Securing the southern border? There was no mention of it whatsoever. The lines are very blurred. Hezbollah made headlines worldwide in April after giving local and international media an impromptu tour of Lebanon's southern border.
Their media spokesperson, Mohammad Afif, as well as military officials using pseudonyms, revealed and pointed at Israeli military settlements and spying locations around and across Lebanon's border. Their conclusion: Israel is on the defensive. The following day, the Lebanese state immediately sent a delegation to the southern border to flex its muscles in the shape of Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Army Commander Joseph Aoun, and Defence Minister Yaacoub Sarraf. Hariri was unapologetic about Hezbollah's media tour, saying that the Lebanese government found the entire charade "unacceptable".
"I am visiting the south and the Blue Line [the border between Lebanon and Israel] today ... to thank our troops, and to tell the Lebanese Armed Forces that they and only they are the legitimate force in charge of defending our borders," Hariri said. There have been more direct diplomatic confrontations between the state and Hezbollah. Take the small eastern border town of Tfail which, despite being on Lebanese territory, is almost entirely under the auspices of the Syrian state.
Used as a strategic point for Hezbollah in its clashes with various armed groups in the Qalamoun Mountains, most of the town's 2,500 residents eventually fled across eastern Lebanon. As long as the army doesn't have the needed power to fend off [Israel’s] threats ... We feel the need for [Hezbollah's] weapons to be there to complement the role of the army Earlier this month, Hezbollah co-founder and head of its Shariah Council, Sheikh Mohammad Yazbeck, met with displaced Tfail residents, mayors from eastern Lebanon and others, to guarantee their return to their homes within one week under the Lebanese state’s protection. Interior minister Nouhad Machnouk, who is responsible for Lebanon’s Internal Security Forces, denied these claims. Fast forward to 11 May. Hezbollah secretary-general Hassan Nasrallah said in his speech that "Hezbollah's presence in the area [Tfail] ended when the mission was accomplished," signaling the return of residents. That same day, the interior minister posted a picture on Twitter with a delegation from Tfail. Who's calling the shots here? But what does this all mean? Consider trends in Israeli military assaults, be they in Lebanon or Gaza. Now note how the lines have blurred between Lebanon's state security apparatus and Hezbollah's armed wing. It all means that Israel can cry terrorism on a wider range of non-combatant targets. In 2006, those lines were clearer. This does not in any way justify the inhumane assaults that killed, wounded, and displaced civilians and marginalised the predominantly Shia community of south Lebanon. But it did make it clearer where Israel was likely to strike. This is no longer the case.
Hezbollah"s resistance enterprise
Within Lebanon's borders, Hezbollah has clearly flexed its muscles. It has revealed that it is more than the popular movement fighting occupation and invasion, which it often advertises itself to be. In late March, Lebanon was thrown a major curveball. Photos emerged of Hezbollah forces patrolling the Burj al-Barajneh neighbourhood south of Beirut, carrying heavy-assault weapons and conducting raids on drug warehouses. Various security sources told The Daily Star that Hezbollah often coordinates with Lebanese security forces when it comes to these kinds of issues in areas under the group's influence. Was this the first of more to come? The coordination between the army and Hezbollah has definitely played a vital role in cracking down on extremists from IS and al-Qaeda. On the outskirts of Arsal, a border town in northeast Lebanon, extremists from IS and Jabhat Fateh al-Sham have been entrenched since 2014.
While the Lebanese Army has invested the vast majority of its resources to handle the situation, it’s important to mention Hezbollah's involvement, both militarily and logistically. This is something that its media platform Al-Manar has reported numerous times. In one case, Hezbollah used drones to monitor the situation, and conducted various attacks, prior to the army's helicopter strikes.
The coordination between the army and Hezbollah has definitely played a vital role in cracking down on extremists from IS and al-Qaeda, as well as the clashes in Arsal. However, the next time Israel gives itself a reason to invade Lebanon, one can expect them to consider the state and its security apparatuses as "Hezbollah" or allies. In short, this red herring will be used to justify a larger-scale military assault and invasion.
Hezbollah ventures beyond borders
Outside Lebanon's borders, Hezbollah has exported itself to other areas of conflict in the region. Hezbollah has supported, and even established, multiple militias and factions in Syria, most notably al-Ghaliboun and Quwat al-Ridha. These groups are often referred to under the larger umbrella of "Syrian Hezbollah".
Outside Lebanon's borders, Hezbollah has exported itself to other areas of conflict in the region. At this point in time, these organisations remain out of the spotlight. But as the conflict in Syria slowly wanes, their presence could guarantee Hezbollah a security and political foothold in Syria.
This might be especially likely, considering Hezbollah's existing impact on Syria, whether it was changing the tide of the conflict through its military victory in the Battle of al-Qusair in 2013; or its role in devastating sieges, notably in Madaya.There was also the news about a Syria-based force to liberate the occupied Golan Heights, which had been led by Lebanese Hezbollah militant Samir Kuntar, who was assassinated in an air strike on 19 December 2015 in Jaramana, a city in the Damascus suburbs.
Following his assassination, it was revealed that Kuntar and Hezbollah formed an armed brigade called the "Syrian Resistance for the Liberation of Occupied Golan". Fast forward to March 2017: Harakat al-Nujaba, a powerful Iraqi militia backed by Iran, announced the formation of the "Golan Liberation Brigade" and revealed their involvement in Syria alongside Hezbollah. A year earlier, a spokesperson from Nujaba said that his group and Hezbollah were "twins of resistance that cannot ever be loosened or separated". On the one hand, Hezbollah's increased military capability and capacity could be a deterrent for another Israeli invasion. On the other hand, if you factor in the increasing tensions between Hezbollah and Israel, then it could also prove to be the motivation for an invasion. This is considering that the 2006 war did not end in the latter's favor.
Tensions mount between Hezbollah and Israel
In recent months, Hezbollah and Israel have butted heads in ways that go beyond Israel's routine violation of Lebanese airspace and territorial borders. However, an interesting twist is Lebanon's exploration of the oil and gas sector, which has been a priority for energy minister Cesar Abi Khalil and the cabinet as a whole. Of the five maritime blocks available for bidding, Israel considers three of them to be in their waters. In late March, Israel introduced a bill to the Knesset that would effectively annex the three maritime blocks, comprising an estimated 800 square kilometers of water. There's also the fact that Israel has almost routinely conducted air strikes on Syria several times, often claiming to have targeted Hezbollah arms convoys and the like. There are several cases where Israel has trespassed on Lebanese borders to carry out these attacks and avoid Russian anti-air defences. The most recent documented airstrike took place on 4 May.
The Lebanese institutions, its infrastructure, airport, power stations, traffic junctions, Lebanese army bases – they should all be legitimate targets if a war breaks out Influential Israeli officials have also stepped up their pro-war rhetoric since Aoun's election, due to his strong ties with Hezbollah.
Israel's education minister Naftali Bennett, who is also a member of the country's security cabinet, believes that all of Lebanon should be a fair target for Israeli attacks in the future. "The Lebanese institutions, its infrastructure, airport, power stations, traffic junctions, Lebanese army bases – they should all be legitimate targets if a war breaks out," he said in March. "That's what we should already be saying to them and the world now. If Hezbollah fires missiles at the Israeli home front, this will mean sending Lebanon back to the Middle Ages."Then in early April, Bennett reaffirmed and elaborated on his sentiments in a blog post in The Times of Israel called "Hezbollah is Lebanon is Hezbollah". "Unlike last time," he said, "if we defend ourselves against a future Lebanese attack we will not use tweezers to search for a needle in a haystack: we will neutralise the haystack." If killing 900 civilians in the six-week 2006 war was searching for a needle in a hay stack then, given the current circumstances, what would neutralising the haystack look like?
- Kareem Chehayeb is a Lebanese writer and musician based in Beirut. You can follow him on Twitter @chehayebk
http://www.middleeasteye.net/columns/israel-hezbollah-and-israel-potential-another-war-1881992679

6 Wounded after ISIS Militant Blows himself up against Lebanese Army Patrol
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/Beirut – Six members of the military were wounded on Friday when an ISIS militant blew himself against a Lebanese army patrol while trying to evade capture. Bilal Ibrahim Breidy blew himself in the northeastern border town of Arsal, lightly wounding some of the military intelligence members, said an army statement. Breidy was one of the suspects linked to the twin bombings that targeted the Christian majority town of Ras Baalbek in the Bekaa near the Syrian border two days ago. The Army Command had announced that “less than 24 hours after the Ras Baalbek bombing and the dismantling of a third explosive, the intelligence directorate managed to arrest ISIS member Hussein al-Hassan, who hails from Arsal and who confessed to taking part in the attack.” Lebanon’s Higher Defense Council meanwhile imposed a number of measures aimed at bolstering security and stability during the holy month of Ramadan and throughout the summer season. These measures will encompass the Rafik Hariri International Airport, mosques and places of worship, They will also cover certain “security hot spots” in the country. The Council deemed these measures as “preemptive security” that are aimed at averting any breach and keeping the country safe from regional unrest. The Council made its decisions after a meeting it held at the presidential palace on Friday afternoon. It was chaired by President Michel Aoun and attended by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil, Defense Minister Yaacoub al-Sarraf, Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq, Justice Minister Salim Jreissati, Public Works and Transportation Minister Youssef Finianos and Tourism Minister Avedis Guidanian. General Prosecutor Judge Samir Hammoud, State Commissioner to the Military Court Jude Saqr Saqr, Army Commander General Joseph Aoun, Internal Security Forces chief Imad Othman, General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim, State Security chief Antoine Saliba, Higher Council of Customs chief Asaad Tufaili and a number of officers and security officials were also present.
Aoun hailed at the beginning of the meeting “the security agencies’ performance in carrying out preemptive military and security operations to counter terrorism in all of its forms.” The decisions of the Council remained secret, but sources from the gatherers revealed to Asharq Al-Awsat that “there are reasons that called for holding this meeting at the beginning of Ramadan and the tourism season.” They noted that this was first time the Higher Defense Council convenes since the appointment of Army Commander Joseph Aoun and a number of heads of security agencies to their posts.
“It was necessary for the exchange of information between all security agencies, especially in wake of the army operations against terrorist groups along the eastern border. The agencies succeeded in arresting members of security cells that are active in the country,” they explained. Strict security measures have been imposed at all tourism areas in Lebanon, most notably after the arrest of a terrorist cell that confessed to plotting to bomb Casino du Liban and a number of nightclubs. These measures will be heightened in the summer. A security source that was present at the Higher Defense Council meeting told Asharq Al-Awsat: “The meeting was not based on worrying security information.”It instead said that the security situation in Lebanon was calm.

