LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 04/17
Compiled &
Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
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Bible Quotations
The stone
that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21/33-46/:"‘Listen to
another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence
around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watch-tower. Then he leased it to
tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his
slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves
and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves,
more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally he sent his
son to them, saying, "They will respect my son." But when the tenants saw the
son, they said to themselves, "This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get
his inheritance."So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed
him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those
tenants?’ They said to him, ‘He will put those wretches to a miserable death,
and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the
harvest time.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures: "The
stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s
doing, and it is amazing in our eyes"? Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God
will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of
the kingdom. The one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and it
will crush anyone on whom it falls.’ When the chief priests and the Pharisees
heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them. They wanted
to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a
prophet."
Brothers and sisters, do not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in
evil, but in thinking be adults
First Letter to the
Corinthians 14/01-05.13-14.20.26/:"Pursue love and strive for the spiritual
gifts, and especially that you may prophesy. For those who speak in a tongue do
not speak to other people but to God; for nobody understands them, since they
are speaking mysteries in the Spirit. On the other hand, those who prophesy
speak to other people for their building up and encouragement and consolation.
Those who speak in a tongue build up themselves, but those who prophesy build up
the church. Now I would like all of you to speak in tongues, but even more to
prophesy. One who prophesies is greater than one who speaks in tongues, unless
someone interprets, so that the church may be built up. Therefore, one who
speaks in a tongue should pray for the power to interpret. For if I pray in a
tongue, my spirit prays but my mind is unproductive. Brothers and sisters, do
not be children in your thinking; rather, be infants in evil, but in thinking be
adults. What should be done then, my friends? When you come together, each one
has a hymn, a lesson, a revelation, a tongue, or an interpretation. Let all
things be done for building up."
Question: "Catholic vs. Protestant – why is there so much
animosity?"
Answer: This is a simple question
with a complicated answer, because there are varying degrees of, and reasons
for, animosity between any two religious groups. The battle between Catholics
and Protestants is rooted in history. Degrees of reaction have ranged from
friendly disagreement (as reflected in the numerous ecumenical dialogues
produced between the two groups), to outright persecution and murder of
Protestants at the hands of Rome. Reformation teachings that identify the Pope
as the Beast of Revelation and / or Roman Catholicism as Mystery Babylon are
still common among Protestants. Clearly, anyone with this view is not going to
“warm up” to Rome any time soon.
For the most part, today at least, the animosity comes from basic human nature
when dealing with fundamental disagreement over eternal truths. Passions are
sure to ignite in the more weighty matters of life, and one's faith is (or at
least should be) at the top of the heap. Many Protestants think Roman Catholics
teach a works-gospel that cannot save, while Roman Catholics think Protestants
teach easy-believism that requires nothing more than an emotional outburst
brought on by manipulative preaching. Protestants accuse Catholics of
worshipping Mary, and Catholics think Protestants are apparently too dull to
understand the distinctions Rome has made in this regard. These caricatures are
often difficult to overcome.
Behind the particular disagreements over the role of faith and works, the
sacraments, the canon of Scripture, the role of the priesthood, prayers to
saints, and all the issues surrounding Mary and the Pope, etc., lies the biggest
rift between Roman Catholicism and Protestantism: the issue of authority. How
one answers the authority question will generally inform all the other issues.
When it comes down to deciding a theological issue about defined Catholic dogma,
there isn’t really much to discuss on the Catholic's side because once Rome
speaks, it is settled. This is a problem when trying to debate a Roman Catholic
– reason and Scripture are not the Catholic’s final authority; they can always
retreat into the “safe zone” of Roman Catholic authority.
Thus, many of the arguments between a Protestant and a Catholic will revolve
around one's “private interpretation” of Scripture as against the "official
teachings of the Roman Catholic Church." Catholics claim to successfully avoid
the legitimate problems of private interpretation by their reliance on their
tradition. But this merely pushes the question back a step. The truth is that
both Roman Catholics and Protestants must, in the end, rely upon their reasoning
abilities (to choose their authority) and their interpretive skills (to
understand what that authority teaches) in order to determine what they will
believe. Protestants are simply more willing to admit that this is the case.Both sides can also be fiercely loyal to their family's faith or the church they
grew up in without much thought to doctrinal arguments. Obviously, there are a
lot of possible reasons for the division between Catholicism and Protestantism,
and while we should not divide over secondary issues, both sides agree that we
must divide when it comes to primary issues. When it comes to Roman Catholicism
and Protestantism, the differences are just too great to ignore. However, that
does not give license for caricatures or ignorant judgments – both sides need to
be honest in their assessments and try not to go beyond what God has revealed.**Questions.org?
Titles For Latest LCCC
Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on November 03-04/17
Patriarch Al Raei's Historic Visit To Saudi Arabia/Elias
Bejjani/November 03/17
Hezbollah Is A Gang Of Evil People/Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
A Gift to the Syrian Regime/Ahmad El-Assaad/November 03/17
Lebanese ‘friends of Syria’ are heading for a dead end/Diana Moukalled/ArabNews/November
03/2017
Israel, Hezbollah playing Russian roulette in Syria/Joe Macaron November 03/17
Palestinians: Meet Abbas's New Partners/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute/November 03/17
Iran and ‘The Great Satan’: A 4-Decades Old Saga/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat//November
03/17
No, Europe Isn't About to Break Up/Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/November
03/17
Israel (IDF) denies involvement in Syrian suicide attack, vows to protect Druze/Ynetnews/November
03/17
Demolition of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad Tunnel Inside Israel/Maj. Gen. (Res.)
Shlomo 'Sami' Turjeman, IDF/The Washington Institute/November 03/17
North Korea's Alliance with Syria Reveals a Wider Proliferation Threat/Jay
Solomon/The Washington Institute/November 03/17
Russia Makes Inroads in North Africa/Sarah Feuer and Anna Borshchevskaya/The
Washington Institute/November 03/17
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
November 03-04/17
Patriarch Al Raei's Historic Visit To Saudi Arabia
Hezbollah Is A Gang Of Evil People
Lebanese Patriarch to meet King Salman in first visit by Church leader
Sabhan Says Rahi's Visit to SA Affirmation on Kingdom's 'Open Approach'
Al-Rahi: Solution to Hizbullah Arms Should Not Hinge on Mideast Solution
Spare us' on Hezbollah arms: Aoun to Arab states
Aoun signs state budget
Hariri Travels to Saudi Arabia for Second Time in Five Days
Hariri Discusses Situation in Camps, on Border with Security Chiefs
Velayati Meets Hariri, Says Iran 'Keen' on Lebanon's Stability
Velayati at Villa Boustros: Resistance axis efforts couple with balanced
international, regional diplomatic efforts
Berri, Velayati tackle current regional situation
Aoun, Aswad tackle Jezzine relevant affairs
Hariri at Media Piracy Conference: Bids to Strain Lebanon-Arab Ties is Piracy
Too
President Prepares for Kuwait Visit
Ministerial Panel Makes 'Limited Progress' on Electoral Law Mechanisms
Shorter Visits ISF Academy, Inaugurates New CCTV Control Room
A Gift to the Syrian Regime/Ahmad El-Assaad/
Lebanese ‘friends of Syria’ are heading for a dead end
Israel, Hezbollah playing Russian roulette in Syria
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on November 03-04/17
Scheer blasts Trudeau for supporting Governor General
after 'divine intervention' comment
U.S. Strikes IS in Somalia for First Time
Suicide Car Bomb Kills 9 as Nusra Attacks Syria Golan Heights Village
Trump Says IS Will Pay 'Big Price' for Each Attack on U.S.
Twin Iraq and Syria Assaults as IS Loses Last City
Iraqi Forces Retake Crossing on Syria Border from IS
CIA Document: Bin Laden Asked his Son Hamza to Move from Iran to Qatar
Canada imposes sanctions on individuals linked to human rights violations and
corruption
Latest Lebanese Related News published on November 03-04/17
Patriarch Al Raei's Historic Visit To Saudi Arabia
Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
His Beatitude, Patriach Al Raei's coming historical visit to Saudi Arabia
emphasizes Bkerke's crucial and valuable role as a partner and a must gateway
for the kigdom's success and credibility of it new unprecedented genuine
policies of openness on the oriental Christains, Vatican and on the Western
secularism, multi-culturalism, tolerance and civilization.
Hezbollah Is A Gang Of Evil People
Elias Bejjani/November 03/17
In the eyes of the Lebanese Judiciary laws, Hezbollah is an evil mere gang of
outlaws. Accordingly Its members and leaders must be arrested and put on trial.
No legitimacy to this Iranian gang in the constitution or in the UN Lebanese
related resolutions. All Those officials who allege Hezbollah is a legitimate
resistance must be charged and also put on trial.
https://www.facebook.com/elias.y.bejjani
Lebanese Patriarch to meet King Salman in first visit by
Church leader
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 3
November 2017/Saudi Minister of State for Gulf Affairs, Thamer al-Sabhan
announced the upcoming visit of the Head of the Council of Catholic Patriarchs
of the East, Lebanese Patriarch, Beshara al-Ra'i, to Saudi Arabia. Al-Sabhan
added that the visit, which is expected in the next few weeks, confirms the
openness of the Kingdom. "The visit of Patriarch
Bishara al-Ra'i to the Kingdom affirms the Kingdom's approach to understanding,
openness and peaceful coexistence with all the constituents of the Arab
peoples," Sabhan said on Friday. Al-Ra'i received an
invitation to to meet King Salman bin Abdul Aziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman, recently according to the Charge d'Affaires of the Saudi Embassy in
Lebanon, Ambassador Walid al-Bukhari.
Bukhari described the visit as one of the most important official visits as he
will be the first church leader to visit the kingdom.
Sabhan Says Rahi's Visit to SA Affirmation on Kingdom's 'Open Approach'
Naharnet/November 03/17/Saudi State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan
on Friday said the expected visit of Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi to Saudi
Arabia affirms the Kingdom's “open approach.”“Patriarch Rahi's expected visit to
Saudi Arabia affirms the Kingdom's approach to rapprochement and peaceful
coexistence to all Arab peoples,” said al-Sabhan in a tweet. The Saudi
Minister's remarks came after Saudi Arabia extended an invitation to Rahi to
visit it. On Wednesday, Rahi held talks in Bkirki with Walid al-Bukhari, the
chargé d'affaires of the Saudi Embassy in Lebanon. Bukhari described the visit
as “historic”, he said: “I was honored to visit His Eminence, Patriarch al-Rahi,
and I handed him an invitation to visit the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and meet
with the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, and His
Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, in a visit that is considered one of
the most official visits.”
Al-Rahi: Solution to Hizbullah Arms Should Not Hinge on Mideast Solution
Naharnet/November 03/17/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi announced Thursday
that “the solution to the issue of Hizbullah and its arms should not hinge on a
Middle East solution,” noting that “the Arab and international communities have
a role to play in this regard.”Al-Rahi was commenting on remarks by President
Michel Aoun, who said Monday that “a solution in the Middle East would lead to a
solution for the issue of Hizbullah's arms.”“The issue of Hizbullah is not
purely Lebanese anymore and it is linked to Arab and international affairs,” the
patriarch added in an interview on LBCI television. “No one can overlook the
role of Hizbullah and Iran in Lebanon and it played a part in the election of
the president and filling the vacuum. Yes there is a significant influence but
we must build our strong, capable and just state – a state that has its entity,
role and justice,” al-Rahi went on to say. “It is not up to us to find the
solution but the solution should not be imposed on us,” the patriarch noted.
