LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
November 24/17
Compiled &
Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
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Bible Quotations
Whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but
don’t do their works
Matthew 23/01-37/1 Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to his disciples,
saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees sat on Moses’ seat. 3 All things
therefore whatever they tell you to observe, observe and do, but don’t do their
works; for they say, and don’t do. For they bind heavy burdens that are grievous
to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not lift
a finger to help them. But all their works they do to be seen by men. They make
their phylacteries * broad, enlarge the fringes† of their garments, 6 and love
the place of honor at feasts, the best seats in the synagogues, the salutations
in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’ by men.
But don’t you be called ‘Rabbi,’ for one is your teacher, the Christ, and all of
you are brothers. Call no man on the earth your father, for one is your Father,
he who is in heaven. Neither be called masters, for one is your master, the
Christ. But he who is greatest among you will be your servant. Whoever exalts
himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. “Woe to
you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a
pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater
condemnation.
“But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! Because you shut up the
Kingdom of Heaven against men; for you don’t enter in yourselves, neither do you
allow those who are entering in to enter. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites! For you travel around by sea and land to make one proselyte; and
when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of Gehenna§ as
yourselves. “Woe to you, you blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever swears by the
temple, it is nothing; but whoever swears by the gold of the temple, he is
obligated.’ You blind fools! For which is greater, the gold, or the temple that
sanctifies the gold? 18 ‘Whoever swears by the altar, it is nothing; but whoever
swears by the gift that is on it, he is obligated?’ 19 You blind fools! For
which is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifies the gift? He therefore
who swears by the altar, swears by it, and by everything on it. He who swears
by the temple, swears by it, and by him who has been living in it.
He who swears by heaven, swears by the throne of God, and by him who sits on
it.“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and
cumin,†† and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy,
and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other
undone. 24 You blind guides, who strain out a gnat, and swallow a camel! 25 “Woe
to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup
and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and unrighteousness.
26 You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the platter,
that its outside may become clean also.
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitened
tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men’s
bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to
men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. “Woe to you, scribes
and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and decorate
the tombs of the righteous, and say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our
fathers, we wouldn’t have been partakers with them in the blood of the
prophets.’ Therefore you testify to yourselves that you are children of those
who killed the prophets. Fill up, then, the measure of your fathers.
You serpents, you offspring of vipers, how will you escape the judgment of
Gehenna? Therefore behold, I send to you prophets, wise men, and scribes. Some
of them you will kill and crucify; and some of them you will scourge in your
synagogues, and persecute from city to city; that on you may come all the
righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood
of Zachariah son of Barachiah, whom you killed between the sanctuary and the
altar. Most certainly I tell you, all these things will come upon this
generation.
“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets, and stones those who are sent to
her! How often I would have gathered your children together, even as a hen
gathers her chicks under her wings, and you would not! 38 Behold, your house is
left to you desolate. 39 For I tell you, you will not see me from now on, until
you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’”
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on November
23-24/17
Lebanon Is An Occupied Country, But By God’s Will Shall Be
Free & Independent/Elias Bejjani/ November 22/17
The Lebanese Prime Minister Is Stuck, and He’s Improvising/Tony Badran/Tablet
magazine/November 23/17
In Possible Nod To Israel, Two Top Saudi Officials Visit Paris Synagogue
Jerusalem Post/November 23/17/
Prince Turki: Iran has not apologised for attack on Saudi embassy/Joyce Karam/The
National/November 22, 2017
How Ten Dem (Dumb) Members of Congress Encourage the Use of Child
Terrorists/Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/November 23/17
The semblance of Chirac’s leadership style in Macron/Randa Takieddine/Al Arabiya/November