Lebanese ‘Hezbollah’ Associate Admits to US Money Laundering Conspiracy
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/A Lebanese citizen accused of trying to use his ties to “Hezbollah” to further a scheme to launder drug money pleaded guilty on Friday to a US money laundering conspiracy charge. US prosecutors said Joseph Asmar, 43, entered his plea at a hearing before US District Judge Eric Vitaliano in Brooklyn federal court. Aaron Altman, a lawyer for Asmar, said in an email that his client “has taken responsibility for his actions and is anxious to move forward with his life. More than anything, he misses his family and prays that they will be reunited in the near future.” Asmar had been arrested in Paris in October 2015, and was extradited to the US in December 2016. He was charged following what prosecutors called a two-year sting operation in which he and a Lebanese businesswoman, Iman Kobeissi, had meetings with a confidential informant and an undercover US Drug Enforcement Administration agent. Prosecutors said Asmar claimed to be an attorney talked big in recordings about knowing how to make large sums of cash seem legitimate, saying he could use his “Hezbollah” connections to provide security for drug shipments. Undercover agents provided $400,000 in alleged drug proceeds to Asmar and his co-conspirators, who laundered the money in exchange for a commission, prosecutors said. Asmar faces up to 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set. Kobeissi’s case is still pending.

Berri Adjourns Legislative Session to June 5
Naharnet/May 27/17/Speaker Nabih Berri on Saturday adjourned to June 5 a legislative session that was scheduled to convene on May 29, as the fate of a new electoral law to rule the upcoming parliamentary polls remains unclear. This is the second time that the Speaker adjourns the parliament meeting. President Michel Aoun used his presidential powers in April and suspended a parliament meeting that was scheduled to extend the parliament's term. His decision was aimed at giving local political forces more time to reach an agreement on a new electoral law. Speaker Nabih Berri scheduled another session for May 15 following the president's decision.

Army Shells Militant Posts in Arsal Outskirts amid IS-Nusra Clashes
Naharnet/May 27/17/The Lebanese army pounded with heavy artillery the posts of militants on the outskirts of the northeastern border town of Arsal, as clashes between militant groups of the Islamic State and al-Nusra Front intensified early on Saturday, the National News Agency reported. NNA said violent clashes erupted between al-Nusra and IS extremists after the latter waged a dawn attack at Nusra positions in Shmais al-Ajram, Kherbet Daoud, al-Shahout Serj al-Nammoura, al-Malahi, al-Ajram and Kherbet Younin in the outskirts of Arsal. Several casualties on both sides were reported amid a state of chaos that overwhelmed citizens in the Wadi Hmeid camp, it added. According to military sources, the army targeted the militants' posts in the outskirts, killing and wounding around 24 jihadists. LBCI reported that heavy armed clashes erupted early on Saturday between militants from the Islamic State group and Fatah al-Sham in Wadi Hmeid in Arsal. VDL (93.3) quoted an unnamed security source as saying that “members from the IS group waged a wide attack against Fatah el-Sham positions in the outskirts of Arsal.”Militants from the IS and al-Nusra Front, which rebranded itself as Jabhat Fateh al-Sham when it split from the al-Qaida movement, are entrenched in rugged areas along the undemarcated Lebanese-Syrian border. The army regularly shells their posts while Hizbullah and the Syrian army have engaged in clashes with them on the Syrian side of the border. The two groups briefly overran the town of Arsal in August 2014 before being ousted by the army after days of deadly battles. The retreating militants abducted more than 30 troops and policemen of whom four have been executed and nine remain in the captivity of the IS group.

Report: Berri Optimistic after Meeting Adwan, Fingers Crossed for 'Happy Ending'
Naharnet/May 27/17/Speaker Nabih Berri was optimistic after his meeting with MP George Adwan of the Lebanese Forces, where discussions tackled the distribution of electoral districts against the backdrop of an LF initiative on new vote law for Lebanon's parliamentary elections, media reports said Saturday. “The atmospheres are well. Some progress has been made, we hope that we get to the happy ending,” Berri told al-Joumhouria daily. Berri's meeting with Adwan in Ain el-Tineh on Friday lasted for over two hours after which the Speaker reflected optimism about the “near-agreement” on the thorny electoral file. To his visitors, Berri said he had agreed on the LF proposal as for the distribution of electoral districts, pointing out that he awaits feedback from the other political parties on the matter. LF chief Samir Geagea's initiative calls for consensus on a law based on full proportional representation and should some disagreements linger over the law's restraints, they would be put to a cabinet vote. The political parties are bickering over amending the current 1960 majoritarian election law which divides seats among the different religious sects. The current parliament has failed to amend the law, and has extended its mandate twice amid criticism.

General Security Arrests Suspect over Involvement with Terror Group
Naharnet/May 27/17/The General Security Directorate arrested a Lebanese national over his affiliation and involvement with a terror group, the Directorate's media office said in a statement on Saturday. “In line with its efforts to track down terror groups and sleeper cells in Lebanon, at the request of the competent public prosecution, the General Security apprehended Lebanese Aa. Sh. over his belonging to a terror organization,” said the statement. The suspect has admitted that he pledged allegiance to al-Nusra Front Islamist militant group and had joined its ranks following military training under the supervision of extremist Osama Mansour. He also confessed that he displayed activity on social media publishing content inciting hatred against the Lebanese army, after which he managed to have connections with terrorists that assisted his travel to Egypt to join the ranks of the Islamic State group in the Sinai Peninsula. After that, he had communications with a terrorist identified as Hilal al-Husni, aka Abou Maria, who suggested that he relocates to Syria and join a group of would-be suicide bombers but he was arrested before his travel.
The suspect was referred to the related judicial authorities.

Hariri cables Sisi, Tawadros II in condemnation of Minya terrorist attack
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri Saturday cabled Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, expressing his deep condemnation and strong denouncement of the "terrorist crime against a bus carrying Coptic citizens in Minya yesterday." He considered the attack "an attempt to undermine the stability of sister-nation, Egypt, and stir up strife among its people."Hariri expressed warmest sympathy and condolences for the fallen victims.

Berri receives Bonn in a farewell visit
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - House Speaker Nabih Berri met with French Ambassador Emmanuel Bonn Saturday afternoon, in a farewell visit marking the end of his term of office in Lebanon. The encounter was a chance to review bilateral relations and latest developments in Lebanon and the region. On emerging, Ambassador Bonn said: "Today, I visited House Speaker Berri at the end of my two-year office term in Beirut and my summoning to join French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, which is both a great honor and huge responsibility for me...But I have to say that it is not easy to leave Lebanon. I came to express to Speaker Berri my deep appreciation of his hospitality, friendship and the importance of our talks during these two years."He added: "I am aware that the situation in Lebanon is difficult and the political life needs sharpness and deliberation. I would like to say that I have always valued the capabilities of Speaker Berri, the man of positions."Bonn concluded by hoping that the Lebanese parties would succeed in reaching an agreement over the election law and holding the parliamentary elections; thus, allowing Lebanon the chance for a better, democratic life.On another note, Berri cabled today Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi and Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, offering his deepest condolences for the fallen victims in wake of the recent Minya terrorist attack. He also contacted Egyptian Ambassador to Lebanon Nazih al-Najari, expressing his strong condemnation of this heinous crime, and his sincerest condolences for the fallen victims. On the other hand, the House Speaker received a congratulatory cable from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on the holy month of Ramadan.

Bonn pays farewell visit to Hariri: France will remain present in Lebanon and will continue to do more for it
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - In a farewell visit at the end of his office term in Beirut, French Ambassador Emmanuel Bonn met Saturday with Prime Minister Saad Hariri, promising continuous presence and support by his country to Lebanon.
On emerging, Bonn said: "I came to visit PM Hariri before leaving Lebanon. As you know, I leave Lebanon two years after assuming my post as ambassador, after the new French Foreign Minister honored me with his office director appointment ...It is difficult to leave Lebanon and all my friends here, but I have the honor to serve my country in the best possible way, and today toward the new authorities."Bonn said he was happy with all that was achieved during his last two years in Beirut, especially with the government of PM Saad Hariri, noting, "We worked a great deal on the economic and security level, in addition to cultural and educational cooperation.""We have other ambitions for Lebanon and for translating the friendship between Lebanon and France," vowed Bonn. "I will continue to carry these bonds through my work at the Foreign Ministry and in accordance with the instructions of President Emmanuel Macron, who had already spoken to PM Hariri by phone, which was important because it allowed, immediately after the presidential elections in France, the chance to touch on new projects and affirm the friendship that binds us," Bonn elaborated. "France will remain in Lebanon and will continue to do more for it and have the will to build a very beautiful future for our friendship," he concluded.

Army Commander inspects army regiment base in Ghosta
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, inspected on Saturday an army regiment base in Ghosta, where he was briefed on its conditions and training activities. General Aoun commended the regiment on their efforts and distinctive achievements, especially against terrorism, calling "for more readiness and alertness to execute expected missions through courage and commitment."Aoun lauded the preemptive operation carried out earlier by the Lebanese Army in Arsal region, noting that the "swift detention of the terrorists responsible for the bombing of Ras Baalbeck thwarted their criminal schemes, thus preventing many losses among citizens.""Stability of the country is well-protected by the army, which will not permit any tampering with said security under any circumstance," concluded Aoun.

Hariri, Kabbani convene
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri met Saturday afternoon at the "House of Center" with MP Mohammad Kabbani, who said on emerging that discussions touched on various Beirut city affairs and their recent tour in Washington, which he described as "successful to the benefit of Lebanon's economy and security stability."On another note, the Prime Minister also met this afternoon with a delegation from the National Committee for Organ Donation and Implantation, who called on the government to adopt their program as in other countries, in order to guarantee their successful continuation. Following the meeting, Committee National Coordinator Farida Yonan said that PM Hariri promised to work on the government's adoption of said program by signing the long-awaited decree in this respect.