Asked about the invitation he has received to visit Saudi Arabia, al-Rahi
confirmed that he will visit the kingdom in two weeks. As for his stance should
he be asked by Saudi officials about Hizbullah's controversial arsenal of arms,
the patriarch said “even Hizbullah does not accept” the notion that its weapons
could coexist with those of the Lebanese Army. “We must look into the situation
from all its aspects,” he added. Al-Rahi also said that “no preconditions” for
the visit have been imposed on him by Riyadh and that his rhetoric will be “a
rhetoric of peace, partnership and love” despite the current tensions between
Saudi Arabia and Iran and Hizbullah. “I'm not a politician to side with a
certain party,” he added.
Spare us' on Hezbollah arms: Aoun to Arab
states
The Daily Star/November
03/17/BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun called for Arab nations to “spare [the
Lebanese state] a bit regarding Hezbollah’s weapons,” in a report published
Friday by a local daily. "[Lebanese political parties] are entrusted with
security, stability – and Hezbollah has become a Middle Eastern issue now, in
addition to the traditional problem with Israel,” Aoun said in an interview with
new Lebanese paper Al-Itihad. “This issue can only be resolved [if one also]
finds a solution for the Middle East crisis and the Arab-Israeli conflict." Aoun
was also reported as saying that any Israeli military action against Lebanon
would not be successful. “This is not because of international decisions, but
because of our own strength and national unity,” he said. He added that “no one
can rely on anyone [else] to defend his country.” Turning to the parliamentary
elections scheduled for spring 2018, Aoun assured doubters that voting would
happen as planned. “There is nothing to fear regarding the upcoming elections,
and they will be held on time.”Politicians are currently divided over how best
to implement the magnetic voting cards stipulated in the new electoral law –
with some noting financial problems and arguing that full implementation of the
cards would require elections to be delayed. Aoun touched on these debates
briefly, saying that officials “are having fun now with the magnetic card,
pointing out that there are other methods by which to hold elections, but some
mistakes and errors are being made.”
Regarding rumors that some scheme might exist to derail the elections, the
president said, “The official minister who talked about that did not call on
voters, and will be held accountable.”
Aoun signs state budget
The Daily Star/November 03/17/BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun signed the 2017
state budget Friday, paving the way for the document to be published in the
Official Gazette, a political source told The Daily Star. Aoun's signature was
the last step required in order to finalize the state budget – the first to be
passed, albeit in an unconstitutional fashion, in over a decade. The 2017 state
budget was passed without any auditing of past extra budgetary spending, which
is estimated to have reached into the millions of dollars. The constitution
stipulates that auditing should be completed before a budget can be passed.
Hariri Travels to Saudi Arabia for Second Time in Five Days
Naharnet/November 03/17/Prime
Minister Saad Hariri traveled Friday to Saudi Arabia on a “work trip,” his
office said. Hariri's trip followed talks at the Grand Serail with Ali Akbar
Velayati, the senior foreign policy adviser to Iran's supreme leader Ali
Khamenei. The prime minister had visited the kingdom on Monday for talks with
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and State Minister for Gulf Affairs Thamer
al-Sabhan. During a cabinet session on Thursday, Hariri told the ministers that
“Saudi Arabia is very keen on stability in Lebanon and all that is mentioned in
the media to the contrary is not true.” On Tuesday, Hariri said he held a “long
meeting” with al-Sabhan, a day after the firebrand minister voiced fierce new
remarks about Hizbullah. "We agreed on a lot of things that are of concern to
the Lebanese people, and God willing the future situation will be better,"
al-Sabhan for his part added. “Whenever I meet His Highness, Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, I become more convinced that we and the Saudi leadership
are in full agreement on Lebanon's stability and Arab identity,” said Hariri in
another tweet, referring to his Monday meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed bin
Salman.
Hariri Discusses Situation in Camps, on Border with Security Chiefs
Naharnet/November 03/17/Amid concerns to maintain a stable security situation in
Lebanon, Prime Minister Saad Hariri held separate talks Thursday evening with
Army Commander General Joseph Aoun and General Security chief Maj. Gen. Abbas
Ibrahim, al-Joumhouria daily reported Friday. Discussions focused on the latest
security developments mainly on the country's border, and the measures taken in
some areas. According to the daily, talks have focused on the situation in the
Palestinian refugee camps and its surroundings following contacts between
Ibrahim and the Palestinian factions, in coordination with their
representatives, to hand over some wanted persons taking refuge in the camps in
order to ensure security. Hariri has also stressed the need for coordination
between Lebanon's various security apparatuses and strengthening all forms of
coordination between them so as to ensure a stable security situation at home
and on the border.
Velayati Meets Hariri, Says Iran 'Keen' on
Lebanon's Stability
Naharnet/November 03/17/Iranian senior adviser to international affairs Ali
Akbar Velayati said after talks with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday that
Iran “protects Lebanon's stability and government.”“Iran protects the stability
of Lebanon and its government and welcomes its independence,” said Velayati from
the Grand Serail where he met the Premier. “We commend the recent victories of
Lebanon against corruption and we congratulate Lebanon, its people and PM
Hariri," he added. “We wish Lebanon lasting success and the formation of a
coalition government that will be a success for the Lebanese people,” he went on
saying. “Lebanon's victory against terrorism is a victory for us all, as is the
case in Syria. Terrorists are supported by the Zionists and the Americans, the
victory of Iraq against the separatist movement is another aspect of these
victories,” noted Velayati. He concluded saying “these victories are a victory
for the axis of resistance in the region and a victory for all of us.”Velayati
later held talks with President Michel Aoun, Speaker Nabih Berri and Hizbullah
Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah.
Velayati at Villa Boustros: Resistance axis efforts couple
with balanced international, regional diplomatic efforts
Fri 03 Nov 2017/NNA -
Foreign and Expatriates Minister, Jibran Bassil, on Friday afternoon met at
Villa Boustros with the senior Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar
Velayati, in the presence of Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohamed Fathali. On
emerging, Velayati described the meeting with Minister Bassil as
"distinguished", saying talks touched on the bilateral ties between the two
countries and bilateral cooperation at the regional level. Talks also dwelt on
international affairs, he said. Velayati stressed that the valuable efforts
exerted by the resistance axis at the regional level necessitate political
wisdom, cooperation and the exchange of views at the regional and international
level. The Iranian official underlined that the helpful, valuable efforts of the
peoples of the region and the resistance axes must be accompanied by balanced
and coordinated diplomatic efforts at the international and regional levels. In
reply to a question, the Iranian official indicated that Russian President
Vladimir Putin plays an important role and has a great influence on cooperation
and support for the axis of resistance. On the other hand, Minister Bassil met
with Head of Defence Office of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Francois Roux.
Berri, Velayati tackle current regional
situation
Fri 03 Nov 2017/NNA -
House Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday met at his Ain Tineh residence with the
senior Adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader, Ali Akbar Velayati, in the presence of
Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon, Mohamed Fathali, and his accompanying delegation.
Talks reportedly touched on the current situation in the region, in addition to
the bilateral ties between the two countries. On emerging, Velayati described
the meeting as "very positive and beneficial", congratulating him on the recent
victories realized by Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, thanks to the resistance and the
peoples of the region. Velayati also affirmed that the American attempts to
disintegrate Syria into two parts shall fail, anticipating advancement of the
pro forces in Syria in east Euphrates and the liberation of the city of Reqqa in
the near future.
Aoun, Aswad tackle Jezzine relevant affairs
Fri 03 Nov 2017/NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Friday
afternoon met at the Baabda palace with Jezzine MP Ziad Aswad, who thanked him
in the name of Jezzine people for the appointment of the gov-run Jezzine
Hospital's new administrative board. "Such an appointment constitutes a new
element for the activation of this essential facility for the locals of Jezzine,"
MP Aswad said. The Lawmaker solicited President Aoun's support for the
implementation of stringent projects for the district of Jezzine, notably the
opening of a social security branch, a Lebanese army barracks and a center for
real estate registration. Aswad also called for the transformation of the
Jezzine electricity department to an independent authority. Aswad hailed the
President's care given to the construction of dams, including the implementation
of measures which would enable Jezzine region to benefit from the Besri dam. On
the other hand, Aoun met with Head of the Independence Movement, Michel Mouawad,
where they held a horizon tour on most recent developments in Lebanon and the
broad region.
Hariri at Media Piracy Conference: Bids to
Strain Lebanon-Arab Ties is Piracy Too
Naharnet/November
03/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Friday likened to “piracy” the attempts of
some political parties to strain Lebanon's ties with Arab countries. “Politics
is being subjected to piracy and some voices which aim to strain Lebanon's ties
with its Arab brothers is also considered piracy,” said Hariri at the opening of
a conference on Protecting Media Creativity from Piracy at the Grand Serail.
“The presidential achievement we made in Lebanon represented in the safety and
stability for the entire Lebanese is also be subject to piracy,” he noted, in
reference to some criticisms “undermining” the governmental achievements. The
Prime Minister affirmed that the “government is ready to take any step that
increases the ability to enforce laws and accelerate the workshop to modernize
it in order to protect media creativity from piracy.”For his part, Information
Minister Melhem Riachi said: “Efforts are being exerted towards the development
of a cybercrime law, pending international agreements on the protection of
intellectual property, industries and artistic works.”He called on the Prime
Minister to form a general parliamentary committee specialized in the protection
of intellectual property.
President Prepares for Kuwait Visit
Naharnet/November
03/17/President Michel Aoun gears up for a two-day visit to Kuwait where he is
scheduled to hold talks with senior Kuwaiti officials, al-Joumhouria daily
reported Friday. Aoun flies to Kuwait on Sunday for talks with the Kuwaiti Emir
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed al-Sabah, the Prime Minister, Speaker of the National
Assembly, the Foreign Minister and the President of Kuwait Fund for Development.
He will also meet with the Lebanese community in an expanded meeting on Sunday.
Ministerial Panel Makes 'Limited Progress' on
Electoral Law Mechanisms
Naharnet/November 03/17/A ministerial panel tasked with studying the technical
mechanisms of the new electoral law made “limited progress” during a meeting on
Friday, Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq said. “The progress is limited and
there are new questions that require answers and time is running out,” Mashnouq
said after the meeting that was chaired by Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the
Grand Serail. Public Works and Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos meanwhile
said that no agreement was reached on the controversial issue of biometric
voting cards, noting that the discussions will be resumed upon Hariri's return
from a visit to Saudi Arabia. “The priority is for the elections,” Finance
Minister Ali Hassan Khalil said, emphasizing that the fate of the polls should
not hinge on the issue of biometric cards. Minister of the Displaced Talal
Arslan for his part voiced pessimism, saying “there is deliberate
procrastination aimed at holding the elections at any cost and without any
restrictions.”“We will wait for the interior minister's answers, especially
regarding pre-registration,” Arslan added.
Social Affairs Minister Pierre Bou Assi of the Lebanese Forces meanwhile said
that “there is progress and proposals that are accepted by several parties.”The May 2018 elections will be held under a complex proportional representation
system for the first time in Lebanon's history. The parties are bickering over
the issues of pre-registration for voters wishing to cast ballots away from
their hometowns as well as the issue of introducing biometric voting cards.