23/17
Iran-backed Houthi missiles/Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/November 23/17
Macron as a firefighter diplomat/Christian Chesnot/Al Arabiya/November 23/17
Bad day for Saudi diplomacy: Lebanese reversal, Syria summit/Associated
Press/November 22 /17
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
November 23-24/17
Lebanon Is An Occupied Country, But By God’s Will Shall Be
Free & Independent
Macron congratulates Aoun on independence
Hariri Puts Resignation on Hold, Promises to Defend Lebanon and its Arabism
Hariri Stresses ‘Action,’ Not Just Words in Lebanon’s Dissociation Policy
Rahi briefs Pope Francis on his visit to Saudi Arabia, the importance of
Lebanon's role in terms of coexistence
Future Bloc and Bureaus support Hariri's "wise step"
General security apprehends Syrian in Nabatieh for links to fundamentalist
groups
Iran's Guards Chief Says Disarming Hizbullah 'Non-Negotiable'
Report: Hariri's Decision to Roll Back Resignation 'Conditional'
Hariri: Lebanon's Stability More Important Than Problems Surrounding Us
Hariri Receives Congratulatory Message from Trump, Meets Abu el-Gheit at Center
House
Jumblat Says Lebanon Will Overcome Crisis for 'Sake of Political Stability'
Loyalty to Resistance: Defending oneself and nation is utterly humanitarian,
international right
U.N. Chief Appoints Pernille Kardel as Acting Special Coordinator for Lebanon
Geagea, diplomats tackle current situation
Hariri, Richard tackle latest developments
Hariri meets Jumblatt this evening
Falha during French Department Radio Lebanon workshops: Undeviating willingness
to promote Station's work
The Lebanese Prime Minister Is Stuck, and He’s Improvising
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on November 23-24/17
In Possible Nod To Israel, Two Top Saudi Officials Visit
Paris Synagogu
Arab Quartet Adds Two Entities, 11 Individuals to Terror List
Iran emphasizes maintaining the Revolutionary Guards in Syria
Syria opposition meeting in Riyadh sees no role for Assad in interim period
Around 20,000 Children Killed in Syria Since March 2011
Belgium Welcomes 150 Syrian Refugees for Humanitarian Reasons
Yazidi Mass Grave Found in Northern Iraq
Abadi Gives Corrupt Individuals Two Options: Return Money or Face Prison
Libyan Army: Military Intervention Warning Remains in Place
Egypt Arrests 29 People Suspected of Spying for Turkey
Palestinian Factions Agree to Hold General Elections by End of 2018
UAE executes Jordanian who raped, killed 8-year-old compatriot boy
UN survey: Besieged Syrians eating trash, fainting from hunger
Iran sets Dec. 10 court date for jailed Iranian-British aid worker
Iraq launches operation to clear last ISIS holdouts from desert
Germany releases six Syrians suspected of terror plot
Iraq Launches Operation to Clear Last IS Holdouts from Desert
Colombia's Minorities Still Face Armed Conflict, Says Amnesty
Latest Lebanese Related News published on
November 23-24/17
Lebanon Is An Occupied Country, But By God’s Will Shall Be Free & Independent
Elias Bejjani/ November 22/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=48961
Psalm 92:12: “The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, they will grow like
a cedar of Lebanon”.
Today, the Lebanese back home in beloved Lebanon, as well as those living in
Diaspora are all remembering with sadness, anger and frustration their country’s
Independence Day.
Although the country is practically not independent and savagely occupied by
Hezbollah, Iran’s terrorist proxy army, but every sovereign, faithful and
patriotic Lebanese is hopeful and fully confident that this era of terrorism,
evilness, oppression and hardship is ultimately going to end. By God’s will
Lebanon’s freedom spring is on the horizon.
Lebanon through its deeply rooted history of 7000 years have witnessed hard
times and all kinds of invaders, occupiers, dictators, and tyrants, they all
were forced to leave Lebanon with humiliation and Lebanon maintained its freedom
and sovereignty. There is no doubt that the fate of the current occupier is
going to be any different.
There are numerous reasons behind the ongoing devastating internal and external
wars that are being waged against Lebanon and his people. These reasons have
varied throughout contemporary history with the changing instruments of
fighting, circumstances, financiers and profiteers.
However, the main reasons and targets were always and still are the privileged
Lebanese distinctive identity, multiculturalism, freedoms and coexistence.
Almost every nation and people in the Middle and Far East look upon Lebanon as a
heaven for freedoms and as an oasis for the persecuted.
At the present time and since 1982, the Iranian armed terrorist militia,
Hezbollah, which was created by the Iranians with its mini-state during Syria’s
bloody occupation era of Lebanon (1976-2005) imposes an extremely serious and
fundamental threat to all that is Lebanese: culture, identity, history,
civilization, freedoms, coexistence, tolerance, democracy, peace, openness,
order and law.
But as our deeply rooted history teaches us, this Stone Age armed terrorist
group shall by God’s will be defeated as was the fate of all invaders, tyrants,
dictators and occupiers whose sick minds fooled them that Lebanon could be tamed
and his people could be subdued and enslaved. They all were disappointed and
forced to leave with humiliation and disgrace.