Hasbani says upcoming hours crucial on voting law
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - Public Health Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Ghassan Hasbani considered Saturday that the coming hours are crucial with regards to the electoral law. "Endorsing an election law is near," said Hasbani, noting that the current cabinet was formed on a Sunday afternoon, adding "surprises happen and some things are left till last minute!""Risk is not good in any case, and democracy is the slowest government system to get results but it is the safest," he added. Hasbani's words came in an interview to "Radio of the Orient" Channel, where he considered it to Lebanon's interest at this stage to cooperate and stick to positive steps away from any negativity, while the regional and international situation crystallizes. "No one wants tension. All parties, components and institutions have a popular base that aspires to stability, and it is to no one's benefit to enter into strained interests and disrupt the country," deemed Hasbani.

Red Cross transports 4 wounded Nusra Front Syrians to Jeb Jennine Hospital
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - The Lebanese Red Cross announced in a statement on Saturday that they transported, in coordination with the Lebanese Army, four wounded Syrians belonging to Nusra Front to Farhat Hospital in Jeb Jennine.

Mikati: Relativity essential at present
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - Former Prime Minister, Najib Mikati, said Saturday that adopting relativity in the parliamentary elections is essential at this point, adding "I support complete relativity to secure the representation of all within the Parliament Council."
"We hope that we will reach a new draft law for the parliamentary elections, to be approved by the Parliament Council in its meeting on June 5, in the event of a decree to open an extraordinary session," he noted. Mikati's words came following his visit to Mufti of the Republic, Sheikh Abdel-Latif Derian, on occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan.Discussions touched on the general situation in the country and various issues related to the Islamic "Dar El Fatwa."

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 27-28/17
Tears and Anger as Egyptian Copts Bury Attack Victims
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/Mourners sang, women sobbed and men cried out in anger in a packed Egyptian church at the funeral of some of the 28 Coptic Christians killed in Friday's bus attack. Eight wooden coffins were lined up in front of the altar, each bearing a golden cross and a white piece of paper printed with the name of the victim inside. Relatives of the dead -- men in long flowing robes and women dressed in black -- pressed their faces to the coffins in a final farewell. They had been among 28 people gunned down by masked gunmen as they travelled in a bus to the Saint Samuel monastery in Minya province south of the Egyptian capital. Outside the church, a man brandishing a big wooden cross was carried on the shoulders of a friend."With our soul, with our blood we will sacrifice ourselves for the sake of the Cross," people around him shouted. Friday's was the latest attack on Copts after Islamic State (IS) group jihadists bombed three churches in December and April, killing dozens of Christians. It came after jihadists had threatened more strikes against the Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90-million population. No claim of responsibility has yet been made. For some among the Coptic community, authorities are not doing enough to protect them. "I tell (Abdel Fattah al-)Sisi, you will have to account for your action in heaven," said Reda Makary of the president and former army chief. His nephew Nassef, a 28-year-old labourer, was killed in Friday's attack."Of course there is no security. If there were, they wouldn't have been killed," said Makary, adding that his nephew had become a father for a third time just two months earlier. 'Always the same' -Samuel Chalabi, 49, lost his older brother Ishak in the attack. "As long as security forces don't do their work properly, this will continue until all of us are eliminated," he said. "It is always the same -- we will be a little bit sad, they will pity us, but it will start again," he added, saying he feared further attacks on his minority community. Mourners passed around cellphones to share video footage of bloodied bodies lying on the ground, some with their heads smashed. "There is no security for Christians," said Hakim Hana, a 25-year-old carpenter mourning his cousin. On April 11, bombers attacked two churches north of Cairo on Palm Sunday, killing 45 in the deadliest strike in living memory against the Copts. The bombings prompted Sisi to declare a three-month state of emergency. On Friday, state televisions aid Egypt's air force launched six air strikes against "terror camps in Libya" in retaliation for the attack on Coptic pilgrims. It came after Sisi vowed in a televised speech that "Egypt will not hesitate in striking terror camps anywhere, either inside (the country) or outside it".When the funeral service ended, the coffins were brought out of the small church of Deir El Jernous and carried in procession down a dusty street. Women sobbed as the crowd tried to touch the coffins for one last time as church bells rang out into the night.

Egypt Hits Jihadists after Attack on Christians Kills 28
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/Egypt launched six air strikes on jihadist camps in Libya Friday after masked gunmen attacked a bus of Coptic Christians south of the Egyptian capital, killing at least 28 people. Assailants in three pick-up trucks attacked the bus as it was heading for the Saint Samuel monastery in Minya province, more than 200 kilometres (120 miles) from Cairo, before fleeing, the interior ministry said. It was the latest attack on Copts after Islamic State (IS) group jihadists bombed three churches in December and April, killing dozens of Christians. President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, in a televised address, said Egyptian forces had hit a jihadist training camp in retaliation. State television reported six air strikes against "terror camps in Libya", specifying that jihadist training camps were hit in the eastern Libyan city of Derna. Witnesses there reported four strikes by a single aircraft. "Egypt will not hesitate in striking terror camps anywhere, either inside (the country) or outside it," Sisi said. A spokesman for the pro-Al-Qaeda Majlis Mujahedeen Derna, which controls the city, said the Egyptian air force carried out eight raids on the city without causing casualties. Addressing US President Donald Trump, Sisi said: "You have said that your priority is to confront terrorism, and I trust you are capable of doing that."In a statement released in Washington, Trump said: "The bloodletting of Christians must end, and all who aid their killers must be punished.""Terrorists are engaged in a war against civilisation, and it is up to all who value life to confront and defeat this evil."No group has yet claimed responsibility for attacking the bus. Footage on state television showed the bus riddled with bullet holes, while cellphone footage and pictures on media sites showed victims lying in the desert sand.
International condemnation -State television quoted a health ministry official as saying a "large number" of the victims were children. "They used automatic weapons," Minya governor Essam el-Bedawi told state television of the attackers. State television cited the health minister as saying the attack, which prompted widespread international condemnation, killed 28 people. It came after jihadists had threatened more strikes against the Copts, who make up about 10 percent of Egypt's 90-million population.
The north Minya town of Maghagha saw scenes of anger and despair on Friday. A group of around 50 men gathered near a church where the funeral of two victims was held, calling for the interior minister to quit. Nearby, a dozen women in dusty black robes cried and moaned. In a statement on its spokesman's Facebook page, the Coptic Church called for "measures to be taken to prevent the dangers of those incidents that tarnish Egypt's image".IS suicide bombers struck a Cairo church on December 11, killing 29 people. On April 11, bombers attacked two churches north of Cairo on Palm Sunday, killing 45 in the deadliest strike in living memory against the Copts. The bombings prompted Sisi to declare a three-month state of emergency. The Egyptian affiliate of IS has also killed several Copts in North Sinai, forcing dozens of families to flee in January.Friday's shooting came after a historic visit to Egypt by Roman Catholic Pope Francis to show solidarity.
'Senseless act of hatred' -In late April, Francis visited one of the bombed Coptic churches and condemned violence carried out in the name of God. After Friday's attack, he sent a message to Sisi saying he was "deeply saddened to learn of the barbaric attack, calling it a "senseless act of hatred". Al-Azhar, Egypt's top religious authority, condemned the shooting on the eve of the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. "The Minya incident is unacceptable to Muslims and Christians and it targets Egypt's stability," Al-Azhar's Grand Imam Ahmed al-Tayeb said in a statement. Condemnation also poured in from Israel, the Palestine Liberation Organisation, Russia and France. Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo said the Eiffel Tower lights would go dark after midnight in solidarity, as also happened on Tuesday after the Manchester Arena attack. A statement from Benjamin Netanyahu's office said the Israeli premier "sends the condolences of the Israeli people to President al-Sisi and the Egyptian people".
Russian President Vladimir Putin denounced the "barbarism and cruelty of terrorism", and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian tweeted that no one "should fear for their life by practising their faith". Copts have suffered sectarian attacks for years. A suicide bomber attacked a church in 2011, and there have been deadly clashes with Muslims, especially in the rural south, following disputes over church construction. Egypt says it has identified those behind the April church bombings, saying they were part of an extremist cell based in southern provinces, offering a reward for their capture. Sisi has defended the performance of his security forces and accused jihadists of trying to divide Egyptian society by attacking vulnerable minorities.

IS Claims Deadly Attack on Egypt Christians
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/The Islamic State jihadist group on Saturday claimed responsibility for an attack on a bus in central Egypt that killed dozens of Christians, its propaganda arm said. "A security detachment from the Islamic State carried out an attack yesterday in Minya, targeting a bus carrying Copts and taking the lives of 32 of them," Amaq reported. Egypt's prime minister said in a statement late Friday that the official death toll had risen to 29.

Civilians Flee ISIS-held Syria Cities after Strikes
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/Hundreds of civilians are fleeing two cities held by ISIS in eastern Syria after a series of deadly air strikes that killed dozens, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday. The Observatory, a Britain-based monitor, said a “large-scale displacement” was underway from the cities of Albu Kamal and Mayadeen. “Hundreds of civilians are fleeing the two cities heading towards villages in the countryside,” the monitor said. Its director, Rami Abdel Rahman, said civilians had begun fleeing on Friday but that the displacement was continuing on Saturday morning. He said relatives of ISIS jihadists were among those fleeing. The two cities are in Syria’s oil-rich eastern Deir Ezzor province, which is largely under the control of the terrorist organization and regularly targeted by the US-led coalition, as well as Bashar Assad’s regime and its ally Russia. On Friday, at least 80 relatives of ISIS jihadists were killed in US-led coalition bombing of Mayadeen, according to the Observatory. Air raids by the coalition have pounded jihadist positions across Iraq and Syria since the group claimed responsibility for the devastating suicide bombing at a concert in the English city of Manchester on Monday. The monitor said 33 children were among the dead in the strike on Mayadeen on Friday, the third day of heavy bombardment of the town. According to the Observatory, 37 civilians were killed in coalition raids on the town on Thursday night, including 13 children, and another 15 were killed in coalition strikes on Wednesday. Mayadeen has seen an influx of displaced families from ISIS-held territory in Iraq and Syria, including its bastion Raqqa. Albu Kamal sits on the border between Iraq and Syria and has also regularly been targeted in air strikes.