Shorter Visits ISF Academy, Inaugurates New CCTV
Control Room
Naharnet/November 03/17/British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter and Internal
Security Forces chief Maj. Gen. Imad Othman on Friday co-chaired the 'Strategic
Project Management Committee' to discuss the British Policing Support Project (BPSP)
with Lebanon, the British Embassy in Beirut said. The meeting was an opportunity
to “review ISF activity and the plan to transform policing across Beirut,
discuss human rights and policing standards, and discuss the progress made on
the ISF’s new Strategic Plan – a comprehensive plan to reform the police, over
the next 5 years,” the Embassy added in a statement. The meeting took place at
Aramoun Internal Security Forces Academy and was followed by a live simulated
exercise at the training village where a state of the art CCTV system has been
installed. The new system will help members of ISF review their training using
scenario based training exercises, by putting the theory into operational
practice in a safe environment. The aim is to support the ISF Academy in
improving police standards across the whole of Lebanon. The Strategic Project
Management Committee “provides effective strategic governance and oversees
timely project implementation of the UK’s £13m support plan to the ISF,” the
Embassy said. After the meeting, Ambassador Shorter said: “We fully support the
vision of General Othman to reform and transform the ISF into a modern and
trusted police force. Today’s live exercise demonstrates the capabilities of the
police force and the ambition to deliver a pioneering police service that
promotes trust, respects human rights, and safeguards freedoms in accordance
with Lebanese law and in partnership with the community.” “The UK supports the
ISF training at Aramoun village to transform the knowledge in the classroom to
real life operations on city streets. I am very pleased that the British
Policing Support Project (BPSP) is able to offer the CCTV system for training
purposes. There is much more UK support to discuss and announce in the next few
months,” Shorter added.
A Gift to the Syrian Regime
Ahmad El-Assaad/November
02, 2017
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=59979
There is a blatant contrast between the fact that a part of the components of
the Government refuses the normalization with the Syrian regime, and their
high-toned rhetoric facing the attempts that the 8 March camp is undertaking in
that regard, on the one hand, and the fact that the President and the Prime
Minister just signed a decree to appoint a new ambassador in the Syrian regime,
on the other hand. Here we are today, in front of yet
another concession offered by what used to be known as “14 March”, and an
additional gain to the Iranian-Syrian axis. The sight of the Lebanese ambassador
presenting his credentials to the President of the Syrian regime represents the
consecration of the start of the clear and direct normalization process with
this regime. This completely contradicts the objections to the attempts made by
Hezbollah and its allies to apply it through equivocation.
It is true that withdrawing diplomatic ties with Syria was an historical,
sovereign gain for Lebanon that we must preserve. But leaving this position
vacant for the moment is in no way a negation of the said gain. In many cases,
nations do not appoint ambassadors at certain periods of time, and settle for
minimal representation – as a way to express a certain political position. In
our case, the official political position was self-exclusion, and things should
have been left alone based on that position. The vacant position was a good
exit, and there was no harm in keeping it vacant, as many others were in the
diplomatic sector and the public administration, for many years.
But appointing an ambassador in these specific circumstances, in the
light of the international isolation imposed on the Syrian regime, suggests,
whether we want it or not, a position different than self-exclusion, and is
explained as a bias to this regime, and a normalization with it. Even if it
wasn’t the case, the Syrian regime will work on showing it as such, and will try
to use it to break its isolation as much as possible.
In short, it is a very valuable gift made by the mandate, in all of its
components, to the Syrian regime… and greater things are to come.
Lebanese ‘friends of Syria’ are heading for a dead endاصدقاء سوريا في لبنان
متجهون صوت نفق مسدود
Diana Moukalled/ArabNews/November 03/2017
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=59996
With the appointment of a new ambassador to Damascus, Lebanon has taken a step
forward toward the official normalization of relations with the Syrian regime.
This step was expected to arouse anger, and it has already sparked a major
controversy in the country. In addition to Arab opposition to Lebanon’s breach
of the Gulf countries’ official agreement on Syria, this step has a more complex
dimension for Lebanon and the Lebanese because of their chaotic past and stormy
present with Syria.
The relations with Bashar Assad’s regime, which is accused of committing war
crimes against his people, are particularly sensitive, as the regime itself
previously occupied Lebanon and has a long history of interfering in Lebanon’s
security, politics and economy. The judiciary has recently revealed that the
Syrian regime was behind two huge explosions that rocked two mosques in the
northern Lebanese city of Tripoli in 2013. Former Minister Michel Samaha was
jailed in 2016 for smuggling explosives into Lebanon from Syria, again on the
orders of the Assad regime. The Syrian regime has not changed any of its old
policies on Lebanon, the Lebanese people and the region; quite the opposite, it
is still bloodily carrying on the same path, supported by Tehran and Moscow.
Indeed, Assad’s regime is taking advantage of the progress achieved by the axis
that protected and kept him in power despite all its massacres. It is also
taking advantage of its men in positions of authority in Lebanon, whether by the
power of Hezbollah’s weapons or a president who is allied to its axis.
Nevertheless, broad political and popular groups are not pleased with this
situation.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri is trying to depict his approval of the appointment
of the ambassador to Damascus as a procedural matter, and not political
normalization. He made sure to highlight his negative stance toward the Assad
regime.
Amid this controversy, other issues related to Syria are progressing, especially
in terms of ensuring the safe return of refugees to Syria, which cannot be
achieved without coordination with the Assad regime — which either ignores the
issue, or insists that Syria’s social fabric has been improved by the departure
of the refugees and that they would not be welcomed back.
There are many who want to normalize relations with the Assad regime, but they
appear to have forgotten the lessons of the past.
Some believe that Hariri is just predicting the inevitable, which suggest that a
comprehensive settlement is on its way to the region. This settlement is built
on dividing influence based on military presence in the region. Thus, Moscow,
the Syrian regime’s main sponsor along with Tehran, needs to guarantee Syria’s
unity — even if it is a fabricated one.
The West and Israel can no longer call for Assad’s departure, and although Iran
may have started the Syrian crisis, Tehran believes that it should be in control
because it is one of Assad’s main sponsors and because it fought against Daesh.
Therefore, Iran wants a share in the new Syria through establishing military
bases in the country, and perhaps through reconstruction projects.
In these complex circumstances, some in Lebanon seek to normalize relations with
Syria, but they do not seem to realize that the main participants in the Syrian
war have not put down their weapons — and they are not likely to do so soon.
They have also forgotten that Lebanon has been on the receiving end of violence
from the Syrian regime and its sponsors in the past.
Therefore, it seems that recent talks about Lebanon taking part in Syria’s
reconstruction projects are hopeless.
Indeed, it is difficult to predict what will happen in Syria in the next six
months, but those taking part in the conflict will not put their weapons down,
so it appears that the ambitions of some in Lebanon regarding Lebanese-Syrian
relations are facing a dead end.
• Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with extensive experience in both
traditional and new media. She is also a columnist and freelance documentary
producer. Twitter: @dianamoukalled
Israel, Hezbollah playing Russian roulette in Syria
Joe Macaron November 2, 2017
On Oct. 25, Israel unmasked the identity of the Hezbollah commander in charge of
the southern Syria front, and the Iranian-backed Lebanese movement reacted a day
later by releasing photos taken inside an Israeli settlement. While these acts
might be interpreted as psychological warfare, they inherently reflect how both
sides are striving to set limits on their rules of engagement in Syria. They
also highlight the critical role Russia has increasingly played in preventing
clashes between Israel and Hezbollah on the Golan Heights.
Three phases have defined the confrontation between Israel and Hezbollah in the
past decade: The July 2006 war set new rules of engagement by restricting the
scope of the conflict to Lebanese territory under Israeli occupation (mainly
Shebaa Farms); between 2011 and 2015, the Syrian conflict expanded the
battlefield and challenged the tactics of a covert war; since 2015, the Russian
intervention in Syria has made Moscow the de facto power broker, containing
potentially serious fallout from their enmity.
In fact, the parameters of the Syrian war altered the conflict dynamics between
the two adversaries. Hezbollah has acquired freedom of navigation inside Syria,
and rockets fired from Syria occasionally hit the Israeli-occupied side of the
Golan Heights. The Syrian regime is no longer seen by Israel as a stabilizing
force able to guarantee stability on the Golan or contain Hezbollah in Lebanon.
As a result, the two archenemies have had to reassess their postures, tactics
and priorities. Hezbollah’s military cabal, the Jihad Council, overcame a number
of upheavals, including the mysterious assassination in May 2016 of its leader
Mustafa Badreddine, who had replaced Imad Mughniyeh after he was killed in 2008.
In the early years of the Syrian war, Hezbollah primarily focused on opening a
new battlefield against Israel from inside Syria. Israel responded by
assassinating those charged with carrying out that mission, mainly Samir Kuntar
(killed in December 2015) and Jihad Mughniyeh (killed in January 2015).
Hezbollah’s reaction to these two killings was surprisingly measured, most
likely at Tehran’s request, as a representative of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps sits on the powerful Jihad Council. The retaliation came at Shebaa
Farms, indicating that the Iranian-backed Lebanese group had opted not to change
the rules of the game by targeting Israel in Syria. Hezbollah’s message was that
it would avoid escalation if Israel refrained from further targeting its
commanders.
Indeed, the Russian role of containing any escalation between Israel and
Hezbollah was a turning point in early 2016 and allowed Moscow to keep its focus
on saving the regime of President Bashar al-Assad. Russia and Israel reached an
agreement allowing the Israelis to target Hezbollah’s arms shipments and Syrian
regime forces when necessary. In return, Israel would not challenge the Russian
intervention or threaten Assad's survival. In the case of Iran, Russia offers
full air support to its proxies to shape the balance of power on the ground, but
Moscow still dictates the scope of these confrontations.
In July, Hezbollah acceded to Russian demands by withdrawing fighters from
Daraa, in southern Syria, to fight al-Qaeda along the Lebanese-Syrian border. In
recent weeks, however, the Iranian-backed group sent fighters back to the Syrian
desert, with Russian consent. This new development highlights that Tehran’s
priority is to seize the Damascus-Baghdad highway and establish a supply line
between Iran and Beirut.
Israel’s approach has also evolved since 2011, most notably since 2016, when
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shifted focus from Iran’s nuclear program to
Tehran’s role in Syria. Recent developments suggest that the political and
security establishments in Israel do not share the same assessment of
Hezbollah’s threat. While Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman noted last month
that the group was “behind firing rockets on the Golan Heights,” the Israeli
army immediately downplayed the analysis. The military establishment believes
that Hezbollah is primarily focused on the Syrian war, and it prefers to avoid a
scenario where it shifts gears back to Israel.
Despite containing a confrontation, Russia's balancing act in the context of the
Syrian conflict remains a dangerous exercise. An Oct. 16 episode is
illustrative. Hours before Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu landed in
Israel, the Syrian regime fired an SA-5 anti-aircraft missile at an Israeli
aircraft conducting a reconnaissance mission over Lebanon. Within two hours, the
Israeli army had retaliated by bombing the Syrian missile battery. Moscow’s
ambiguous policy of playing both sides might lead the parties to serious
miscalculations.
The Israeli approach to a “good neighbor” policy, by providing aid and air
support to Syrian armed groups in return for a security belt as the first line
of defense, is neither effective nor sustainable. The Syrian regime shares
control of the area surrounding the Golan Heights with armed opposition groups
and extremist militants, which could lead to unintended escalation. As the
Syrian war is winding down, a permanent agreement on who will ultimately control
the Quneitra area will become necessary.
Once the race to control the Iraqi-Syrian border crossing concludes in Deir
ez-Zor, Russia and the United States will have to normalize the de-escalation
zone in southern Syria. The situation will require more than the current Russian
checkpoints deployed 8 miles from the demarcation line between Israel and Syria.
Israel’s unmasking of Munir Ali Naim Shati, also known as Hajj Hashem, was a
warning shot in the absence of a channel for reducing tensions with Hezbollah.
While it is hard to envision how both sides can resist the temptation of
clashing in Syria in the long term, Russia will have to try to set new rules of
engagement, or the next war will do so instead.
**Joe Macaron is a policy analyst at the Arab Center Washington DC. On Twitter:
@macaronjoe
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on November 03-04/17
Scheer blasts Trudeau for supporting Governor General after
'divine intervention' comment
CBC/November 03/17
/Conservative Leader Andrew Scheer is criticizing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau
for praising Gov. Gen. Julie Payette in the wake of Payette's suggestion that
"divine intervention" did not play a role in the creation of life on Earth. "It
is extremely disappointing that the prime minister will not support Indigenous
peoples, Muslims, Jews, Sikhs, Christians and other faith groups who believe
there is truth in their religion," Scheer said in a statement posted to Facebook.