The Syrian occupier in 2005 and after almost 30 years of savage occupation had
to face the same scornful fate. Hezbollah will have ultimately the same end
sooner or later although its armed militiamen are Lebanese.
We thank God for the ultimate failure of all savage attacks which the faithful
Lebanese shattered with stubbornness, perseverance, courage and self-confidence,
and remained attached to their identity, and steadfast against hatred, foreign
expansionism schemes and evil conspiracies.
The distinction of Lebanon is that it is a nation of diverse religious
denominational groups and civilizations living together in agreeable
coexistence, without coercion or oppression or becoming a melting pot, despite
transient harsh confrontations at certain periods of history always instigated
and orchestrated by external forces. Lebanon’s air of liberty has been made
equally available to its extensive mosaic of communities to help them maintain
freedom of their cultural and religious particularities and distinctions.
All Throughout history these distinctions gave Lebanon his pluralist flavor and
made the majority of the Lebanese people into a homogeneous society attached
heart and spirit to the one Lebanese identity that personifies their roots,
cultures, hopes and civilizations.
The confessional diversity permits each of Lebanon’s 18 ethnic communities to
express its original goodness within its core and the sanctity of its faith.
Even though the communities’ perspective towards God may be different, they do
not disagree on the truth of God’s essence, and He remains the All Mighty
Creator and the source of all good to all people.
Accordingly, all Lebanese have learned that none of them should presume to
monopolize God’s relationship through himself, or seek to acquire all God’s
graces by eliminating others, because these others were also created by God and
are also His children, and that He is the only ultimate judge.
All religions in Lebanon worship the same God, and He definitely accepts them
all each according to their sincerity and trust. God knows the content of hearts
and intents, and He is not fooled by the various rituals and styles of worship.
The majority of the peace loving Lebanese people strongly believe that no one
Lebanese community should claim that it is the best, or the closest, or the only
path to God. They all trust in the fact that God knows all wants, and uncovers
all intents. Hezbollah is an odd exception among the Lebanese communities.
In conclusion, for Lebanon, the land of the holy cedars to be victorious in the
face of the Axis of Evil powers dirty and evil wars against his existence, Each
and every Lebanese in both Lebanon and Diaspora has a patriotic and ethical
obligation and a holy duty to preserve by all means Lebanon’s graceful identity
and solidify its implantation in the conscience, hearts and souls of the new
Lebanese generations and to root it in their awareness, as well as in Lebanon’s
blessed soil.
Macron congratulates Aoun on independence
The Daily Star/November
23/17/BEIRUT: French President Emmanuel Macron Thursday congratulated President
Michel Aoun on Lebanon’s 74th independence, saying France was committed to the
unity, sovereignty and stability of Lebanon. “You know stability in your country
is a priority in our view ... We are working towards this direction in the midst
of difficult circumstances that Lebanon is passing through,” Macron said,
according to a statement from Aoun’s office. Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s recent
visit to Paris, Macron said, “has allowed us to lay the foundations for the
consolidation of our bilateral relations, and its axis is support for the
Lebanese state.” The French president also noted the need to implement decisions
he discussed with Aoun during the latter’s state visit to France in September,
which included “strengthening Lebanese institutions, especially those in the
security field.’”"Our two countries are linked by an old friendship, strong and
deep, and I am willing to be active in strengthening it. France will stay beside
Lebanon, the model of democracy, freedom and tolerance in the Near and Middle
East,” Macron said. Lebanon gained its independence from France on Nov. 22,
1943, after 23 years of mandate rule. France has recently played an increasingly
prominent role in Lebanese affairs, with Macron and other French officials
meeting with top level Lebanese officials, including Hariri and Foreign Minister
Gebran Bassil, in efforts to solve the political crisis precipitated by Hariri’s
resignation announcement on Nov. 4.
Hariri announced Wednesday that he had decided to delay his resignation, at the
behest of President Aoun.
Hariri Puts Resignation on Hold, Promises to Defend Lebanon and its Arabism
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/November
23/17/Contrary to
all speculations, Lebanon’s Prime Minister Saad Hariri announced on Wednesday
that he has decided to put his resignation on hold in response to President
Michel Aoun’s request and to allow for more consultations concerning its reasons
and political motives. After attending the Independence Day parade in Beirut,
Hariri held two meetings, the first with Aoun and Speaker Nabih Berri, and the
second only with the President. Hariri then addressed large crowds and officials
who came on Wednesday to the “Center House” to congratulate him on his safe
return and to confirm their support of his national policy. “We have nothing
more precious than our country, and our principle and slogan will always be
“Lebanon first, Lebanon first, Lebanon first,” Hariri told the crowd, saying
“together we will defend our country, its freedom, Arabism and stability.”"I
will stay with you and we will continue together to be a front line of defense
for Lebanon," he added. In the evening, Hariri visited Grand Mufti Sheikh
Abdellatif Derian at Dar al-Fatwa and discussed with him the situation and the
latest developments.