Nations Bombing IS Failing to Protect Civilians, Says U.N.
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/The U.N. on Friday urged all nations bombing jihadist targets in Syria to better distinguish between civilian and military targets, following reports that U.S.-led coalition strikes killed dozens of non-combatants. Air raids on Islamic State group targets in Syria have left hundreds of civilians dead since 2014. The latest strikes that hit a series of residential buildings on Thursday in Mayadeen, a town in Syria's eastern province of Deir Ezzor, killed at least 35 civilians, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. U.N. human rights chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said "all states" whose air forces are active in the anti-IS missions needed "to take much greater care to distinguish between legitimate military targets and civilians."The rights office had no specific information about Thursday's bombings. Zeid's spokesman Rupert Colville told reporters in Geneva that identifying the air force responsible for civilian deaths is often difficult given the number of countries in the anti-IS coalition and the lack of credible information. The Pentagon released findings on Thursday of an investigation that concluded at least 105 civilians died in an anti-jihadist air strike on an IS weapons cache in Mosul in March. Prior to that, the U.S. military had said coalition airstrikes in Iraq and Syria had "unintentionally" killed a total of 352 civilians since 2014. Zeid underscored that civilians were now being hit by both sides in the conflict.  "The same civilians who are suffering indiscriminate shelling and summary executions by (IS), are also falling victim to the escalating air strikes," he said in a statement. The rights office has also received credible information that IS fighters slit the throats of eight people earlier this month who were accused of providing the coalition coordinates to guide strikes, Colville said. "Scant attention is being paid by the outside world to the appalling predicament of the civilians trapped in (IS-held) areas," Zeid said.

Civilians Flee IS-Held Syria Cities after Strikes
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/Hundreds of civilians are fleeing two cities held by the Islamic State group in eastern Syria after a series of deadly air strikes that killed dozens, a monitor said Saturday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said a "large-scale displacement" was underway from the cities of Albu Kamal and Mayadeen. "Hundreds of civilians are fleeing the two cities heading towards villages in the countryside," the Observatory said. The monitor's director, Rami Abdel Rahman, said civilians had begun fleeing on Friday but that the displacement was continuing on Saturday morning. He said relatives of IS fighters were among those fleeing. The two cities are in Syria's oil-rich eastern Deir Ezzor province, which is largely under the control of IS and regularly targeted by the US-led coalition, as well as Syria's regime and its ally Russia. On Friday, at least 80 relatives of IS fighters were killed in US-led coalition bombing of Mayadeen, according to the Observatory. Air raids by the coalition have pounded IS positions across Iraq and Syria since the jihadist group claimed responsibility for the devastating bombing at a concert in the English city of Manchester on Monday. The monitor said 33 children were among the dead in the strike on Mayadeen on Friday, the third day of heavy bombardment of the town. According to the Observatory, 37 civilians were killed in coalition raids on the town on Thursday night, including 13 children, and another 15 were killed in coalition strikes on Wednesday. Mayadeen has seen an influx of displaced families from IS-held territory in Iraq and Syria, including its bastion Raqa. Albu Kamal sits on the border between Iraq and Syria and has also regularly been targeted in air strikes. Earlier this month, at least 62 people, including 42 civilians, were killed in strikes on the town. The US-led coalition denied responsibility for those strikes. On Thursday, a Pentagon investigation concluded that at least 105 civilians died in an anti-jihadist air strike on an IS weapons cache in Mosul in March. Before the new revelation, the US military had said coalition air strikes in Iraq and Syria had "unintentionally" killed 352 civilians since 2014. But monitors say the true number is much higher.

Syrian Demands for International Community to Blacklist IRGC
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/London- The head of the National Syrian Coalition, Riad Seif, has sent a letter to 30 countries backing the opposition, asking them to “remove” Iran’s militias from Syria, and urging the international community to designate the Revolutionary Guards Corps a terrorist organization. In the letter that Seif also sent to international organizations, mainly the United Nations, he explained “the disastrous consequences of Iranian interference in Syria,” the coalition said in a statement. Seif emphasized that “no political solution in Syria can be reached as long as the Iranian intervention continues,” it said. He stressed that “Syria and the region will see no peace or stability so long as the Iranian militias are operating in Syria unchecked.” “It is no longer a secret the extent of Iran’s meddling in Syria and its disruption of all efforts to stop the bloodshed, meet the aspirations of the Syrian people; and ensure their legitimate rights.”Seif went on: “It is indisputable that Iran’s intervention in Syria is illegitimate particularly that it is aimed at propping up a murderous regime that is responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of Syrians and that continues to target them with all means at its disposal, including chemical weapons.”He said that Tehran’s meddling is a direct result of a strategic political decision being funded by the Iranian government and supervised by the Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), the Basij forces, and the Iranian military. The IRGC has formed several militias, bringing in militants from Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen, Afghanistan, and other countries, he said, adding these militias form the bulk of pro-regime forces and are deployed in many key areas across Syria. Seif accused the militias of seeking to implement Iran’s ideological project in Syria by pursuing policies involving “ethnic and sectarian cleansing.” These militias fighting alongside Bashar Assad regime’s forces were involved in at least 10 massacres against civilians, he said. “All efforts to combat terrorism will go in vain as long as Iran is in Syria and continues to pursue its provocative ideological discourse accompanied by the promotion of a culture of incitement of violence and hatred,” Seif stressed. He held the international community, especially the permanent members of the UN Security Council, responsible for swiftly addressing this issue. Seif called for the designation by the UN, the US and the EU of the IRGC, the Iranian army, the Hezbollah militias in Lebanon and Iraq and all other Iranian-backed sectarian militias as terrorist organizations.

Ankara Threatens Washington against Isolating Moscow
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/Ankara, Beirut – Ankara hinted on Friday it could attack US forces in the northeast of Syria if Washington continues to provide Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) with weapons. The Turkish position came while the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which includes YPG members and Arab fighters, are about to oust ISIS from the “Euphrates Dam,” the third largest dam in Syria. On Friday, President Tayyip Erdogan’s foreign policy adviser Ilnur Cevik said there was an alliance between Turkey and the US, but if Washington continues to support Kurdish militias, then Ankara will attack members of the YPG, and its missiles could hit US forces located in north Syria. The comments delivered by Cevik coincided on Friday with the SDF announcement that a new batch of heavy arms had been provided by the US Army as part of the rapid support to liberate Syria’s Raqqa from ISIS terrorists.Ankara failed to convince Washington from withdrawing its decision to support YPG forces with weapons. Turkey views the YPG as an extension of the Turkish Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), designated by Ankara as a terrorist group. SDF forces were now at the doors of the Euphrates Dam, located around 27 kilometers from the east of al-Tabqa city. The dam still constitutes a clashing point between those forces and ISIS militants. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Friday that since the beginning, his country was not pleased with Russia’s policy in Syria, and still expresses the same sentiment. The foreign minister, however, added that Ankara neither supports isolating Russia nor believes in the policies of imposing sanctions. Speaking about the Iranian role at this stage, Gavusoglu said that Tehran is Ankara’s neighbor and both countries are bonded by historical relations, adding that: “The Iranian excessive ambitions are considered a threat to the region’s security, but we also refuse isolating Iran.”

Iraq Forces Launch Broad Attack on IS Holdouts in Mosul
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/Iraqi forces have launched a broad assault on parts of battleground second city Mosul still held by the Islamic State group, the military announced on Saturday.
Multiple security forces are attacking "what remains of the unliberated areas" on the west bank of the River Tigris, the Joint Operations Command said in a statement.
"Army forces attacked Al-Shifaa neighbourhood and the Republican Hospital, federal police forces Al-Zinjili neighbourhood, and Counter-Terrorism forces attacked Al-Saha al-Oula neighbourhood," it said. All three neighbourhoods are located north of the Old City, a warren of closely spaced buildings and narrow streets that has posed significant challenges to Iraqi forces seeking to oust IS. The statement did not mention an attack being launched on IS-held areas of the Old City. IS overran large areas north and west of Baghdad in 2014, but Iraqi forces backed by US-led air strikes have since regained much of the territory they lost to the jihadists. Iraqi forces launched a major operation to retake Mosul in October 2016, fighting their way to the city and retaking its eastern side before setting their sights on its smaller but more densely populated west.

Mosul Old City Offensive Imminent
Najlaa Habriri/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/London – While Iraqi military sources warned on Friday from an imminent offensive in the Old City of Mosul, trapped civilians in the area were facing difficult choices on how to evacuate. Iraqi forces asked residents to leave the Old City using the “safe corridors” that are designed for this purpose, but at the same time, those forces asked the residents not to use cars or motorcycles in order to avoid them being confused with the extremists. Meanwhile, Colonel Ryan Dillon, spokesperson for the 68-member coalition against ISIS, said on Friday that Iraqi Security Forces were continuing their advancement in the battle against the terrorist organization and are now surrounding three neighborhoods in western Mosul. “They will liberate Mosul — it’s just a matter of time when that’s going to happen — but I’m not going to put a timeline on that for them,” he said.Speaking at a news conference in London, Dillon explained that the remaining ISIS militants control less than 10 square kilometers of the city, adding that cleansing this area is difficult to control and constitutes a great challenge. “West Mosul is arguably the most complex and dangerous combat urban environment that any force has seen in decades,” he said. The Colonel added that around 50,000 fighters with the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) supported by the International Coalition were now getting prepared to regain the Syrian city of Raqqa. Dillon said ISIS realized it would not win the Mosul battle and therefore its militants now aim to kill as many people as they can to prevent life in the city from returning to normal.