"Respect for diversity includes respect for the diversity of religious beliefs,
and Justin Trudeau has offended millions of Canadians with his comments."
Speaking at a science conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, Payette stressed the
need for greater public awareness of scientific knowledge and noted, with some
incredulity, that certain unscientific beliefs persist, including astrology and
skepticism about climate change. She also made a reference to religious belief.
"We are still debating and still questioning whether life was a divine
intervention or whether it was coming out of a natural process let alone, oh my
goodness, a random process," Payette said. Asked about the Governor General's
statements on Thursday, Trudeau offered a general statement of support. "We are
a government grounded in science. Canadians are people who understand the value
of science and knowledge as a foundation for the future of our country," he
said. "And I am extraordinarily proud of the strength and the story of our
Governor General, Julie Payette, who has never hidden away her passion for
science and her deep faith that knowledge, research and the truth is a
foundation for any free, stable, successful society. And I applaud the firmness
with which she stands in support of science and the truth."Scheer did not
directly criticize Payette. Asked whether Scheer would like the Governor General
to apologize, a spokesman deferred to Scheer's statement about the prime
minister.
U.S. Strikes IS in Somalia for First Time
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 03/17/The U.S. conducted a
pair of drone strikes against Islamic State fighters in Somalia on Friday, the
first time America has struck the jihadists in the Horn of Africa nation,
officials said. The strikes occurred in northeastern Somalia and killed "several
terrorists," the U.S. military's Africa Command said in a statement. "No
civilians were in the vicinity of the strikes," said AFRICOM spokesman
Lieutenant Commander Anthony Falvo. "They struck their intended targets," he
added, noting these were the first anti-IS air strikes in Somalia.
Suicide Car Bomb Kills 9 as Nusra Attacks Syria Golan
Heights Village
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/November 03/17/Jihadists launched an assault
Friday on a government-held village in Syria's Golan Heights, killing at least
nine people in a car bomb, and clashing with regime troops, state media said.
The attack hit the village of Hader, populated by members of the Druze majority,
which lies near the disengagement line that divides the Syrian-controlled part
of the Golan from that occupied by Israel. The fighting prompted concern from
Druze residents of the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, and a statement from the
Israeli army, which pledged to "prevent Hader from being harmed or occupied."The assault began when a suicide car bomb attacked the outskirts of the village,
Syrian state media said. "A suicide bomber from Al-Nusra Front detonated a car
bomb in the midst of the homes of citizens on the outskirts of Hader, killing
nine people and injuring at least 23," SANA said. Al-Nusra Front is the old name
for a jihadist group that was formerly al-Qaida's affiliate in Syria and is now
known as the Fateh al-Sham Front. "In the aftermath of the terrorist attack,
terrorist groups carried out a heavy attack on Hader, and army units and the
Popular Defense units (pro-government militants) clashed with the attackers,"
SANA added.
The agency said the toll was expected to rise because a number of those wounded
in the bombing were in serious condition and the ongoing assault on the town
made it difficult to remove the injured to safety. SANA did not provide details
on the identity of the victims.
'Shots fired from Syria'
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, said the
clashes that followed the blast killed several forces on both sides.
Hader lies in southwestern Syria's Quneitra province, around 70 percent of which
is held by either rebel or jihadist groups while the government controls the
remaining 30 percent, according to the Observatory. Some Syrian Druze have
expressed sympathy for opposition forces battling the government since the start
of the civil war but the community has largely been loyal to the regime.
Israel seized 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights
from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it, a move never
recognized by the international community. The Jewish state has officially
maintained a posture of non-intervention in the war in Syria that erupted after
anti-government protests in March 2011. But it has bombed Syrian territory on a
sporadic basis, sometimes in response to stray Syrian army fire. On other
occasions, it has been accused of carrying out air strikes targeting weapons
intended for Hizbullah, the Lebanese militant group that is an ally of Damascus
but has fought Israel. The Israeli army said Friday that a civilian in the town
of Majdal Shams in the Israeli-occupied part of the Golan was lightly wounded as
a result of "shots fired from Syria."It said the shots were "stray fire
resulting from the intense fighting on the Syrian Golan Heights".
Israel pledges help
Israeli army spokesman, Brigadier General Ronen Manelis, said the military was
ready to "prevent Hader from being harmed or occupied, as part of our commitment
to the Druze population.". Nearly 140,000 members of the Druze minority, which
follows a secretive offshoot of Shiite Islam, live in Israel and the
Israeli-occupied Golan. In Majdal Shams, Druze residents gathered along the
buffer zone seeking to cross over and help. Around 10 of them entered the buffer
zone, the Israeli army said, before forces caught them and returned them to the
Israeli-occupied side. "This behavior is a serious violation of the law," the
Israeli army said, urging all civilians to refrain from crossing the fence or
even approaching it. Speaking from London, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu said "we safeguard our borders. Our borders in the south, our borders
in the north. And we also cherish our sympathy for our Druze brethren."
Israel has a policy of providing medical assistance to Syrians wounded in the
conflict, transporting some into its territory for treatment.The policy has been
controversial, and in 2015, members of the country's Druze minority attacked two
ambulances transporting Syrians, killing one and injuring another.
Trump Says IS Will Pay 'Big Price' for Each Attack on U.S.
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/November 03/17/President Donald Trump said Friday
that the Islamic State group will pay a "big price" for every attack it stages
against the United States, following the New York truck attack by an IS
loyalist.
The U.S. military has hit IS "much harder" over the past two days after the
jihadist group claimed the attacker was one of their soldiers, Trump said. "They
will pay a big price for every attack on us!" Trump wrote on Twitter. The New
York attack Tuesday left eight dead and 12 wounded. Trump has said the alleged
attacker, Uzbek immigrant Sayfullo Saipov, 29, should be executed. Trump backed
off initial comments that he would like to see the man sent to the U.S. prison
for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Twin Iraq and Syria Assaults as IS Loses Last City
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/November 03/17/Syrian troops on Friday retook the
last major city where the Islamic State group had a presence as Iraqi forces
seized a crossing by the jihadists' last urban bastion across the border. The
simultaneous assaults on Deir Ezzor in eastern Syria and Al-Qaim in western Iraq
dealt fresh blows to IS in its former heartland, leaving Albu Kamal, on the
Syrian side of the border, the last town of note under its full control. The
jihadist group that once laid claim to a self-styled "caliphate" spanning
swathes of Syria and Iraq has seen its proto-state crumble in recent months
under the pressure of multiple offensives. In October, it lost its one-time de
facto Syrian capital Raqa after an assault of more than four months waged by the
US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish-Arab alliance. On Friday, Syria's
army announced that its Russian-backed assault had recaptured all of Deir Ezzor
city, in the oil-rich east of the country, while Iraqi forces captured the
Husaybah border post on the edge of the town of Al-Qaim. "The army forces...
restored security and stability to all of Deir Ezzor city," a spokesman for the
army command said in a statement broadcast live on state television. "Deir Ezzor
represents the final phase in the complete elimination of Daesh," the statement
added, using the Arabic acronym for the group. The city "was the headquarters of
the organization’s leadership, and in losing it, they lose their capacity to
direct terrorist operations," the statement added.
State television said engineering units from the army were combing captured
neighborhoods to clear mines and other explosives. Syrian forces entered Deir
Ezzor city in September, breaking an IS siege of nearly three years on
government-held parts of the provincial capital. The battle has been ferocious,
with heavy Russian air strikes and Syrian artillery fire leaving much of the
city in ruins. A reporter contributing to AFP inside the city on Thursday saw
entire floors of buildings that had crashed onto those beneath, while on others,
facades were completely blown away to reveal empty, destroyed interiors.
Trenches dug by IS fighters were still visible, as were army minesweepers
working to locate and defuse explosives laid by the jihadists.
Iraqi forces enter Al-Qaim -
Before Syria's war began in March 2011 with anti-government protests, around
300,000 people lived in the city, the capital of Deir Ezzor province along
Syria's eastern border with Iraq. But in 2014, IS jihadists seized the city and
much of the surrounding province, including vital oil and gas fields that once
served as a key source of revenue for the extremists. IS has now been driven
from most of its strongholds in Deir Ezzor, but it still controls over 35
percent of the province, much of it empty desert. Its last major position is the
town of Albu Kamal, though it also holds a string of smaller towns and villages
and at least one oil field, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
monitor. IS, which at its peak controlled territory roughly the size of Britain,
has suffered a string of losses in recent months in both Syria and Iraq. On
October 17, it lost the city of Raqa to the U.S.-backed SDF, a highly symbolic
blow that illustrated how its "caliphate" has disintegrated. In Deir Ezzor
province, it is under attack by both regime and SDF forces, while across the
border in Iraq it now retains a foothold in just a single town, Al-Qaim, after
losing its stronghold of Mosul in July and the town of Hawija in October.
Iraqi forces entered Al-Qaim on Friday, quickly taking several districts, and
also recaptured an important border crossing nearby, military commanders said.
Iraq's Joint Operations Command said troops had "regained full control" of the
Husaybah border post on the edge of Al-Qaim after launching a push to oust the
jihadists. Government forces launched the operation last week to seize Al-Qaim
and its surroundings, a barren pocket of desert along the Euphrates river near
the Syrian border. The U.S.-led coalition has said around 1,500 IS fighters are
left in the area, which it expects to be the scene of the "last big fight"
against the group in Iraq.
Iraqi Forces Retake Crossing on Syria Border from IS
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/November 03/17/Iraqi forces said they recaptured
an important crossing on the border with Syria from the Islamic State group on
Friday as they advanced into the jihadists' last bastion in Iraq. Iraq's Joint
Operations Command said troops had "regained full control" of the Husaybah
border post on the edge of the town of Al-Qaim after launching a push to oust
the jihadists. Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi released a statement
congratulating the armed forces for "entering into Al-Qaim and liberating" the
border crossing. An Iraqi army officer told AFP that the jihadists "deserted the
border post after several of them were killed" and headed off into Syria.
Al-Qaim and the surrounding areas are the last remnants of the self-styled
caliphate IS declared after rampaging across Iraq and Syria in 2014.
Iraqi forces backed up by air strikes from a U.S.-led coalition launched the
operation last week to seize back the strategically located pocket of barren
desert along the Euphrates river. IS is simultaneously battling for survival in
its holdouts across the border in Syria, where government troops said they
ousted the group from the key city of Deir Ezzor on Friday.
CIA Document: Bin Laden Asked his Son Hamza to Move from Iran to Qatar
Asharq Al-Awsat/November, 03/17/In one of the documents that the CIA released on
Wednesday, slain al-Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden made it clear that the “Iranians
are not to be trusted” despite evidence of strong ties between the terrorist
group and Iran. The document was released as part of 470,000 additional files
found in May 2011 when US Navy SEALs burst into Bin Laden's compound in
Abbottabad, Pakistan, and shot him dead.
The slain al-Qaeda chief’s son Hamza was in Iran when in September 2010, Osama
bin Laden wrote a letter to his three sons, including Hamza, as well as one of
his wives and grandchildren. Bin Laden made it clear that the “Iranians are not
to be trusted” and he wanted his wife to “leave everything behind,” just in case
some sort of tracking device was implanted within her possessions.