Hariri Stresses ‘Action,’ Not Just Words in
Lebanon’s Dissociation Policy
Asharq Al-Awsat/November
23/17/Prime Minister
Saad Hariri said on Thursday that Lebanon’s current political crisis was "a wake
up call" for Lebanese with different loyalties to put their country ahead of
regional issues and stressed that the dissociation policy needed action. After
returning to Lebanon this week, Hariri on Wednesday shelved his decision to
resign at the request of President Michel Aoun. "The period that passed was
perhaps like a wake up call for all of us to look for Lebanon's interests rather
than looking at problems around us," Hariri told the Annual Arab Banking
Conference held at the Phoenicia Hotel in Beirut on Thursday. "The problems
around us are important, but Lebanon is more important." Hariri also reaffirmed
the need for sticking by the policy of distancing Lebanon from regional
conflicts - "not just with words but with action as well.""I want to stress that
... our main concern is stability, and this is what we'll be working on," he
said. Hariri said on Wednesday the decision to postpone his resignation would
lead to "a responsible dialogue ... that deals with divisive issues and their
repercussions on Lebanon's relations with Arab brothers." Central Bank Governor
Riad Salameh told the same conference on Thursday that Lebanon's economy is on
track for a 2.5 percent growth this year. In his statement, Salameh said that
Lebanese markets would continue to be stable and calm, reflecting “positive
growth despite difficult conditions in the region.”
Rahi briefs Pope Francis on his visit to Saudi Arabia, the
importance of Lebanon's role in terms of coexistence
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - Pope Benedict XVI received this Thursday the Maronite
Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi, who thanked him at the beginning of
the meeting for his "unyielding support for Lebanon", and for his last Sunday's
sermon in which he saluted the Lebanese people and called for prayers for the
stability of the country, "so that it can continue to play its role as a message
of respect and coexistence for the whole region and for the entire world." Rahi
then tackled the contents of the detailed report he presented to the Pope about
his visit to Saudi Arabia, his talks with King Salman bin Abdul Aziz, Crown
Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Prime Minister Saad Hariri. According to a
statement issued by Bkirki patriarchate's press office, the report dwelled on
"the importance of Lebanon's role in terms of coexistence between Christians and
Muslims, as a stabilizing factor for the region, and a center FOR dialogue
between religions and civilizations," and highlighted the necessity "of
dissociating it from regional and international conflicts." "Discussions also
touched on the resignation of Prime Minister Hariri and its announcement from
Riyadh, and the link between his return to Lebanon and the restoration of
political life's normal course," the statement read. The report also dealt with
issues related to the situation in Lebanon and the region and the numbers of
displaced persons and refugees "which are a major burden on Lebanon", as well as
the importance of ending the wards wars and allowing their return to their lands
and countries in order to preserve their civil rights, culture and civilization.
For his part, the Pope expressed his love for Lebanon and its people.
Future Bloc and Bureaus support Hariri's "wise step"
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - The Future Parliamentary Bloc, Political Bureau and
Executive Bureau held a joint meeting this afternoon at the Center House under
the chairmanship of Prime Minister Saad Hariri. They issued a statement read by
the Movement vice-president, former MP Bassem al-Sabeh. During the meeting,
Prime Minister Hariri informed the participants of his evaluation of the
political developments. The participants congratulated the Lebanese on the
occasion of Independence Day, stressed the concept of national legitimacy
represented by the Lebanese state, army and official security institutions, and
remembered the martyrs who fell in defense of Lebanon, its freedom, independence
and free national decision. They issued the following: First, the meeting
expresses its relief after the return of Prime Minister Saad Hariri to his
natural position in leading the political and national path, and sees in the
moves he has taken a responsible commitment to the options that protect the
stability of the country and spare it the dangers of slipping into the
surrounding fires. Second, the meeting considered that Prime Minister Hariri
acceptance of the President's request to postpone his resignation, is a wise
step for further consultation on the causes of the resignation, for the respect
of dissociation from the surrounding wars and conflicts, for refraining from
anything that harms Lebanon's relations with its Arab brothers and for the
refusal of the interference by any Lebanese or regional party in the internal
affairs of the Arab countries.