Libya Rescues 20 Boats Carrying Thousands of Europe-Bound Migrants
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/Tripoli – The Libyan Navy announced on Friday that it had rescued at least 20 boats that had been transporting thousands of migrants to Europe.They had departed Libya from the city of Sabratha and were headed to Italy. “Large rescue and interception operations are under way,” navy spokesman General Ayoub Qassem said. “Today is the day of a massive exodus of illegal migrants toward Europe.”The Libyan coastguard, fishing and commercial boats were working in coordination with the Italian authorities, he said. A Libyan oil tanker picked up 562 migrants, including dozens of women and children, and took them to Tripoli, a Libyan coastguard official said. Another group of migrants, whose size was not given, were taken to Zawiya, 50 kilometers (30 miles) to the west, this source said. In Rome, the Italian coastguard said it had sent several vessels and rerouted commercial ships to pick up 850 migrants. However, three other boats laden with migrants were in distress. On Thursday, 77 migrants were rescued after their boat capsized off the Libyan coast. Four women and a child were among them, said Qassem. He added that seven bodies were retrieved off the coast of Sayyad, some 40 kms away from the capital Tripoli. He predicted that the number of corpses will rise, especially since the number of those who were on board is not known. More than 50,000 migrants have landed on Italian coasts since the beginning of this year, not counting those rescued in recent days, while more than 1,400 have drowned or are missing, according to UN figures. Of the 181,000 migrants who entered Italy last year, some 90 percent arrived via Libya. The North African country has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe. Around 6,400 migrants were picked up on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, thousands of whom disembarked at ports in southern Italy on Friday. At least 35 people drowned on Wednesday when a powerful wave struck their vessel, pitching them into the sea, as a rescue ship was distributing life jackets. Smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business in the chaos which has engulfed Libya since its 2011 revolution. Libya has urged Europe, and particularly Italy, to supply its coastguard with the equipment it says it needs to monitor its southern borders, through which migrants, mostly from sub-Saharan African, enter the country.

Palestinian Prisoners in Israel End Mass Hunger Strike
Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday ended a 40-day hunger strike over their conditions in Israeli jails under a deal brokered by the Red Cross, the Israel Prisons Service and a Palestinian official said. About 1,100 inmates had initially taken part in one of the largest such hunger strikes, that began on April 17 and had raised tensions between Israel and the Palestinians, with protests in support of the strikers spilling over into clashes in the occupied West Bank and along the Israel-Gaza border. Some 30 of the more than 800 hunger strikers had been hospitalized in recent days, raising fears of more escalation.But the strike ended at the start of the holy month of Ramadan after talks held with the International Committee for the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Palestinian Authority concluded in an agreement to change some of the prisoners’ conditions, a Prison Service Statement said. Issa Karaka, Chairman of Prisoners’ Affairs at the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), confirmed the inmates had agreed to stop the strike. The Prison Service said the prisoners would now get an extra family visit per month. It was not immediately clear if any of their other demands had been met.
On Wednesday, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein urged Israel to improve conditions for Palestinians in its custody. The strike was called by Marwan Barghouti, the most high-profile Palestinian jailed in Israel, to protest against solitary confinement and an Israeli practice of detention without trial that has been applied to thousands of prisoners since the 1980s. Among the demands Barghouti had reportedly made were 20 channels of television, unrestricted books and magazines, air conditioning, a greater selection of items available for purchase in the canteen, family visits, the restarting of open university studies, public telephone use, and annual medical checks for prisoners. The Prisons Service said that most of the inmates on strike were aligned with Fatah.

Qatar cannot continue to face two ways
National Editorial/May 27/17
The suggestion that comments of Sheikh Tamim, emir of Qatar, were the result of a cyberattack would carry more weight in the Gulf if Doha produced some proof and if his comments deviated wildly from his country’s stated policies and world view. No wonder the Gulf states are reluctant to believe Doha’s explanation. For too long, Qatar has tried to face two ways, one eye on the Arabian Peninsula, one eye on Iran. That has to end. Comments such as these by the emir are profoundly dangerous. They destabilise relations within the GCC. They sow division between the GCC and our allies around the world. And of greatest concern, they give Iran the perception that it can divide the Gulf states. Worst of all, they are simply wrong. Anyone who believes that Iran is a force for stability in the Middle East is living an unrealistic fantasy. Moreover, such comments are profound disrespectful to the memory of the soldiers of Saudi Arabia, the UAE and other countries who gave their lives to stop Iranian meddling. Was Iran seeking stability when it sent arms to the Houthi rebels in Yemen or to Bahrain? Have the sectarian killings carried out by Iranian-backed Shia militias in Iraq contributed to stability? Has the world become more stable because Iran backed the Assad regime’s massacres in Syria? Wishful thinking does not make good policy. There are some who will say that Sheikh Tamim is merely inexperienced. But inexperience will only go so far as an excuse, especially when there are older and more experienced leaders in the region who will happily provide advice. The truth is that the emir has steered Qatar into a political maelstrom, from which it will not be easy to retreat. At this moment, the Gulf needs unity and clear leadership. The direction that has been set by Saudi Arabia and the UAE is clear and has been endorsed by the United States and other allies. It is working. The Middle East is at a moment of crisis and needs genuine leadership. If Qatar is unable to understand that, it should not interfere while wiser heads are going about their business. Doha must come to a simple and clear understanding: the GCC is moving as one. If it does not wish to join this direction, it should not be surprised if it finds itself isolated – and if that isolation brings consequences. The GCC can survive without Qatar. The leadership in Doha may wish to consider if the opposite is also true.

Disharmony at G7 as Trump Plays His Own Tune
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/G7 nations risked unprecedented deadlock on Saturday as US President Donald Trump resisted pressure to sign up to joint positions on hot-button issues such as climate change, trade and migration. The Group of Seven leading democracies began the concluding day of their annual summit in discussions with leaders from Ethiopia, Kenya, Niger, Nigeria, and Tunisia. The five African states are key players in the Mediterranean migration crisis, as countries of origin or transit for hundreds of thousands of migrants attempting to reach Europe via perilous crossings of the Mediterranean. The G7's Italian presidency placed this year's summit in Sicily to underline the proximity of the crisis. But even that has prompted discord among the summiteers as Trump, according to Italian sources, resists the hosts' desire to issue a declaration underlining the benefits as well as pitfalls of migration.That sort of language is anathema to a White House that wants to impose a ban on travellers from six Muslim-majority countries. After starting his first presidential trip abroad wreathed in smiles, Trump is ending it with rebukes, upbraiding America's European partners over military spending, trade and global warming.An enduring motif of the G7, which represents the lion's share of global economic output, has been to champion free trade. At last year's summit in Japan, it issued a lengthy communique in support of resisting protectionism, as well as helping refugees and fighting climate change. But that was then, when Barack Obama still occupied the White House. Today, his successor is defiant about stepping out of the G7 line. "His basis for decision ultimately will be what's best for the United States," top economic advisor Gary Cohn said at the annual talks in Sicily's ancient hilltop resort of Taormina. Cohn was referring to whether Trump will execute his threat to walk away from the Paris accord on combatting climate change. But his language also summarises the "America First" platform that elevated the property tycoon to victory in last year's presidential election. - Smoking volcano -That means the G7 is unlikely also to reprise its oft-used terminology against protectionism, after Trump in Brussels this week reportedly described the Germans as "bad, very bad" in their trade practices. It is a measure of the gulf that the Italians say they expect the final statement to come in at just six pages when it is released on Saturday afternoon -- down from 32 pages last year. The summit did find common ground on Friday in endorsing a British call urging internet service providers and social media companies to crack down on jihadist content online, after 22 people were killed in a Manchester concert bombing in northwest England this week. The G7, urged on by Japan, will also adopt common language against North Korea after a series of missile tests by the nuclear-armed nation. Friday's discussions in Sicily ended with a classical music performance in the shadow of an ancient Greek theatre and the smoking volcano of Mount Etna. Trump, however, seems bent on singing from a different song sheet, leaving the G7 bereft of a concerted voice as Russia and China are heard loudly offstage. But others are also sounding more loudly as investigations proceed in Washington into whether Russia meddled to aid Trump's election victory last year.
New revelations came overnight with the Washington Post reporting that Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, made a pre-inauguration proposal to the Russian ambassador to set up a secret, bug-proof communications line with the Kremlin. Trump, who has angrily rejected allegations of such collusion, was expected to quit Sicily without giving the kind of closing news conference that is customary among the G7 leaders.

Netanyahu Has Kidney Stones Removed
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/May 27/17/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu returned to work on Friday after surgery to remove kidney stones, his office said. The operation came just days after U.S. President Donald Trump visited Israel on his maiden foreign tour. "The medical intervention under anesthesia was successfully carried out at Hadassah hospital in Jerusalem," a statement said. "The prime minister has recovered and resumed all his duties."During Thursday evening's operation, Environment Minister Zeev Elkin, a fellow member of Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party, assumed the role of acting prime minister. Netanyahu, 67, has had several minor health problems in recent years. He underwent colonoscopies in both 2014 and 2015. In 2013, he was forced to take a few days off after a hernia operation and was also briefly admitted to hospital for treatment for a sinus infection.

Explosion kills 18 near bus stop in Afghanistan
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - At least 18 people were killed and six others injured in a car bomb explosion in eastern Afghanistan on Saturday morning, authorities said.The attack occurred near a bus station in the city of Khost, said Najib Danish, spokesman for the interior ministry.There has been no claim of responsibility. ---CNN

U.K. police arrest two more Manchester bombing suspects
Sat 27 May 2017/NNA - Police arrested two more suspects Saturday over the deadly Manchester concert bombing, as Britons began a sunny holiday long weekend under heightened security. Greater Manchester Police said two men, aged 20 and 22, were detained early Saturday in the northwest England city on suspicion of terrorism offenses. Police used an explosive device to get into a property to make the arrests. Police say they are now holding 11 men, aged between 18 and 44, in custody and have made major progress in their investigation. Mark Rowley, Britain’s top counterterrorism police officer, said authorities have dismantled a “large part” of the network around bomber Salman Abedi. But he said there were still “gaps in our understanding” of the plot, as investigators probed Abedi’s potential links to jihadis in Britain, Europe, Libya and the Middle East. The 22-year-old Briton of Libyan descent died in Monday’s explosion, which killed 22 people and wounded dozens as crowds were leaving an Ariana Grande concert. After the bombing Britain raised its official threat status from terrorism to the top level, “critical” — meaning another attack may be imminent. ---USA Today