He worried about Hamza’s security and suggested that he travel to Qatar, where
he could lay low and study. After Hamza did not take his father’s advice, he
made his way into Pakistan. But Bin Laden insisted that the terrorist group’s
heir move to Qatar. Bin Laden’s suspicions of Iran came despite one of the newly
released documents showing al-Qaeda's links to Tehran. The 19-page document
recounts an offer by Iran to provide al-Qaeda with “money, arms” and “training
in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon, in exchange for striking American interests in
Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.” The very fact that Hamza and other senior figures
appear to be able to live under Iranian protection or custody supports claims
that Tehran and Bin Laden had a working relationship, analysts have said.
Canada imposes sanctions on individuals linked to human
rights violations and corruption
November 3, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
Under the new Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, the
Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced
targeted sanctions against 52 individuals.
The sanctions target individuals who are, in the opinion of the Government of
Canada, responsible for, or complicit in, gross violations of internationally
recognized human rights or acts of significant corruption.
These sanctions place an asset freeze in Canada on all listed people, and render
listed persons as inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee
Protection Act.
Quotes
“Canada is determined to protect human rights and combat corruption worldwide.
Today’s announcement sends a clear message that Canada will take action against
individuals who have profited from acts of significant corruption or who have
been involved in gross violations of human rights. Canada’s Parliament recently
passed the Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act, and I am
pleased we are today using this new and fit-for-purpose tool for the first
time.”
- Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
The Justice for Victims of Corrupt Foreign Officials Act entered into force on
October 18, 2017.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on November
03-04/17
Palestinians: Meet Abbas's New Partners
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/November 03/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11284/abbas-hamas-isamic-jihad
Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders are strongly opposed to Mahmoud Abbas's
political agenda and even see him as a collaborator with Israel.
Leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced at a rally on November 2 that they
are determined to stick to their weapons "until the liberation of all of
Palestine" -- or, in other words, until the total destruction of Israel and the
elimination of Jews.
When Zahar says that only a "crazy person" thinks he can disarm Hamas and other
armed groups in the Gaza Strip, he is clearly referring to Abbas. Zahar's
statement should be seen as a direct threat to Abbas.
Abbas continues to tell the world that he is working to achieve a peaceful
settlement with Israel. But will he be able to continue saying such things after
he joins forces with his new partners in Hamas and Islamic Jihad? The answer is
simple and clear: No.
As Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Hamas are moving forward
towards implementing their "reconciliation" agreement, we are already getting an
idea of what this new partnership is going to look like.
Abbas is trying to sell the agreement to the world as a deal that enables him
and his Palestinian Authority (PA) to return to the Gaza Strip and assume full
control there. He and his PA officials and spokesmen have also been working hard
to convince the international community that only good will come out of the
"reconciliation" agreement and that Hamas is even headed toward moderation and
pragmatism.
However, Abbas and the PA seem to be engaged in yet another bid to deceive and
lie to the international community.
Just last week, Israel foiled another plan by Hamas to dig a terror tunnel deep
into Israeli territory.
The tunnel was supposed to be used by Hamas to dispatch terrorists into Israel
to kill or kidnap as many Jews as possible. The tunnel was a joint Hamas-Islamic
Jihad project. The terrorists have been working on the tunnel for some time --
before and after the "reconciliation" accord that was reached in Cairo last
month.
This means that for Hamas and Islamic Jihad it is business as usual --
"reconciliation" or not, they are determined to continue their jihad to destroy
Israel. The two terror groups may allow Abbas and his Palestinian Authority to
return to the Gaza Strip, but Hamas and Islamic Jihad will continue to control
what goes on under the earth. They will also continue to stick to their weapons
in preparation for war against Israel.
Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the rest of the terror groups operating in the Gaza
Strip continue to make it clear as day that they have no intention to disarm as
a result of the "reconciliation" agreement. Abbas and the PA are welcome to
assume civilian control of the Gaza Strip, but when it comes to security and
weapons, Abbas is not entitled to raise this issue at all.
On November 2, Abbas received yet another indication of what awaits him and his
Palestinian Authority as a result of the "reconciliation" agreement. Leaders of
Hamas and Islamic Jihad announced that they are determined to stick to their
weapons "until the liberation of all of Palestine" -- or, in other words, until
the total destruction of Israel and the elimination of Jews.
The announcement was made during a rally held by Hamas and Islamic Jihad in the
town of Khan Yunis in the Gaza Strip to commemorate two Hamas terrorists who
were killed when Israel blew up the tunnel two days earlier.
Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip, told the thousands of
Palestinians attending the rally: "We will continue to resist the occupier until
the liberation of all of Palestine." He also cautioned "any crazy person against
trying to take one rifle from the hands of the resistance." Zahar sent his
"blessings" to the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists who are preparing around
the clock to wage war against Israel. "We are training our sons to dig under the
temporary borders so that they can reach the occupied territories [Israel]."
Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, pictured in 2005. (Photo by Abid Katib/Getty
Images)
Islamic Jihad leader Sheikh Nafez Azzam, who spoke at the rally, also stressed
his group's adherence to its weapons. "For Hamas and Islamic Jihad, the option
of jihad is a basic option. It's a great honor to stand here today in front of
our martyrs."
These are the Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders who are soon expected to become
Abbas's partners in managing the affairs of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, in
accordance with the "reconciliation" deal. These Hamas and Islamic Jihad leaders
are strongly opposed to Abbas's political agenda and even see him as a
"collaborator" with Israel. At the rally, both Zahar and Azzam repeated their
vehement opposition to any peaceful settlement with Israel and said that "armed
resistance" is the only way to destroy Israel. The two men should be given
credit for their honesty and straight-forward talk.
Zahar's warning should ignite a red light with Abbas. When Zahar says that only
a "crazy person" thinks he can disarm Hamas and other armed groups in the Gaza
Strip, he is clearly referring to Abbas. Zahar's statement should be seen as a
direct threat to Abbas. Abbas, for his part, is not oblivious to such threats
and he knows, more than anyone else, that the weapons of Hamas and other terror
groups in the Gaza Strip are a red line. If he crosses it, he will be buried in
one of the terror tunnels.
So why does Abbas insist on proceeding with his "reconciliation" agreement with
Hamas? Because he wants to look good in the eyes of his people by showing them
that he cares about Palestinian "unity" and is keen on ending the split between
the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Abbas is hoping that the agreement will allow him
to present himself as the president of all Palestinians, including those living
in the Gaza Strip, and not just a powerless and weak president controlling small
parts of the West Bank. Some Palestinians like to refer to Abbas as the "Mayor
of Ramallah" – a hint at his limited power.
Abbas continues to tell the world that he is working to achieve a peaceful
settlement with Israel. But will he be able to continue saying such things after
he joins forces with his new partners in Hamas and Islamic Jihad? Will Zahar and
Azzam allow Abbas to pursue any peace process with Israel after the
"reconciliation" accord is implemented? The answer is simple and clear: No.
Abbas and the Palestinian Authority may be on their way to returning to the Gaza
Strip, but nothing good will come out of this move. This is merely an internal
Palestinian issue designed to benefit both Abbas and Hamas, each in their own
way and according to their own interests. But at the end of the day, no dramatic
changes should be expected as a result of the "marriage" between the PA and
Hamas.
This is a marriage of convenience intended first and foremost for internal
consumption and then for tricking the international community. It's time for the
world to listen to what Palestinian leaders are telling their people in Arabic.
In Arabic, Hamas and Islamic Jihad are being very honest and frank about their
dream to destroy Israel.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad are indeed very serious about their intentions; they are
not only talking, but are busy digging more tunnels and amassing weapons in
preparation for the destruction of Israel. These are Abbas's new partners, and
the world needs to take notice.
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Iran and ‘The Great Satan’: A 4-Decades Old Saga
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat//November 03/17
Right now, with marches and fiery speeches, the Islamic Republic in Iran is
marking the 38th anniversary of the seizure of the US Embassy in Tehran and the
holding of American diplomats as hostages for 444 days.
As the US Congress seeks new ways of tightening the screws on Iran, the Tehran
leadership remains prisoner to old illusions. Most of those illusions are
centered on the United States which has frightened and fascinated the mullahs
since they seized power almost 40 years ago.
The mullahs are frightened of the US because their view of history is shaped by
their belief in conspiracy theories. They regard the US as a heavily centralized
diabolical machine controlled by a small coterie of conspirators determined to
rule the world. Internal political fights in the US are seen as part of a
carefully scripted scenario to confuse the outside world.
According to one prominent mullah, President Donald Trump is “playing mad on
advice from Henry Kissinger, with the aim of frightening the Muslims.” According
to another leading mullah even the duel between Trump and Mrs. Hillary Clinton
was “nothing but a show to confuse the world.”
At times, the US is depicted as “on the verge of destruction” because of its
“lack of morality and deep-rooted corruption”. At other times, it is the “Great
Satan”, as powerful and just as deadly as the diabolical personage depicted in
scriptures.
For some mullahs, including Ayatollah Imami Kashani, hating the US is part of
“true belief.” For others, for example Ayatollah Qara’ati, no prayer could be
regarded as validated until it ends with “Death to America!”
Every day, President Hassan Rouhani, a mid-ranking mullah, and all members of
his Cabinet trample the US flag under feet before they enter their offices.
Since the mullahs seized power hardly a day has passed without the Islamic
Republic holding some US hostages. The raid on the US Embassy in Tehran on 4
November 1979 is dubbed “The Second Revolution” and marked with
government-sponsored marches and seminars, exhibitions and propaganda campaigns
across the nation.
The Islamic Republic is also holding the mortal remains of at least three
Americans, a former CIA station head in Beirut, kidnapped by "Hezbollah" and
killed under torture in Iran, a retired FBI agent working for a private US
company in Dubai, and a seconded US officer serving with a UN peace force in
southern Lebanon.
And, yet, some mullahs and their technocratic attendants also cultivate another
image of America as a gullible 800-kilo gorilla who is easily deceived and
brought into one’s service.
In 2015, in the heyday of the nuclear talks, the entourage of Mohammad-Javad
Zarif, the US-educated functionary who plays the role of foreign minister,
circulated several limericks to that effect. One said: Don’t see him so frail (a
play on the word Zarif), He can knock out six like them! (meaning the US and
other members of the 5+1 group of nations.) Another line was: “Zarif fights,
America trembles!”
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard strategist Dr. Hassan Abbasi, nicknamed “
Kissinger of Islam” claims that Iran has “ tens of thousands of sleeping
elements” inside the US and in Latin America ready to “ blow America up into
pieces at a moment’s notice.”
“The Americans know this and are frightened of us,” the Doctor likes to say,
Such illusions were encouraged by President Barack Obama’s determination to
accommodate the Islamic Republic almost at any cost. Obama believed that the US
had done Iran much wrong for which he sought atonement. The mullahs and their
minions saw Obama’s behavior as sign of American weakness.
And, yet, the current ruling elites are fascinated by America. A list of over
700 children of top Islamic Republic personalities currently attending American
universities was unveiled in Tehran last August. According to Islamic Majlis
member Karimi Qodusi, over 1500 Islamic Republic officials hold dual
nationality, including American citizenship and/or permanent residency.
There are scores of former Islamic Republic and IRGC officials throughout the
US, including in think-tanks and universities.
Two years ago, President Rouhani described the Obama-scripted nuclear “deal’ as
“The greatest diplomatic victory in the history of Islam."
But now, under its new President, the“ Great Satan” is highlighting the
hollowness of that “ victory”. Iran’s oil revenues, accumulated over the years
remain largely frozen in Western, Japanese, Chinese, Indian and other banks that
won’t un-freeze them for fear of attracting US sanctions. The highly publicized
“Oil Deal of the Century” with the French giant TOTAL is put on the backburner
for the same reason.
The same sorry fate has befallen “agreements in principle” for Iran to buy new
passenger aircraft from Airbus and Boeing. Promises of granting Iran new credit
lines, including one worth $5 billion by Russia, have been quietly forgotten
because it is now clear that Trump won’t sing from Obama’s hymn sheet on Iran.