Third, the meeting express its gratitude and appreciation to the popular
delegations who came from all of Lebanon to the Center House, carrying the
banners of loyalty to PM Saad Hariri, to renew confidence in his leadership,
choices and the soundness of the steps he takes for Lebanon's stability and the
protection of its Arabism, and the commitment to the Taif Agreement. The Future
Movement partisans presented a wonderful national image, of loyalty to its
leadership, of support of its role in the national partnership, to protect
Lebanon from the dangers that lie ahead and make Lebanon's supreme interest
prevail over the interests of others. This is the time of the Blue movement,
which is rising again in defense of the stability of Lebanon and the coexistence
among its sons and to defend its Arabism against those who attack it. - Press
release
General security apprehends Syrian in Nabatieh for links to
fundamentalist groups
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - The General Security Information Branch on Thursday raided
a residential apartment in Nabatiyeh region, arresting the Syrian, A.A, for
links to fundamentalist groups, NNA field reporter said.
Iran's Guards Chief Says Disarming Hizbullah
'Non-Negotiable'
Naharnet/November 23/17/Head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Maj.
Gen. Mohammed Ali Jafari, said that disarming Hizbullah party was
“non-negotiable,” Iranian state TV said Thursday. Jafari was also quoted as
saying that Iran's Revolutionary Guards will play an active role in a lasting
"ceasefire" in Syria. He stressed that disarming Hizbullah is a “non-negotiable”
matter.Jafari rejected any talks on Iran's ballistic missile program as demanded
by France and other Western powers. "The demands of French President Emmanuel
Macron to research the country's missile defense activity are because he is
young and inexperienced," he said.
Report: Hariri's Decision to Roll Back Resignation 'Conditional'
Prime Minister Saad Hariri's decision to reconsider his resignation is
“conditional” and could be attributed to an “inclination to embarrass Hizbullah”
and secure the “widest possible support among the Lebanese for his national
demands,” Saudi daily Asharq al-Awsat reported on Thursday.Hariri has set three
conditions for rolling back his resignation after putting it on hold on
Wednesday to pave way for more consultations that will be started by President
Michel Aoun. Unnamed sources in Beirut told the daily that the PM has decided to
postpone his resignation to “embarrass Hizbullah and rally more support among
the Lebanese for his national demands.”A well-informed source also told the
daily the “conditions to roll back the resignation” are coupled with
“maintaining the Taef Accord and to the genuine implementation of the
dissociation policy in addition to safeguarding Lebanon's ties with Arab
countries.”The source stressed that Hariri's presence in the government is
linked to these grounds. On Wednesday, Hariri said he was suspending his
surprise resignation, pending talks, providing a potential way out of a
political crisis that has rocked the country. Sources close to Hariri said the
government will resume its duties, stressing that the “delay means a temporary
suspension of the resignation of the government.” They added that Hariri has
discussed the grounds for his resignation with Aoun. For their part, sources
familiar with Hizbullah’s position told Asharq al-Awsat that the party is ready
for dialogue with an assertion that “the party's weapons will be out of the
equation and the discussions will be linked to the defense strategy.” Lebanon
has been thrown into turmoil by Hariri's shock November 4 announcement from
Saudi Arabia that he was stepping down, followed by a prolonged absence. The
resignation was seen as a ratcheting up of tensions in the long-running rivalry
between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and raised fears that Lebanon would be paralysed
by regional tensions. Hours after his arrival back in Beirut, Hariri met with
President Michel Aoun, who had refused to accept the premier's resignation until
he returned to Lebanon.Hariri said he hoped his decision would "allow for a
responsible dialogue in a serious manner... that would settle disputes." In
announcing his resignation, he had levelled harsh criticism at Iran and its
Lebanese ally Hizbullah, saying they had taken over Lebanon and were
destabilizing the region. He also said he had been forced to leave Lebanon
because of threats to his safety, invoking the 2005 assassination of his father,
former prime minister Rafik Hariri. But he left the door open to withdrawing the
resignation if Hizbullah group pulled back from involvement in regional
conflicts.Speaking in the evening after meeting parliament speaker Nabih Berri,
Hariri called on "everyone" to respect this "policy of distance", saying that
would "improve our relations with our Arab brothers ". Hariri accuses Hizbullah
of violating Lebanon's policy of "disassociation" from regional conflicts by
fighting alongside Syria's government and assisting Huthi rebels in Yemen.
Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah has said the group was open to talks, though
whether any real compromise could be reached remained unclear.
Hariri: Lebanon's Stability More Important Than Problems
Surrounding Us
Naharnet/November 23/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri stressed on Thursday that it
is crucial to seek Lebanon's stability first despite the regional crises
surrounding it. “The stage that passed constitutes an awakening for all of us to
seek Lebanon's interests first before looking at the problems around us. The
problems that surround us are important but Lebanon is more important,” said
Hariri on Thursday. “Our relations with our Arab brothers should be the basis
and we must seek all the means to enable Lebanon to have a real disassociation
policy, not just in words but also in deeds,” added the Premier. His remarks
came in a speech at the opening of the Annual Arab Banking Conference for 2017
at the Phoenicia Hotel entitled “A Twinning Partnership: Reconstruction and
Development”, at the invitation of the Union of Arab Banks. “Just like Martyr
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, I am glad to be with you today and see the
Association of Banks meeting in Beirut so we restore confidence in Lebanon. I
thank you for your feelings and assure you that our main concern in Lebanon is
stability and this is what we will work for,” stressed Hariri. Praising the
Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh for his ability to maintain Lebanon's
monetary stability, he stated: “You have seen the difficulties we faced not only
during the past three weeks but also during these last years. “I pay tribute to
the Governor of Central Bank Riad Salameh, who was able, when we politicians
disagreed with each other, to fortify the Lebanese pound, so we thank him for
his wisdom.”
Hariri Receives Congratulatory Message from Trump, Meets
Abu el-Gheit at Center House
Naharnet/November 23/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri received a cable message from
US President Donald Trump on Thursday congratulating him on the occasion of
Independence Day in which he expressed the United States' “appreciation for the
bilateral relations between the two countries and peoples,” Hariri's media
office said. In his message Trump pointed out saying that Lebanon has been a
“strong partner with the United States in the face of terrorism and violent
extremism,” stressing his country's steadfastness with Lebanon. He said that the
US will continue to support Lebanon's efforts to protect its stability and
independence. On a different note, Hariri received at the Center House in Beirut
the Arab League Secretary-General Ahmed Abu el-Gheit and the accompanying
delegation in the presence of former Minister Bassem al-Sabeh and Hariri’s chief
of staff Nader Hariri. “I was honored to meet with Prime Minister Hariri and we
had a very positive meeting. I listened to his ideas and we agreed to meet at
the headquarters of the Arab League when he visits Cairo. I am confident that
the future will carry good things for Lebanon,” said Abu el-Gheit after meeting
Hariri.
To a question on whether he believes that what happened as for Hariri's
resignation and putting it on hold, he said: “It might be so.”
Jumblat Says Lebanon Will Overcome Crisis for 'Sake of
Political Stability'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 23/17/Progressive Socialist Party leader
assured on Thursday that Lebanon will manage to find an “exceptional” solution
for the lingering crisis that followed Prime Minister Saad Hariri's resignation
“for the sake of political stability.”
“The least we can say is that the country is passing through exceptional
conditions which requires exceptional solutions. I am confident that we will be
able to reach them in the interest of political stability, without exception,”
said Jumblat in a tweet on Thursday. Jumblat's remarks came against the backdrop
of Harir's November 4 shock resignation which he said will “put on hold pending
talks.”Hariri submitted his resignation in a televised broadcast by the Al-Arabiya
news network in Riyadh, he accused Tehran of "creating a state within the state"
and blasts its Lebanese ally Hizbullah. Lebanon has been thrown into turmoil by
Hariri's announcement that he was stepping down, followed by a prolonged
absence. The resignation was seen as a ratcheting up of tensions in the
long-running rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and raised fears that
Lebanon would be paralysed by regional tensions.
Hours after his arrival back in Beirut, Hariri met with President Michel Aoun,
who had refused to accept the premier's resignation until he returned to
Lebanon. Hariri said he hoped his decision would "allow for a responsible
dialogue in a serious manner... that would settle disputes."In announcing his
resignation, he had levelled harsh criticism at Iran and its Lebanese ally
Hizbullah, saying they had taken over Lebanon and were destabilizing the region.