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 27-28/17
France: Macron, President of the Elites and Islamists
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/May 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55725
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10392/france-macron-islamists
French President Emmanuel Macron can only be described as close to the business world if one understands how things work in France. The French economy is a mixed system where it is almost impossible to succeed financially without having close relations with political leaders who can grant favors and subsidies, and either authorize, prohibit or facilitate contracts or hinder them. Macron is not supposed to bring any new impetus to business, but to ensure and consolidate the power of those who placed him where he is.
A deliberate side-effect of Macron's policies will be population change. Macron wants Islam to have more room in France. Like many European leaders, Emmanuel Macron seems convinced that the remedy for the demographic deficit and the aging of ethnic European populations is more immigration.
The French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood published an official communiqué, saying: "Muslims think that the new President of the Republic will allow the reconciliation of France with itself and will allow us to go farther, together."
Emmanuel Macron -- whose victory in the French presidential election on May 7, 2017 was declared decisive -- was presented as a centrist, a newcomer in politics with strong ties to the business world, and a man who could bring a new impetus to a stagnant country.
The reality, however, is quite different.
His victory was actually not "decisive". Although he received a high percentage of the votes cast (66%), the number of voters who cast a blank ballot or decided to abstain was the highest ever in a French presidential election.
Although his opponent, Marine Le Pen, tried to dissociate herself from the anti-Semitism of her father, Jean-Marie Le Pen, she was treated as a walking horror by almost all politicians and journalists during the entire campaign. That she nevertheless drew 34% of the votes was a sign of the depth of the anger and frustration that has been engulfing the French people. More than half of those who chose Macron were apparently voting against Marine Le Pen, rather than for Macron.
Macron, who won by default, suffers from a deep lack of legitimacy. He was elected because he was the last man standing, and because the moderate right's candidate, François Fillon, was sabotaged by a demolition operation carried out by the media and by a political use of justice. Significantly, the legal prosecution of Fillon stopped immediately after he was defeated.
Macron is not a centrist: he was discreetly supported throughout the campaign by most of the Socialist Party's leaders and by the outgoing Socialist President, François Hollande. The day after the election, during a V-E Day ceremony, Hollande could not hide his joy. A few days later, on May 14, when he handed the office of the president over to Macron, Hollande said that what was happening was not an "alternative" but a "continuity". All Macron's team-members were socialists or leftists. Macron's leading political strategist, Ismael Emelien, had worked for the campaign that led to the election of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela.
Macron's entire program is socialist. Proposals for additional public expenditures abound. "Climate change" is defined as "the key issue for the future of the world". The proposed changes to the Labor Code and the tax system are largely cosmetic and seem intended more to give an illusion of change than to bring about real change. While Macron does not reject a market economy, he thinks that it must be placed at the service of "social justice", and that the government's role is to "guide", to "protect", "to help" -- not to guarantee freedom to choose. Significantly, the economists who participated in the elaboration of Macron's program are those who had drawn up Hollande's economic program in 2012.
Even if he is young, Macron is not a newcomer to politics and does not embody renewal. He not only worked with Hollande for five years, but those who shaped his political ascent have long careers behind them: Jacques Attali was President François Mitterand's adviser in the 1980s ; Alain Minc worked with all French Presidents since Valery Giscard d'Estaing was elected in 1974, and Jean-Pierre Jouyet was the cabinet director for Socialist Prime Minister Lionel Jospin in the late 1990s. Just after the election, three documentaries were broadcast on French television explaining in detail how Macron's campaign was organized. Macron is the pure product of what analysts described as the "French nomenklatura" -- an arrogant élite, composed of senior officials, political power-holders and the businessmen working in close collaboration with them.
Macron can only be described as close to the business world if one understands how things work in France. The French economy is a mixed system where it is almost impossible to succeed financially without having close relations with political leaders who can grant favors and subsidies, and either authorize, prohibit or facilitate contracts or hinder them.
During the years he spent at Hollande's side, Macron helped various French businessmen. They thanked him by massively contributing to his campaign. It would be surprising if they do not expect a "return on investment". The operation that allowed Macron's election could be described in business language as a takeover. Almost all French private media outlets belong to those who supported Macron and were part of the takeover.
Macron is not supposed to bring any new impetus to business, but to ensure and consolidate the power of those who placed him where he is. Their goal is to create a large, single, center-left, technocratic political party that will crush the old political parties and that will be installed in a position of hegemony. The party's slogan, "En Marche!" ("On the Move!"), was established to go forward in that direction; the old political parties have been almost destroyed. The official Socialist Party is dying. The main center-right party, The Republicans, is in disarray. One of its leaders, Edouard Philippe, was appointed Macron's Prime Minister. Another, Bruno Le Maire, is now Finance and Economy minister: he will have to apply quite a different policy from those defined by his original party. The rightist National Front and the radical left will be treated as receptacles of anger: everything will be done so that they stay marginalized.
Another goal is to entrust ever more power to the technocratic unaccountable, untransparent and undemocratic institutions of the European Union: it is a goal Emmanuel Macron never stopped emphasizing. On May 7, as soon as the election result was known, the leaders of the European Union showed their enthusiasm. The president of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker, spoke of "a signal of hope for Europe". On May 15, immediately after the inauguration, Macron went to Berlin, met German Chancellor Angela Merkel and said that he hoped for a rapid "strengthening of the Union". Macron says he wants the creation of an EU Ministry of Finance, whose decisions would have binding force for all member states.
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel chat in Berlin on May 15, 2017. (Photo by Michele Tantussi/Getty Images)
A deliberate side-effect of Macron's policies will be population change. Like many European leaders, Emmanuel Macron seems convinced that the remedy for the demographic deficit and the aging of ethnic European populations is more immigration. On September 6, 2015, he stated that "immigration is an opportunity for all of us". On February 12, 2017, he said, "I will propose to the Algerian government the creation of a Franco-Algerian Bureau of Youth, to encourage mobility between the two shores of the Mediterranean". A few weeks later, he declared that "the duty of Europe is to offer asylum to all those who seek its protection" and that "France must take its fair share of refugees".
Almost all refugees arriving in France are Muslims. France already has the greatest percentage of Muslims in Europe. Macron wants Islam to have more room in France. His position concerning other religions is not known. His position on Islam is clear:
"Today, Muslims of France are poorly treated ... Tomorrow, a new structure will make it possible to relaunch the work sites of the Muslim religion in France: the construction and the improvement of worthy places of worship will take place where their presence is necessary, and the training of imams of France will be organized."
The French branch of the Muslim Brotherhood congratulated Macron on on his victory. It published an official communiqué saying: "Muslims think that the new President of the Republic will allow the reconciliation of France with itself and will allow us to go farther, together."
Macron's prime minister, Edouard Philippe, has close ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and favored their installation in the city of which he is the mayor, Le Havre. Richard Ferrand -- a Socialist MP, the secretary-general of En Marche! since its inception, and now Minister for the Cohesion of Territories -- has been financially contributing to the anti-Israel BDS movement and to "pro-Palestinian" organizations for years. Gerard Collomb, the Socialist Mayor of Lyon, and now Interior Minister, financed the French Institute of Muslim Civilization that will open its doors in December 2017.
In a recent article, Yves Mamou noted that Macron is not "an open promoter of Islamism in France" and could be defined as a "useful idiot."
In another recent article, Bruce Bawer wondered how the French could have chosen Emmanuel Macron. His answer was that "the mainstream media have played a role". Evidently, also, "some people do not want to know the truth," even when the truth is in front of their eyes.
"Some people are accustomed to the idea that there are people above them in the hierarchy whose job is to think about, and take care of the big things while they, the citizens, the mice, take care of their own little lives".
A majority of the French did not choose Macron but apparently accept that there are people above them. Those who do not accept this fact so easily are many, but in minority, and they are likely to become a smaller minority. Macron is counting on their resignation. It is not certain, however, that the millions of people who voted for Marine Le Pen, despite her extremely problematic closeness to Russia and the harsh campaign against her, or those who voted for the leftist candidates, will so easily give up. It is also not certain -- thanks to willful blindness and appeasement -- that Islamists will mellow, or that jihadist attacks will stop.
Macron said he was "dismayed" over Manchester Arena terror attack. He added that he was "filled with dread". He did not express the necessity of confronting the danger. The French have every reason to be nervous.
**Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
© 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.

Inciters in Egypt should be Pursued Internationally
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
The repeated crimes targeting Egypt are an evil act that requires regional and international actions, as its causes and consequences are no longer an Egyptian matter.What happened on Friday in Minya is part of a series of terrorist attacks linked to the Egyptian armed opposition as well as to the opposition factions that are openly inciting violent attacks. It is imperative to demand that all the incitement and actions against Egypt be considered as international crimes as is the case today with terrorist organizations like ISIS, al-Qaeda, Ansar al-Sharia and others. Governments and media outlets allowing the incitement against Egypt must be held accountable because they are directly responsible for what is happening in the country.
We must accuse these governments and media outlets of taking part in what is happening in Egypt because the government apparatuses are no longer targeted as they used to justify themselves earlier and consider their actions as a war between the regime and the opposition. The majority of the crimes now are directed against civilian facilities, leading to civilian victims and inciting religious sectarianism between Copts and Muslims. We support the Egyptian people and we cannot stay neutral in the face of these repeated crimes. Keeping mum on the incitements justifying such hideous terrorism attacks, coordinated with opposing political forces, cannot be tolerated anymore.
The Muslim Brotherhood, and the governments supporting the group, must be aware of the gravity of what they are doing because they are responsible for these terrorist operations that are the outcome of their irrational political actions. These groups and their supporting governments will be targeted through international curbs, prosecution and isolation, holding them accountable for the crimes committed in Egypt.The conflict with the Egyptian government has gone too far. The political, organizational, media, and financing campaign against the Egyptian government has gone too far after failing to create a peaceful civil opposition movement. After the failure in repeating the Egyptian Spring scenario, they started advocating and justifying attacks against the government. As the world is fighting together against ISIS in Iraq and Syria, it will be angered by what is happening in Egypt. It will not be difficult to hold accountable the governments that support the Egyptian terrorist groups whether in terms of funds or media exposure. More than 90 persons were killed in four terrorist sectarian attacks in Cairo, Alexandria, Tanta, and the last one in Minya.
The new international approach does not only pursue terrorist organizations but will also point the fingers at the governments that allow extremist ideologies or accept their political discourse as well as the governments that promote extremism, both in the media and political levels. There is no doubt that there is an interrelation between these groups claiming to be peaceful but at the same time agreeing on terror ideologies. They are now considered as a political entities. This applies to the Muslim Brotherhood, with its Egyptian branch in particular. The attack in Minya, similar to the crime in Manchester few days ago, is part of the cycle of violence, following justification of terrorism, media propaganda and indirect funding. Terrorism has become an international crime, and it is no longer an internal problem that can be limited to solidarity and acts of consolation.