Zarif now says that “We cannot even open a bank account in London to pay our
embassy staff.”
To be sure, in his last phase in office, Obama provided some relief for Iran in
coping with its cash-flow problem. But it is now clear that with Obama gone,
Tehran is unlikely to ride any gravy train any time soon.
So, what is Iran to do?
The reasonable response would be that Iran should seek the roots of this
unnecessary enmity and try to cut them out through a review of its foreign
policy and creative diplomacy. It is interesting that after 38 years, the
mullahs have never told Iranians why they should regard the US as “enemy” (dushman)
rather than an adversary or, even more realistically, a power with which Iran
has some differences.
Because of that almost all Iranians are suffering in their daily lives without
scoring any points against the “Great Satan”.
For almost four decades, trampling the star-spangled banner under feet, burning
effigies of US presidents and cries of “Death America” haven’t solved any of
Iran’s many problems. Nor has the “Great Satan” changed its tune on such scores.
When a policy has failed, reason dictates that it should be re-visited. However,
in Iran today, lazy minds remain content with fist-shaking and flag burning.
No, Europe Isn't About to Break Up
Leonid Bershidsky/Bloomberg View/November 03/17
Those who are always on the lookout for the next European crisis -- Brexiters
not least among them -- have latched on to Catalonia's symbolic "secession" as
another sign that Europe isn't working well. The Catalan events, however, merely
confirm that today, Western European countries are secession-proof -- too fat to
fail. Belgium, the country where ousted Catalan First Minister Carles Puigdemont
is hiding out from prosecution (or, to Catalan secessionists, leading a
government in exile) is another good example.
Puigdemont, ordered to appear in court in Madrid on Thursday to face charges of
rebellion, sedition and misuse of public funds, is in Belgium because that
country has a secessionist movement a lot like the Catalan one. It's strong in
the wealthier and more economically dynamic Flemish part of the country.
Catalonia, with 16 percent of Spain's population, provides almost 26 percent of
the country's exports. Flanders, with 58 percent of Belgium's population,
delivers 82 percent of exports.
The historically secessionist Belgian party, the New Flemish Alliance (N-VA) is
a partner in Belgium's ruling coalition, headed by Prime Minister Charles
Michel, leader of the Reformist Movement, a Francophone party. It controls some
key portfolios, including migration. Theo Francken, the migration minister, has
made sympathetic noises about Puigdemont's predicament, although Michel has made
it clear they don't amount to any kind of official invitation. But the hapless
Catalan politician can count on informal support from N-VA colleagues and on the
kind of competent legal defense Belgian lawyer Paul Bekaert previously offered
to Basque separatists who fought extradition from Belgium to Spain.
But the unofficial nature of that support network highlights the main similarity
between the Flemish and Catalan separatist movements: Despite the strong
pro-independence rhetoric, they are really about strong autonomy and
decentralization, not secession.
There are other similarities: For example, both the Catalan secessionists and
the N-VA are republican movements within monarchies, both militate for a weaker
language (Catalan, the Flemish dialect of Dutch) in the presence of a stronger
international one, and both want more control over sharing their regional wealth
with the bigger country's poorer areas. But the Flemish, given their numerical
and economic strength, have done better than the Catalans at what Marcel Gerard
from Belgium's Catholic University of Louvain has called "an evolutionary and
maybe endless repeated game" of devolution. Politically, Belgium is a weak
federation in which the regions are unusually powerful. Recently, the Walloon
regional parliament nearly derailed the European Union's free trade agreement
with Canada, because Belgium couldn't approve it without the regions' say-so.
In the latest reform of the Belgian federation, which began in 2011, the Flemish
succeeded in splitting the country's social safety net by moving certain
competences such as child allowances and certain kinds of health care from the
federal to the regional level. This is a level of autonomy of which Catalonia
can't even dream.
Splitting up Belgium completely, however, makes little economic sense. The
country's public debt of 106 percent gross domestic product is a big problem:
Francophone Wallonia cannot shoulder its fair part of the burden, so trying to
divide it up would cause a dramatic rise in borrowing rates for Flanders, too.
Besides, there's the matter of Brussels -- a largely French-speaking
international city that is a separate part of the federation, although it's
surrounded by Flemish territory. In a breakup, it's unlikely that Brussels would
become part of either Flanders or Wallonia, and its economic input and status as
an international hub would be lost to both.
In the Catalan independence scenario, the issue of splitting up Spain's debt,
which stands at 99 percent GDP, would also be a major issue. But few have
considered the effect on Barcelona, a rich and vibrant international city of
major importance to both Catalonia and Spain. Its status as an international hub
would suffer from secession. When I was in Barcelona last week, Ruben Enikolopov,
a Russian economist working at Barcelona's Pompeu Fabra University, told me his
colleagues openly envy (if somewhat tongue-in-cheek) his plan to spend more time
in Moscow next year. Even Vladimir Putin's capital city looks like a safe haven
compared with a Barcelona faced with Catalan secession. The city's powerful
mayor, Ada Colau, did not back secession because it would feed social unrest and
uncertainty.
Splitting a country carries an inevitable cost for its citizens, and especially
the ones in big cities dependent on frictionless international travel,
cross-border funding for cultural and academic projects, and seamless economic
relations. Separatist movements have to be noisy if they are to succeed at the
game of federalization and devolution, but ordinary citizens know and worry
about the potential cost, even if they sympathize with the rhetoric. In
Flanders, about 40 percent of the population votes for separatist parties. In
Catalonia and in Scotland, where people rejected independence in a 2014
referendum largely to avoid economic pain, polls show roughly the same level of
support for secession. That's enough to matter, but not enough to win.
The recognition, and rejection, of the economic cost is the biggest reason why
the independence movements in Catalonia, Belgium and Scotland are nonviolent.
Even those who vote for secession won't fight for independence because they
don't feel they stand to gain much from it -- and because, in wealthy countries
such as Spain, Belgium and the UK, they feel they have something to lose.
It's a mistake to take secessionist rhetoric at face value, although some brands
of it, such as Puigdemont's claim to leading a government in exile, as expressed
by his website's new address -- president.exili.eu -- are more worthless than
others. It can have a constructive effect, though, by feeding decentralization
-- a trend that doesn't have to weaken Europe or even its constituent nation
states. After all, government is most effective when it's close to the governed.
It keeps them happier and more aware that their life is too good for radical
change.
Israel (IDF) denies involvement in Syrian suicide attack,
vows to protect Druze
الجيش الإسرائيلي ينكر تورطه بالهجوم الإنتحاري في
الجولان ويتعهد الدفاع عن الدروز
Ynetnews/November 03/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60002
Denying allegations made by pro-Syrian regime figures, IDF says it was not
involved in rebel attack on Druze village of Hader; Syrian rebel forces
habitually, intentionally operate near border with Israel; IDF possesses several
plans to counteract possible Hader takeover, including cross-border ground
operation.
In light of the Syrian accusations levied against the IDF for supposedly helping
rebel forces carry out a suicide attack in the Syrian Druze village of Hader
Friday, the army published an extraordinary announcement saying it was "Ready
and willing to assist the people of the village and would prevent Hader from
being harmed or occupied out of a sense of commitment to the Druze people."
National Security Advisor Meir Ben-Shabbat made the same point to the Israeli
Druze community's spiritual leader Mowafaq Tarif, telling him Israel will not
allow terrorist elements to overtake Hader.
After opening trading at the London Stock Exchange, Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu referred to the position Israel is taking in light of the heated
hostilities within Syria.
Netanyahu stated that Israel will continue to protect its borders in the north
and south, while maintaining sympathy to "our Druze Brethren."
Riots broke out in Majdal Shams after the attack in Syria Friday
The IDF said the rioters broke through a gate in the border fence and ten of
them came within several dozen meters of the fence. IDF forces gave pursuit and
returned the Druze protesters to Israeli territory. The rioters were handed over
to the police, which will decide whether to further detain them.
The near break-through, the first since the May 2011 riots to succeed despite
the new, double fence built on the border, came on the heels of an particularly
tense day that started with a suicide bombing in Hader, claiming the lives of at
least nine and wounding 23 when al-Nusra Front terrorists detonated a car bomb
there.
The riots in Majdal Shams escalated further when some of the village's residents
found out their relatives were murdered in Hader. The heads of the Druze
community in Israel stated Friday the community's leaders, including Tarif, met
with GOC Northern Command Maj.-Gen. Yoel Strick in the army's Mount Hermon
outpost.
Tarif demanded the IDF do its utmost to prevent Hader being overrun or its
denizens harmed out of Israel and the army's commitment to the Israeli Druze
community. The Druze leaders further maintained senior political and military
ranks gave them their word the IDF will not allow Hader to be occupied and will
endeavor to return the situation there to normal. Tarif and the other Druze
leaders then called on Israeli Druze to not be led astray by rumor mongering on
social media and elsewhere regarding the severity of the situation.
The Nusra Front force, which attacked Hader earlier Friday, entered the village
after flanking it by moving on the eastern side of the Israeli border, very
close to the border itself. This brought about Syrian and Druze claims the
attacks was carried out under Israeli auspices, or at the very least with the
army turning a blind eye to it. The army vigorously disavowed the allegations.
Syrian rebels oftentimes cling to the Israeli border fence when battling Syrian
President Bashar al-Assad's army out of the assumption they would not be
attacked due to their position.
In a Northern Command status evaluation, it was decided to maintain high alert
and readiness near the border while using existing routine security battalions,
and to forego sending reinforcements to the forces already active as part of the
Golan Division. Northern Command, in fact, made preparations for a possible
escalation as far back as three weeks ago, in light of increased fighting in the
northern Golan Heights between Assad's army and the Syrian rebels.
In order to calm spirits and prevent further riots in Majdal Shams, Buq'ata and
Mas'ade, the three Israeli Druze villages near the border, senior Northern
Command officers have been keeping Israeli Druze community elders abreast of all
developments.
Hader, a large Druze village under Assad's control, is, in fact, under light
Israeli military and air de-facto control: outposts on the Hermon's slopes
overlook it, tanks are permanently deployed opposite it and Northern Command has
been preparing plans to operate inside it for the past two years.
In response of the fighting in the area, IDF Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, GOC
Northern Command Strick and Bashan Division Commander Brig.-Gen. Yaniv Asor held
a status evaluation of their own in the early afternoon hours of Friday.
As for the IDF possibly operating within Hader itself, the Northern Command has
prepared several alternatives for operation, the most extreme of which entails
cross-border ground operations. Should the IDF decide to interfere in the
fighting, however, it will be able to attack either from the ground or the air,
due to the Israeli oversight over the village mentioned above.
When the status evaluation concluded, the IDF published its announcement saying
it would refrain from overtaking Hader. "Claims regarding Israeli involvement
and assistance provided to world jihad elements in the Golan Heights fighting
were baseless," the army added.
"In contravention of the lies propagated by certain interested parties, Israel
does not, has not and will not assist any terrorist element in harming the
people of Hader. On the contrary, we will maintain our stance side by side with
the Golan Heights' Druze community," IDF Arabic Spokesperson Maj. Avichai Adraee
posted on Facebook.
A lie such as the one Adraee was referring to was disseminated by
secretary-general of the Quneitra Ba'ath Party, who said, "The Zionist enemy has
been continually providing medal services to terrorists and assisting in their
attacks."
Lebanese Druze leader Walid Jumblatt addressed the people of Hader after the
attack and the IDF's announcement it would help them should rebels overrun their
village. "Do not believe Israel or those calling for it help will assist you.
Unite and count on yourselves alone, as well as on any impartial and honest Arab
support," he said.