He also said he had been forced to leave Lebanon because of threats to his
safety, invoking the 2005 assassination of his father, former prime minister
Rafik Hariri.But he left the door open to withdrawing the resignation if
Hizbullah group pulled back from involvement in regional conflicts. Speaking in
the evening after meeting parliament speaker Nabih Berri, Hariri called on
"everyone" to respect this "policy of distance", saying that would "improve our
relations with our Arab brothers ". Hariri accuses Hizbullah of violating
Lebanon's policy of "disassociation" from regional conflicts by fighting
alongside Syria's government and assisting Huthi rebels in Yemen. Hizbullah
chief Hassan Nasrallah has said the group was open to talks, though whether any
real compromise could be reached remained unclear.
Loyalty to Resistance: Defending oneself and nation is
utterly humanitarian, international right
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - "Loyalty to Resistance" bloc categorically stressed that
defending oneself and the nation is utterly a humanitarian and international
right in the fight against terrorism. The Bloc's fresh stance came on Thursday
in a statement in the wake of its periodic meeting at its Haret Hreik
headquarters, chaired by bloc head, MP Mohammed Raad. The meeting took up latest
developments in the country. The bloc expressed great satisfaction with the
positive course of most recent political developments in Lebanon, which were the
result of the Lebanese adherence to their unity, sovereignty, independence,
national dignity and rejection of any foreign dictates. "The return of Prime
Minister Saad Hariri to Lebanon and his positive pronounced statements, as well
as the positive course of current endeavors and consultations foretell the
possibility of the return of matters to normality," bloc said in its statement.
The Bloc also deemed the eradication of the terror Daesh state in Iraq and Syria
and the protection of Lebanon from such the scourge of its scheme a truly
historic achievement thanks to martyrs, resistance men, armies, regimes and
forces affiliated to the resistance axis. The bloc deplored the speech of
incitement and allegations used by some Gulf states and the pressures it exerted
in the context of undermining Hezbollah and its courageous and honorable
resistance. "Loyalty to the Resistance" underlined that the legitimate defense
of oneself and the homeland is a human and international right in the fight
against terrorism practiced by the Zionists and the Takfiris as well as those
who support them.
U.N. Chief Appoints Pernille Kardel as Acting Special
Coordinator for Lebanon
Naharnet/November 23/17/United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres on
Wednesday announced the appointment of Pernille Dahler Kardel of Denmark as
Acting United Nations Special Coordinator for Lebanon (UNSCOL). Kardel succeeds
Sigrid Kaag of the Netherlands, who concluded her assignment on October 26, 2017
after being appointed as a minister in her country. A statement issued by
Guterres' spokesperson said “the Secretary-General is thankful for Ms. Kaag’s
dedication and leadership of UNSCOL.”Kardel brings 25 years of experience in
diplomacy, political affairs, international cooperation and economic
development, spanning several continents. “Most recently, Ms. Kardel served as
Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations
Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) since 2016. She was previously the
Ambassador of Denmark to Egypt (2012-2016) and served as Ambassador to Ethiopia
as well as to Sudan, South Sudan, Djibouti (2007-2012) as well as Permanent
Representative to the African Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on
Development and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS),” the
U.N. spokesperson said.Kardel has held several positions with Denmark’s Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, ranging from Counselor with the Permanent Mission to the
United Nations to Deputy Head of Mission in Moscow, Russian Federation, and
Second Secretary in New Delhi, India. She also served as the Head of the Asia
Department in the Ministry. Kardel holds two master degrees, one in
international public policy from Johns Hopkins University in the United States,
and one in interdisciplinary planning from Roskilde University in Denmark.
Geagea, diplomats tackle current situation
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - "Lebanese Forces" leader, Samir Geagea, met at his
residence in Meerab with the Iraqi Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abbas Al-Ameri,
with talks between the pair reportedly touching on the overall political
situation. Geagea also met with outgoing Turkish Ambassador to Lebanon, who came
on a farewell visit at the end of his diplomatic mission in Lebanon. The visit
was also a chance to dwell on most recent developments locally and regionally.
Hariri, Richard tackle latest developments
NNA - Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, received on Thursday evening at "Bayt el-Wasat"
the US Ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard, with talks between the pair
reportedly touching on most recent developments in Lebanon and the region. Talks
also touched on the bilateral ties.
Hariri meets Jumblatt this evening
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - Prime Minister, Saad Hariri, receives MP Walid Jumblatt in
"Bayt el-Wasat" at 8.00 pm this evening.