Anger from Qatar
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
In May 2014, Bloomberg published statements of former Qatari prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim: “It is our right to make Qatar seem as the most important country in the world. But the problem is that some Arab countries did not play their role properly so when we played our role some thought that we are taking theirs.”These statements were reiterated since the former emir of Qatar Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa took over the rule in the country in 1995 – they brief the strategic targets of the Qatari foreign policy but the political reality says that no state can do the role of another.
Bahrain, for example, can’t do Egypt’s role and Saudi Arabia can’t do the role of UK. Doha continued through its endless provoking and throughout the past twenty years it was in a quest to achieve its goal in becoming a regional power even if at the expense of the Gulf countries and the region’s security and stability. Aside from statements claimed to be said by Emir of Qatar and that Doha is denying, they actually represent the Qatari policy since Qatar has always used contradictions as a way to deal with brotherly countries. The Gulf countries – including Qatar – take strict stances towards Iran during the meetings of the GCC to stop its intervention and to face its expanding project. In October 2015, Doha signed with Tehran a military security agreement. Qatar participates in the Decisive Storm in Yemen that has a major goal to put an end to the Iranian power. Few months later on, the emir said in the UN that the relation with Tehran is developing and growing continuously based on common interests and good neighborliness. When the Gulf summit was held in Doha, leaders were surprised by the attendance of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad upon a Qatari invitation as an honor guest.
Bahrain is suffering turbulence that has exceeded demands of reforms and constitutional kingship into aborting it and establishing a republican regime in the country. The Gulf countries refuse these acts because any chaos in a country would sure transfer to the neighboring ones.
But Doha is being impartial and is suggesting initiatives that go in favor of the militias supported by Iran. Al Jazeera, the diplomatic media arm of Qatar, has continued to support the chaotic forces in Bahrain and described them as a “national revolution”.
The Gulf countries fight terrorism fiercely while Doha – unfortunately – has a different agenda. It hosts the Muslim Brotherhood and funds it. It granted al-Qaeda leaders a media platform they used to dream of. It also presented al-Nusra Front as a “moderate force” and promoted for its separation from the terrorist al-Qaeda group.
Recently, the agreement to release Qatari captives from Iraq took place and displaced four Syrian towns as a price.Guarantors of the agreement included Iran and Nusra Front. In 2014, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain summoned their ambassadors from Doha after accusing it of threatening the security and political stability of the Gulf countries through supporting Muslim Brotherhood figures in the Gulf. Also, the Qatari funds have threatened the whole region after reports that have proven Qatar’s support to Nusra Front. It also backed the anti- Saudi, Emirate and Bahraini media through transforming Qatari institutions into platforms to attack them. Qatar also funded figures that object over the ruling regime in these countries in addition to recruiting political funds and public relations companies in the US and West to damage the Gulf interests.
After Qatari pledges, the three ambassadors returned after nine months under one condition that Doha abides by Riyadh Agreement. However, Qatar did not – a Gulf official told me that the former Qatari Foreign Minister Khaled al-Attiyah considered that the agreement was over with the death of King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud who sponsored the agreement. The justifications that pushed Saudi Arabia, UAE and Bahrain to summon their ambassadors then still exist today, nothing has changed. Every state has the right to follow policies that comply with their interests and there is no condition in the international policy that imposes identical stances among countries. However if these policies damaged the regional security, led to chaos and shook stability then no state would be as patient as Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. If Doha doesn’t change its policies that are damaging its neighbors and threatening their national security then any return would be useless and a dead end would be reached.

Peace for Israel, Palestine Requires Breaking The ‘Zero-Sum’ Game
Sherif Elgebeily/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
Negotiations around a settlement in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, whether within a framework of one state or two states, have historically tended towards what is commonly referred to as ‘zero sum’ game – where the gains of one party are directly proportional to the losses of the other. A one-state solution would provide stability, civil rights, equality, and recognition for Palestinians, but in light of their rising population it threatens the very existence of a “Jewish State”; similarly, the establishment of a sovereign Palestine along 1967 lines neighboring Israel would require the eviction of over 600,000 Israeli settlers currently in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Today, in the words of Palestinian Ambassador to the UK Manuel Hassassian, “both Palestinians and Israelis are stuck between the historically inevitable and the politically impossible”.
Yet the struggle for peace seems rooted in the false premise that “a solution” exists and that we need only decide which to choose. In reality, however, the failure to resolve the conflict to date comes about not primarily as a result of the content of the plans, but rather the need for a shift in attitudes. Throughout over 70 years of conflict, three perpetual obstacles have lain on the path to peace: trust, security, and justice. Complicating matters, the longer these remain issues, the more difficult they become to resolve.
Fostering trust is an integral key to any peace negotiations; without this all efforts are wasted energy on fruitless diplomacy; central to the trust-building exercise is the dispelling of myths, prejudices, and misinformation. Over the decades and throughout numerous Israeli and Palestinian leaderships, positions have become entrenched based upon what each group thinks about “the other”: today, many Israelis believe Palestinians do not want peace, or at a stretch the borders of 1948 Palestine; on the other side, many Palestinians believe that Israel wants all the territory from the Nile to the Euphrates. Conversely, the truth is both sides actually have similar desires: stability, peace, prosperity, and a viable deal to facilitate these.
Such misunderstandings are, naturally, politically useful for scapegoating both among an increasingly right-wing Israeli government and within the militant Gazan leadership. Moreover, they are perpetuated by the daily lives of both peoples: unlike Arab Israelis in Haifa or Jaafa, Palestinians in the Occupied Territories are not permitted to mingle freely with their Israeli neighbors. Beyond entire generations that have grown up under occupation, the result is that a majority of Palestinians have never had personal contact with an Israeli outside of IDF uniform – one must question what psychological impact of such limited experience has upon a people; likewise, many Israelis have rare personal interactions with Palestinians, who are generally tarred with the same brush as not only personal threats – bombers, terrorists, knife-wielders – but also existential ones – anti-Zionists and revolutionaries. Against this backdrop, it becomes evident that there is simply no environment or opportunity for the necessary trust-building: economic, cultural, and even political.
In this respect, there are lessons that can be learnt from Northern Ireland, where a fundamental part of success was the refusal to concede to binary narratives of Catholics or Protestants. Leadership on both sides in Israel and Palestine must be willing to move closer – a Trimble for every Paisley, a De Klerk to each Mandela, a contemporary Rabin to every Arafat. Leadership on both sides are responsible for building bridges; it is only through this that communication can improve and a sense of solidarity can be built. The intellectual wherewithal to disbelieve propaganda about a group in a vacuum is a difficult task, yet it becomes easier through the lived experience of interaction with them and seeing firsthand that information being spread is erroneous. As US President Abraham Lincoln once famously said, “I don’t like that man. I must get to know him better.”
One of the by-products of this misinformation has been the Israeli focus on security, resulting in much despair: a security wall deemed illegal by the International Court of Justice; checkpoints that exacerbate already prohibitive employment opportunities for Palestinians; and a policy of “defensive borders” that is a thinly veiled cover for further appropriation of Palestinian land, despite its failure to end rocket and mortar attacks by Hamas. Gaza has, since Israeli exit, been used as justification that Palestinians cannot be left to their own devices and to underline the need for a continued, hard military presence. To focus on Gaza, however, belies the reality that intricately-woven security cooperation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank has been a continuing success for many years. Ultimately, the Israeli government must heed the bottom line recognised by its own military: nothing will provide lasting security for Israel, Iron Dome included, more than peace.
Finally, the issue of justice – a matter that can only begin to take shape once ongoing crimes come to an end and with the recognition of historical wrongs; history, however, teaches us that it is rarely swift. Over a century passed between the beginning of the practice of the Stolen Generations in Australia and an acknowledgement of government wrongdoing by former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd; following the lengthy Saville Report in the UK, former Prime Minister David Cameron issued a formal apology for the actions of the British Forces on Bloody Sunday, over 40 years after the massacre; and, only weeks ago, France’s President Emmanuel Macron referred to French colonization of Algeria – which gained independence in 1962 – as a “crime against humanity”. The day will come, also, when a future Israeli government must apologize for wholesale crimes: forced evictions, extra-judicial killings, land grabs, severe curtailment of human rights, and economic suffocation of the Palestinian people – the reconciliation of Palestinians and Israelis depends upon it.
Incidents such as the free BBQ organised by Ichud Leumi outside Ofer military prison to taunt detained Palestinians on hunger strike highlight not only a visceral lack of humanity shown by some Israelis towards their fellow human beings but the chasm that is yet to be overcome between parties. Extremist views are held on both side in the vain hope that hammering can fix what requires a screwdriver. Such behavior ignores a core fact all-too-often neglected for its inconvenience and unpalatability to some: Israel and Palestine, for better or worse, are in a symbiotic relationship; neither state can ever achieve peace or security without the assistance, cooperation, and complicity of the other the assistance and complicity of the other.
Breaking the cycle of a ‘zero-sum’ game requires that Israel and Hamas realise that the promotion of rights for one party does not lessen those of the others – there is no finite quantity of rights or privileges that must be apportioned between the two sides. Searching for deep-rooted trust, lasting security, and meaningful justice are key to peace for all citizens, whether in one state or two. The sooner this is realized by both the general public and politicians in Israel and Palestine, the sooner they can begin the transition towards a much-needed more inclusive, constructive type of national and personal politics.