Demolition of a Palestinian Islamic Jihad Tunnel Inside
Israel
Maj. Gen. (Res.) Shlomo 'Sami' Turjeman, IDF/The Washington Institute/November
3, 2017
The lack of armed response by Hamas or PIJ highlights the host of military and
political factors restraining both organizations and the potency of new Israeli
defense technologies, though radical elements may still decide to risk an attack
out of desperation.
On October 30, loud explosions interrupted the fragile calm on the Gaza border
as Israeli forces destroyed a tunnel infiltrating their territory. The
explosions resulted in the deaths of several senior members of Palestinian
Islamic Jihad (PIJ), which operated the tunnel. Several Hamas members were
killed during subsequent evacuation efforts.
Despite harsh declarations by PIJ and the Hamas government in Gaza, neither has
responded by firing on Israel. This lack of armed action would have been
inconceivable in the past, when events of this sort inevitably escalated into
fighting. What made this instance different, and what lessons can be drawn from
it? The fact that Israel demolished the tunnel on its own territory has not
prevented these organizations from claiming it was an act of aggression. In
other words, the decision to hold fire did not stem from any perception that
Israel's move was a legitimate act of self-defense. Rather, top Hamas officials
such as Ismail Haniyeh openly called for revenge during funerals for the
operatives killed in the explosions. The lack of action must therefore be rooted
in other factors.
The Palestinian reconciliation process. The decision may be a product of the
same pressures that recently pushed Hamas into another round of reconciliation
talks with the Palestinian Authority, including political isolation, Gaza's
ever-escalating economic crisis, direct PA financial pressure, and the slow pace
of reconstruction. True reconciliation seems impossible at the moment given
current Palestinian realities, but both factions are likely eager to keep the
process from collapsing in its first stages. Only a day after the tunnel
incident, Hamas transferred authority over Gaza's borders to the PA, a momentous
occasion that the organization surely did not want to spoil. Of course, Hamas
still hopes to maintain control over its armed forces even after transferring
civil responsibilities to the PA, which would allow it to resume acting like a
terrorist organization unconstrained by political obligations. For now, though,
it is not in the organization's interest to take the blame for collapsing the
reconciliation process.
Deterrence. In 2014, Operation Protective Edge showed Gaza's leaders the costs
of war. The Strip has not yet recovered from that conflict, in large part
because the Hamas government's main focus is on reconstructing its military
force and suppressing popular opposition to its rule. An escalation at this
point would endanger the organization's hold on power and its efforts to contain
PIJ.
Inconvenient timing. From a military perspective, neither PIJ nor Hamas is
prepared for a major confrontation with Israel. Both organizations seem to
regard building extensive cross-border tunnel networks for the sake of launching
raids on Israeli soil as critical components of their future warfare strategy.
This week's demolition may have taken away their most important asset in this
strategy.
The element of surprise. Hamas and PIJ may still be trying to understand the
advanced technological capability that Israeli forces demonstrated in
discovering the secret tunnel. Israel has accelerated its construction of a
continuous subterranean barrier along the Gaza border, a project that
incorporates various tunnel-detection technologies. This week's demolition
indicates that both organizations were caught completely off guard. They may now
be attempting to learn from the setback and make plans for dealing with the new
barrier's capabilities before diving into an armed confrontation.
Israeli restraint. Israel demolished the tunnel on its own territory, refrained
from entering Gaza, and even refrained from issuing a public alert to its
citizens as it normally does following an event of this sort. This restrained
approach will likely keep PIJ from reasonably claiming that Israel is gearing
toward confrontation, which in turn enables Hamas to demand that PIJ hold its
fire, at least for now.
Gaza-Sinai isolation. Hamas has been taking strategic steps toward warmer
relations with Egypt, and this tightening relationship with Cairo has obligated
the organization to sever ties with the Islamic State (IS) and other terrorist
elements in Sinai. Decreasing cooperation from Gaza in turn makes it more
difficult for IS to use the peninsula as a springboard for attacks against
Israel. This mode of operation -- which Hamas has used as an indirect way to
threaten Israel while avoiding head-on confrontation -- is no longer an option
(though IS elements have of course continued to target Israel on their own).
WHAT LESSONS CAN BE DRAWN FROM THE INCIDENT?
Four lessons stand out. First, Hamas has not yet been able to regain its former
military, civil, and political stature three years after Operation Protective
Edge. In the past, the deaths of such a large number of senior Hamas and PIJ
officials would never have occurred without an immediate armed response.
Second, the demolition highlights the growing importance that tunnels hold in
the eyes of Palestinian terrorist organizations. Cross-border tunnels of the
type destroyed this week are a critical component of their offensive strategy
against Israel. Even as Gaza sinks further into economic crisis, they continue
to invest the bulk of their resources in subterranean infrastructure, giving it
precedence over all other military and civilian needs. At the same time, the
incident sheds light on -- and may drastically accelerate -- the now largely
overt arms race between Palestinian tunnel diggers and Israeli countermeasures.
Third, by bringing Palestinian terrorists to an uncomfortable realization --
that Israel has a tunnel-detection solution capable of eliminating a key part of
their military strategy -- the demolition operation could push them into a "use
it or lose it" dilemma. That is, even if the Hamas mainstream is uninterested in
escalation for now, PIJ or radical elements within either organization might
still initiate a tunnel attack in the short term simply to prevent their
colossal investment from being wasted. Such an attack would likely be
unprecedented in its severity, thereby dragging Israel into a broad-scale
operation inside Gaza.
Fourth, despite the implausibility of actual Palestinian reconciliation, the
very existence of a gradual process between Hamas and the PA will contribute to
stability as long as it lasts. Additionally, there is reason to believe that
Egypt has asked Hamas and PIJ not to retaliate in the hope of maintaining a
process it has been brokering from the start. This is a mixed blessing of course
-- once the parties attempt to deal with their core issues of contention, Hamas
may decide to evade political compromise by reverting to confrontation with
Israel.
CONCLUSION
Operation Protective Edge brought Israeli deterrence in Gaza to an all-time
high, resulting in a long period of relative calm. Israel has used this hiatus
wisely, developing new technology of the sort that proved its effectiveness this
week.
At the same time, this Israeli success could push Palestinian terrorist
organizations into a corner and spur them to escalate -- despite the post-2014
deterrence, despite Gaza's growing internal crises, and despite the sensitive
Palestinian reconciliation process. Yet one way or another, Operation Protective
Edge served Israel's interests by giving it the time needed to take initiative
in defending its southern border.
**Maj. Gen. (Res.) Sami Turjeman is a visiting military fellow at The Washington
Institute. Previously, he led the IDF Southern Command, overseeing the last
operation in Gaza during the Protective Edge campaign.
North Korea's Alliance with Syria Reveals a Wider
Proliferation Threat
Jay Solomon/The Washington Institute/November 2, 2017
The longstanding cooperation between the two regimes seems to have intensified
during Syria's war, with troubling implications for future missile, chemical,
and even nuclear proliferation in the Middle East.
North Korea's decades-old military alliance with the Assad regime is stoking
fears inside the Trump administration that Kim Jong-un is not only profiting
from Syria's six-year war, but also learning from it. According to U.S., Arab,
and Israeli officials, he has continued to supply weapons and military equipment
to Damascus throughout the conflict despite facing numerous international
sanctions. In recent months, UN investigators have uncovered North Korean
supplies being smuggled to Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC),
the secretive body that oversees Bashar al-Assad's chemical weapons program.
Syrian opposition groups and the UN also allege that North Korean military
advisors are present inside the country to help Assad, a charge Pyongyang has
denied.
Such activities have led officials to conclude that North Korea's alliance with
Damascus poses a long-term security threat to the United States and its allies
in the Middle East and Asia -- a threat that could grow as Pyongyang advances
its nuclear and ballistic missile capabilities, and as Assad strengthens his
hold on power with help from Iran, Russia, and Hezbollah. Officials already fear
that North Korean advisors have been integrated into the planning and operations
of these military players. Even more worrisome, the West has proven incapable of
shutting down Pyongyang's arms shipments to the wider Middle East, which are
expected to become even more lethal in the coming years.
TWO REGIMES LEARNING FROM EACH OTHER
According to U.S. and South Korean officials, the Syria-North Korea alliance
goes back to the 1960s and is far deeper and more entrenched than many Middle
East analysts realize. Pyongyang and Damascus were both clients of the Soviet
Union during the Cold War and established formal diplomatic relations in 1966.
North Korean fighter pilots later aided the Syrian air force during its historic
conflicts with Israel, including the 1967 Six Day War and the 1973 Yom Kippur
War. Pyongyang has also dispatched tank crews and missile technicians to Syria
to support its interminable "struggle" against Israel. "The North sees Israel as
an invader and has been willing to support military action by the Arabs that
promotes Palestinian liberation," wrote Moon Chung-in, a top advisor to the
South Korean president, in 2007. "Solidarity between North Korea and the Arabs
has been bolstered by maintaining security relations, which go far beyond
diplomatic rhetoric."
The North's assistance to Damascus has intensified as the Kim family develops
more sophisticated weapons systems. According to current and former U.S.
officials, North Korea has proven willing to transfer equipment directly to
Damascus and help the regime procure it from third countries such as China. The
latter contention is particularly disturbing given that Pyongyang has used front
companies across China to not only procure equipment for its military and
nuclear weapons, but also export it.
Meanwhile, many North Korea analysts believe Kim is gleaning lessons from
Assad's battlefield tactics, including the use of chemical weapons. There is
little question that Kim is willing to use such weapons abroad -- Washington
believes he authorized the use of VX nerve agent this February to assassinate
his half-brother Kim Jong Nam in Malaysia, so he can be expected to use his vast
chemical arsenal in any conflict with the West. "Korean analysts should take
note of how chemical weapons were used in the [Syrian] civil war because this is
likely going to be a test-bed for future North Korean actions in conflict with
the South," wrote military strategist Bruce Bechtol Jr. in a 2015 report for the
Korean Journal of Defense Analysis.
NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION
Many current and former U.S. officials consider Pyongyang's construction of a
graphite reactor in Syria's Deir al-Zour province as one of the greatest acts of
nuclear proliferation in history. Called al-Kibar, the facility was almost an
exact replica of the Yongbyon reactor that North Korea has used to harvest
plutonium for its own nuclear weapons arsenal. The Syrian reactor was close to
being operational when Israeli jets destroyed it in 2007, killing a number of
North Korean technicians working there.
Despite the audacity of this proliferation, the U.S. government and the UN's
nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, have yet to close
their investigations into the reactor. As for the infrastructure and raw
materials required to support such a facility -- including fuel fabrication
plants and uranium -- their original source and ultimate fate largely remain a
mystery. U.S. intelligence agencies are even uncertain who paid the North
Koreans to build the plant given the Assad regime's tight finances. One theory
still being pursued is that Iran funded al-Kibar and sought to outsource some of
its nuclear research to Syria. And according to David Asher, former special
coordinator of the State Department's North Korea Working Group, "It seems
pretty clear the North Koreans never stopped working in Syria, which raises a
whole bunch of other questions."
MISSILE TECHNOLOGY
U.S. government cables indicate that officials in the George W. Bush and Obama
administrations were equally stunned by the web of front companies Pyongyang
used to procure equipment for Syria's missile programs. North Korean brokers
purchased graphite, specialty steel, nozzle throats, and related materials to
help Syria develop Scuds and other short- and medium-range ballistic missiles.
Some of these transfers directly involved the SSRC, which U.S. and Israeli
officials believe is central to all of the Assad regime's nonconventional
weapons programs. "This dependence on North Korean sources both directly and via
North Korean brokers for a range of missile-related materials, advanced
chemicals, and technology is likely to continue, given the difficulties Syria
has encountered purchasing such items directly from other suppliers," Secretary
of State Hillary Clinton wrote in a 2009 memo focused on preparations for a
gathering of the Missile Technology Control Regime in Rio de Janeiro.