After Manchester, Terrorists will Keep Trying to Attack Britain
Richard Walton/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 27/17/
The Manchester terrorist attack Monday night was the deadliest since the 7/7 London Underground bombings in 2005 and one of the most shocking ever committed in Britain.
It will cause pain and anguish across the country as families and communities come to terms with the sheer horror of such a senseless act targeted against mostly young teenage girls enjoying a pop concert. If inspired or directed by ISIS, it will serve to only strengthen the resolve of the people of Britain who want to see the radical group defeated. Manchester has experienced Irish-related terrorist in the past, and its citizens will demonstrate to the world how resilient it remains.
Now Britain’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, and counterterrorism police units, whose capacity is already severely stretched from dealing with the Westminster terrorist attack just eight weeks ago, are likely to come under pressure as they face questions about why another apparently “known” extremist was not prevented from killing so many.
One explanation is the unprecedented recent surge in threats against Britain from ISIS-inspired attacks. British authorities have actually been able to stop many such attempts; London’s Counter Terrorism Command at Scotland Yard successfully disrupted three separate terrorist plots (mostly involving knives) in the past four weeks, two within a 24-hour period. All of the would-be perpetrators, including four women, were subsequently charged with terrorist offenses. They had all been living in Britain for years; they were not foreign militants returning from a collapsing ISIS, but known extremists inspired to act largely through access to radicalizing material on the Internet and social media contact with terrorists overseas. It appears that Salman Abedi, named as the suicide bomber responsible for the Manchester attack, may have had a similar profile, having been born and raised in the city to parents who originated from Libya.
The investigation into this attack will be led by the Manchester Counter Terrorism Unit. The unit was established after 7/7, when officials recognized that a lack of counterterrorism capability outside London might have contributed to poor intelligence on the 2005 attackers, most of whom lived in and around Leeds. Britain’s modern counterterrorism police network is now fully interoperable, with units embedded in all the major cities.
Coordinated from London, police specialists from across Britain are now supplementing investigative resources being deployed from the Manchester unit. The police network has tested and exercised the response to an attack of this nature many times, and the investigation will undoubtedly be well-led and coordinated.
Counterterrorism professionals readily acknowledge, however, that the only meaningful performance measure is an absence of terrorist attacks. And Britain has now experienced two mass casualty attacks in its two largest cities in the past two months. In a rare public comment, Andrew Parker, the head of MI5, said Monday that his staff was “relentlessly focused” on fighting terrorism. In the aftermath of these attacks, he is likely to direct that the agency urgently reassess all “known” Britain-based extremists to see whether any merit more intrusive surveillance and covert operational activity. The raising of the threat level in Britain to “critical” by the Joint Terrorist Analysis Center confirms that MI5 is not ruling out further linked attacks by outstanding suspects.
The spike in terrorist plotting is likely to continue for months — even years — to come, despite military successes in Iraq and Syria. The harder it is for radicals to get from Britain to ISIS-held land, the likelier it is they’ll try to strike in the West. The end of the “physical” caliphate may be near, but the “virtual” caliphate online will endure. The lesson from the Westminster and Manchester attacks is surely that mass-fatality terrorism does not need to be complex or particularly sophisticated, such as the attacks carried out in Paris in December 2015. Lone individuals can easily be inspired to kill many people with knives, cars and homemade bombs; British officials rarely have to worry about disrupting plots with guns, thanks to our strict firearms laws. The only way of preventing such attacks is by knowing the mind-set and intent of the extremists and then disrupting their planning, either through good intelligence and covert monitoring or by family or communities reporting their concerns to police.
Serious questions will now be asked across Britain about its Muslim communities and whether Muslim leaders and role models are saying and doing enough to counter the narratives emanating from terrorist groups. Despite the existence of a mature and well-developed national terrorism prevention strategy in Britain, hundreds of largely British-born nationals have left the country in the past four years to join ISIS, and one has to ask what more needs to be done to prevent this particularly potent brand of extremism from flourishing.
The British government will be particularly concerned about a potential lack of community cohesion in the northwest of England after this attack, which is vulnerable to a backlash against Muslim minority communities. The region is less integrated than many other parts of Britain, and extremist right-wing groups have gained ground there, as evidenced by the terrorist murder of the British lawmaker Jo Cox by Thomas Mair last year.
While there is clearly no one solution to the ongoing threats across the world from terrorism, one has to hope that initiatives like the creation of the Global Center for Combating Extremist Ideology, launched in Saudi Arabia this week, will make a difference. Bold steps such as this, particularly involving Muslim nations, could mean that fewer families will be scarred by terrorism in the future.
It is an unintended consequence, but the advent of social media has placed a turbo charge on extremism, providing a vehicle for extremist narratives to be propagated across the world and joining up like-minded proponents. There is much more to be done to combat these radicalizing influences. All countries now need comprehensive counterterrorism strategies that include mainstreaming steps to identify and deal with extremism in all its forms.
The Washington Post
**Richard Walton is a director of Counter Terrorism Global Ltd., a senior associate fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and was the head of the Counter Terrorism Command at New Scotland Yard from 2011 to 2016.

UK: Welcome Mat for Jihadists
Khadija Khan/Gatestone Institute/May 27/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=55728
The Sharia Council of Britain determines the fate of women by undermining the laws of the land.
British politicians seem have become intoxicated by the propaganda of those who prefer to term any action to limit Islamic extremism or terrorism “Islamophobia.”
These human rights abuses are linked to the Islamic ideology, the end product of which often shows itself as violence against homosexuals, non-Muslims and other marginalized communities. It appears that most of these jihadists were radicalized through local mosques and madrassas.
England, which once was a jewel of both East and West, today symbolizes the degeneration of Europe, the continent which has turned its back on the threat Islamist terrorists are posing. England has increased its terror threat level from “severe” to “critical”; counter-terror measures include employing the British army in key public locations as well as stepped-up counter-intelligence, and raids against suspected terrorists.
It seems, however, that British politicians have simply put the whole nation in a loop of feed, kill, repeat; meanwhile acting as if they haven’t a clue as to what has stricken the lovely country.
Prime Minister Theresa May, in her public statement after the blast, stated:
“We struggle to comprehend the warped and twisted mind that sees a room packed with young children not as a scene to cherish but as an opportunity for carnage…. But we can continue to resolve to thwart such attacks in future. To take on and defeat the ideology that often fuels this violence.”
May was careful to avoid naming the ideology.
Ironically, the terror spree caught the United Kingdom in the midst of its election season. Nonetheless, neither the Tories nor the Labour Party are offering any solid plans to counter the menace. It seems these politicians have decided to sleep on the issue, while leaving their poor citizens at the mercy of terrorists, protected only by the brave law enforcement personnel who are also targets.
British politicians seem have become intoxicated by the propaganda of those who prefer to term any action to limit Islamic extremism or terrorism “Islamophobia.” When the government decides to look the other way, it allows many malpractices to flourish under the skin of British Muslim communities, among whom any action to protect the country would be stigmatized by apologists as “Islamophobic.”
The Sharia Council of Britain, for example, as the scandal of halala divorce recently highlighted, determines the fate of women by undermining the laws of the land. Other forms of exploitation by Islamists in Britain include forced marriage; intimidation of moderate Muslims by extremist imams such as Anjem Choudary and Mizanur Rahman; mosque-sanctioned domestic violence; gender segregation, Islamic dress code in schools, and female genital mutilation (FGM).
All these human rights abuses are linked to the Islamic ideology, the end product of which often shows itself as violence against homosexuals, non-Muslims and other marginalized communities.
Labour Party chief Jeremy Corbyn, reacting to the Manchester terror attack, did not even address any root cause, nor does his election platform contain a strong policy regarding “Prevent”, Britain’s anti-terror program.
Corbyn is, in fact, an open critic of Prevent; he instead suggested expanding Britain’s Prevent strategy to all communities, so that Muslims would not think that it only referred to them.
The Prevent strategy, Corbyn said, is “often counter-productive” and appears to cast suspicion on all Muslims. In fairness, he did add that extremism and racism must also be dealt with.
It is revealing that, instead of offering a concrete counter-terror policy, Corbyn seems to be confusing the issue of racism with the issue of the terror attacks that have taken dozens of lives in 2017 alone.
Conservative peer, Baroness Warsi is also one of those who does not seem to be fond of Britain’s counter terror policy; she demanded a “pause” to the Prevent program “for an independent review”.
“I think Prevent in its current form has huge problems,” she said; “I think it’s broken, I think the brand is toxic.”
The British government used a similar program, the Prevention of Terrorism Act, until 2000, to dismantle Irish terrorist organizations.
Warsi, who served in Prime Minister David Cameroon’s Cabinet, is known for defending a hardline Dewsbury madrassah, claiming that though the faith school “might have produced bombers, it also produced the first Muslim cabinet minister [Warsi]”.
Baroness Warsi. (Photo by Miles Willis/Getty Images)
Extremist mosques and madrassahs in Dewsbury and in surroundings of Manchester are notorious for spreading communal hatred and terror across the board.
Manchester seems to have a problem. The Guardian reported in February 2017 that at least 16 convicted or dead terrorists have lived within 2.5 miles of the Manchester home of Ronald Fiddler, aka Jamal al-Harith, an ex-Guantanamo prisoner who blew himself up while fighting for ISIS in Syria earlier this year.
Hundreds of Britons have joined ISIS and other terrorist organizations in Syria and Iraq to date. The BBC reported in February that of the 850 or so British citizens who fall into this category, some 200 were killed fighting in the Middle East; the rest returned to Britain, potentially to resume terrorist activity at home.
It appears that most of these jihadists were radicalized through local mosques and madrassas.
Thanks to the handicapped Prevent strategy, we have, to date, not seen any inquiry or action against the environment or people that might have contributed to or supported this radicalization.
Khalid Masood, the perpetrator of the Westminster attack on March 22, did not go abroad to hone his terrorism skills; he served as a representative of the Luton Islamic Centre mosque — one institution among many that have eluded the government’s Prevent program, due to the pressure from so-called “moderate” Muslims such as Warsi.
Above all, politicians need to realize that failure on the government’s part to protect the public from Islamist radicals actually endangers the Muslim community as a whole. A general sense of insecurity in the Muslim community and lack of trust in law-enforcement only creates vigilantes.
It is therefore more crucial than ever for British Muslims and their influential representatives to join forces with the authorities to root out terrorism through sound counter-terror policies, instead of focusing only on short-term measures such as raising the terror threat level, deploying forces and trying to intimidate everyone into complicity by unjustly complaining about “Islamophobia”.
**Khadija Khan is a Pakistani journalist and commentator currently in Germany.
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https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10424/britain-jihadists