Pyongyang's smuggling for Assad and the SSRC has continued, if not accelerated,
throughout Syria's current war, even as international sanctions against both
regimes have been strengthened. Likewise, North Korean government workers
maintain a heavy presence in Damascus. A September report by the UN panel tasked
with overseeing North Korea sanctions said it "continues to investigate the
widespread presence of [such] nationals...in Africa and the Middle East,
particularly in the Syrian Arab Republic, acting on behalf of or at the
direction of designated entities, including their involvement in prohibited
activities such as trade in surface-to-air missile systems."
For example, the panel noted that two UN member states had interdicted shipments
of North Korean equipment bound for Syria in recent months. The consignees for
these shipments were Syrian companies sanctioned by the European Union and
Washington for serving as SSRC fronts. Syrian-based representatives from one of
Pyongyang's main arms suppliers, the Korea Mining Development Trading Corp. (KOMID),
were believed to be facilitating the shipments. According to the UN, "The panel
is investigating reported prohibited chemical, ballistic missile and
conventional arms cooperation, including activities on Syrian Scud missile
programs and maintenance and repair of Syrian surface-to-air missile air defense
systems."
U.S. POLICY OPTIONS
The Trump administration has stepped up U.S. efforts to choke off North Korea's
overseas businesses and proliferation networks. The president has also ordered
U.S. intelligence agencies to redouble their efforts to uncover all military
cooperation between Pyongyang and Iran, including missile work and potential
nuclear weapons links. U.S. officials are worried that North Korea has been
integrated into the coalition of Middle Eastern regimes, terrorist groups, and
militias that Tehran dubs the "Axis of Resistance." This alliance has rallied to
Assad's defense but is also active in Iraq, Yemen, Lebanon, and the Palestinian
territories.
Despite the Trump administration's pledge, however, some fear that Kim's rapidly
expanding weapons arsenal -- which now includes as many as twenty atomic bombs,
according to U.S. and Chinese officials -- could be even more difficult for the
United States and UN to track. The White House will need to mobilize all of its
Middle Eastern and Asian allies to guard against acts of proliferation
potentially worse than the reactor North Korea built in eastern Syria. There is
wide consensus that the cash-strapped North has every incentive to try selling
even its most advanced weapons systems. In recent years, the United States has
tracked North Korean arms sales to some of its closest regional allies,
including Egypt and the United Arab Emirates, so preventing transfers to Iran's
"axis" will no doubt be more difficult than ever.
**Jay Solomon is the Segal Distinguished Visiting Fellow at The Washington
Institute and author of The Iran Wars: Spy Games, Bank Battles, and the Secret
Deals That Reshaped the Middle East
Russia Makes Inroads in North Africa
Sarah Feuer and Anna Borshchevskaya/The Washington Institute/November 2, 2017
While U.S. attention is focused on fires already raging in the Middle East,
Russia is quietly expanding its presence in North Africa, to the detriment of
U.S. interests.
Since officially coming to power in May 2000, President Vladimir Putin has
sought to restore Russian influence in regions the Kremlin lost in the 1990s.
Although his efforts have been more visible in the Middle East, he has also
targeted North Africa, where Moscow has geostrategic, economic, and political
interests.
The events of the Arab Spring, which originated in North Africa, undercut the
influence Putin had labored to regain and reinforced the Kremlin's perception
that the West is behind all protest movements aimed at dismantling
authoritarianism. In Putin's estimation, Russia's ascendancy depends on
countering the United States and its European allies. Expanded access to the
Mediterranean serves this broader goal by establishing a foothold in a European
sphere of influence and reducing the U.S. ability to maneuver militarily. In
economic terms, North Africa presents an opportunity for Russia to sell arms,
forge partnerships in the energy sector, and invest in infrastructure
development. Moscow can also claim it is in the region to fight terrorism.
Russia's most robust relationships are in Libya and Algeria, former Cold War
allies. But even in Morocco and Tunisia, bilateral ties have grown in recent
years.
LIBYA
The 2011 Libyan uprising, the subsequent NATO intervention aimed at blocking
Muammar Qadhafi's forces from committing a massacre in Benghazi, and the
collapse of Qadhafi's regime not only ruptured the country's status quo -- these
events also upended a series of economic and military agreements Putin had
forged with the Libyan dictator. Moscow has spent the last six years trying to
salvage these deals. In July 2017, the Russian state-run oil and gas company
Rosneft began purchasing oil from Libya's National Oil Corporation, and Putin is
eyeing Tobruk and other ports for potential berthing agreements. The latter
development would entail significant Russian investment, but a permanent naval
presence in Libya would establish Russia as a regional power broker and should
not be discounted.
Politically, Moscow leans heavily toward Gen. Khalifa Haftar, leader of the
Libyan National Army (LNA) in the oil-rich east. In Haftar, Russia sees an
emerging strongman who proclaims a shared aversion to Islamist groups. (The
reality is more complicated, as Haftar has worked closely with Salafists, and
Putin will generally ally with any actor similarly inclined to reduce Western
influence.) Haftar's LNA is allied with the Tobruk-based House of
Representatives, which has not fully endorsed the internationally recognized,
Tripoli-based Government of National Accord (GNA) under Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj.
Haftar visited Russia three times in 2016, and in January 2017 he boarded
Russia's aircraft carrier, the Admiral Kuznetsov, then anchored off the coast of
Tobruk. In March, Russian special forces were reportedly stationed in western
Egypt to assist Haftar's troops across the border. Still, Moscow maintains
contact with the GNA, partly to present itself as an alternative peacemaker to
the United Nations and partly to hedge against Haftar. Ultimately, Moscow cares
most about exerting influence in Libya, regardless of who is in charge. Among
Libya's many strategic benefits, not least is an opportunity to influence
Egyptian president Abdul Fattah al-Sisi next door.
ALGERIA
2001, when Russia and Algeria signed a declaration of strategic
partnership, bilateral relations have been strongest in the military sector. In
2006, Russia concluded a $7.5 billion arms deal with Algeria -- its largest
post-Soviet weapons sale -- which included a military modernization and training
program, and cancellation of a $4.7 billion Soviet-era debt to Moscow. Weapons
sales in 2010, 2012, 2013, and 2015 brought Algeria additional military
equipment, including helicopters, tanks, and submarines. In 2016, Algeria and
Russia began sharing intelligence on terrorist groups' movement across North
Africa and announced additional plans for deeper military cooperation.
Russia has also sought to carve out a larger presence in Algeria's substantial
oil and gas sectors. However, as Europe's third-largest natural gas supplier
after Norway and Russia, Algeria has viewed Russia as more of a competitor than
a partner in the energy arena. Russia's Gazprom does have assets in Algeria, and
the company has won contracts to explore and develop oil and gas, but Algeria's
restrictive foreign investment laws limit the investment potential of such
companies.
TUNISIA
Moscow views the birthplace of the Arab Spring as a potential hub for Russian
companies wishing to enter African markets, and since 2011 the bilateral
relationship has focused on counterterrorism, nuclear energy, and tourism. In
2016, Moscow began sharing with Tunis satellite imagery of terrorist groups
moving across the Maghreb, a gesture that Tunisian officials later credited with
helping them thwart several attacks linked to smuggling networks along the
Libyan border. That same year, the countries announced a nuclear energy
cooperation agreement and Moscow pledged to provide Tunisia's armed forces with
helicopters, night-vision goggles, and bulletproof vests, although it remains
unclear whether these supplies have been delivered.
The most visible sign of Russia's growing presence in Tunisia has been in the
tourism sector. Between 2012 and early 2016, Tunisia was wracked by a series of
high-casualty terrorist attacks, and revenues from its tourism industry
plummeted as European travelers stayed away. Russians, by then prohibited from
traveling to Egypt and Turkey over political disputes and security concerns,
began filling the void. In 2016, roughly 600,000 Russian tourists visited
Tunisia, a tenfold increase from the previous year and over 10 percent of the
country's visitors that year. Tunisian retail businesses have welcomed Russians'
presence, and the government has spoken positively of Russia's assistance in
counterterrorism. Officials have also publicly acknowledged Russia's growing
regional sway, including in Syria.
MOROCCO
In 2016, Morocco's King Mohammed VI met with President Putin in Moscow, the
monarch's first trip to Russia since 2002. The king sought strengthened economic
relations through a renewal of the countries' free trade agreement and an
expansion of Russian access to Moroccan fisheries on the Atlantic coast. His
trip came against a backdrop of strained relations with the Obama
administration, during which Moroccan officials grew frustrated with a perceived
weakening of U.S. support for the kingdom's position concerning Western Sahara,
and objected to the State Department's assessment of Morocco's human rights
record.
Morocco-U.S. relations have begun to recover from these low points, but Morocco
continues to strengthen its "strategic partnership" with Russia, evidenced by an
announcement in October of eleven agreements in the agricultural, military, and
energy sectors, including one by which Russia will begin supplying the kingdom
with liquefied natural gas. As it does Tunisia, Russia views Morocco as an
economic gateway to Africa; it also regards the kingdom as a model to emulate in
countering Islamist extremism in its own vicinity.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR U.S. POLICY
Absent an assertive posture on the part of the United States, Russia's growing
encroachment across the Maghreb will likely continue. Such an outcome will pose
a challenge for the U.S. strategic interests of maintaining stability for its
NATO and non-NATO allies in the region, ensuring freedom of operation for the
U.S. Navy throughout the Mediterranean, and supporting regional actors working
toward political and economic reform. In cooperation with its European allies,
policymakers should promote greater regional counterterrorism cooperation among
the Maghreb states and expand the U.S. Navy's presence across the Mediterranean.
Stationing more vessels out of Rota, Spain, for example, would help constrain
Russian actions.
Additionally, policymakers would do well to consider relatively low-cost
measures to shore up the traditional alliances with Morocco and Tunisia, while
also signaling the U.S. intention to engage with Algeria and Libya:
⦁ In Morocco, the United States needs to continue restoring trust with a key
counterterrorism ally. Appointing an ambassador would be an important step in
this regard. Additionally, policymakers should deepen ties to the kingdom by
expanding educational and cultural exchanges, while encouraging momentum in
Morocco's political and economic reforms.
⦁ In Tunisia, continued assistance will be crucial on border control, civilian
police training, domestic counterterrorism, and programs strengthening the
emerging democratic institutions and civil society organizations working to
solidify them.
⦁ In Algeria, traditional wariness of closer ties with the United States should
not obscure the fact that the largest country in Africa remains a vital security
partner, as Algiers's assistance following the recent deaths of four U.S.
Special Forces in Niger made clear. Moreover, Algeria could be primed for an
economic and political opening, given its ailing octogenarian president and no
clear succession plan. The Trump administration should engage with Algeria's
business, energy, and military sectors to ensure the United States is well
positioned in the event this opening occurs.
⦁ In Libya, the administration should weigh the risks of continued
disengagement, given Russia's determination to fill the leadership void.
Russia's involvement in Libya is unlikely to bring stability there, since Moscow
has little interest in assisting the parties to address their underlying
grievances.
In March 2017, the head of U.S. Africa Command, Gen. Thomas Waldhauser,
testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia seeks to exert
maximum leverage over the most likely victor in the Libyan civil war and that
such leverage would not be in the U.S. interest. As such, the Trump
administration should adopt clearer statements and actions in support of recent
peacemaking initiatives by UN special envoy Ghassan Salamé, and consider even
modest investments in governance and capacity-building programs for Libyan
activists residing in Tunisia.
**Sarah Feuer is a Soref Fellow at The Washington Institute, where Anna
Borshchevskaya is the Ira Weiner Fellow.