Falha during French Department Radio Lebanon workshops:
Undeviating willingness to promote Station's work
Thu 23 Nov 2017/NNA - Information Ministry Director General, Hassan Falha,
categorically stressed the Ministry's undeviating willingness to enhance and
advance the work of state-run Radio Lebanon. Falha's fresh remarks on Thursday
came during the closing session of two training workshops organized by Radio
Lebanon's French Department, in cooperation with the "France Médias Monde"
Academy on the various techniques of radio interviews and sound focus.
"French-speaking Radio Lebanon stands as an upscale and pioneering institution,"
Falha said, underscoring the paramount importance of holding such noteworthy
workshops for the enhancement of Lebanese-French cultural and media relations.
The training workshops were supervised by the Academy's Trainer Fadi Matar. The
closing ceremony took place in the presence of Radio Lebanon Director, Mohamed
Ibrahim, Assistant Coordinator of the French Institute of Lebanon, Luciano
Rispoli, Information Minister's Advisor for Francophone, Elissar Naddaf Geagea,
and senior Academy and Radio Lebanon officials. In his delivered word, Rispoli
hailed cooperation as a "source of richness" for both sides, disclosing that the
Ministry of Information and UNESCO have signed an agreement to devise a
comprehensive study for Radio Liban. Naddaf, for her part, thanked the Academy's
partners for their relentless support, hoping that this partnership would be
further developed in the future. Matar said in his word: "Training is a sort of
exchange in which I share my knowledge and expertise with trainees... while they
provide me with their experiences." At the end of the workshop, certificates
were distributed amongst participants.
The Lebanese Prime Minister Is Stuck, and He’s Improvising
Tony Badran/Tablet magazine/November 23/17
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/232756/the-lebanese-prime-minister-saad-hariri-is-stuck-and-hes-improvising
As Saad Hariri seeks international support, he’s aligning closer with Hezbollah
and Assad in Syria
A high-level delegation of Lebanese politicians and bankers reportedly will
visit Washington later this month to try and convince Congress to soften
impending sanctions legislation designed to squeeze the Iranian proxy,
Hezbollah. Already, there have been visitors from Lebanon in recent weeks for
this purpose, and there’s been speculation in Lebanese media that prime minister
Saad Hariri, who has expressed his hope to “change” the legislation, might
himself come to town to make the case for going easy on Lebanon.
Generally speaking, the function of Hariri and what is known as “the Lebanese
government” in the power configuration in Lebanon is confined to this sort of
activity, which could be summarized as running interference for and mopping up
after Hezbollah, the real authority in the country. It is principally for this
reason, among others, that Hariri’s erstwhile patrons in Saudi Arabia
effectively have washed their hands of Lebanon, and pulled a grant they had
pledged to the Lebanese Armed Forces. Why waste money on an Iranian satrapy?
Hariri is stuck. In order to return as prime minister, he had to sign on to
Hezbollah’s terms. This has meant endorsing Hezbollah’s ally, Michel Aoun, for
president, in order to form a new government. And the new government was stacked
with Hezbollah allies in key ministries.
Hariri has tried to get Saudi buy-in for his decisions, starting with the
endorsement of Aoun, who visited the kingdom on his first trip abroad as
president. Hariri and Aoun’s circles have been leaking repeatedly how the Saudis
were on the cusp of reinstating the grant to the LAF, or of returning their
ambassador to Beirut, and improving bilateral ties. The Saudis see the existing
order in Lebanon as a fundamentally Iranian-dominated order. Hariri’s attempt to
shore up his government, therefore, effectively translates into an attempt to
shore up that Iranian-dominated order.
The Saudis have rebuffed all these attempts, signaling they understand Lebanese
reality for what it is, underscoring that Hariri’s terrible political decisions
are his alone and enjoy no Saudi cover. To be sure, the Saudis received Hariri
in the Kingdom. He was even brought along on King Salman’s private plane
following the recent Arab League summit. Although the Hariri camp tried to spin
these gestures as signs of an impending Saudi overture to Lebanon, nothing of
the sort has occurred.
So Hariri has been improvising. At first he enlisted the French to convince the
Saudis to at least restore the grant to the LAF, to no avail. Obama invested in
the stability of this order with the policy of support to the LAF, consolidating
its relationship with Hezbollah under the cover of combating ISIS. This was by
design, part of the former president’s regional realignment with Iran. So far,
the Saudis have wisely resisted Hariri’s plea for support. Hopefully, the Trump
administration will, too.
Naturally, the Obama Administration, which was looking to corral Riyadh to the
table with Tehran, also encouraged the Saudis to reinstate their support, but
it, too, was ignored. Now, Hariri is tapping into another set of possibilities
in the hope of bringing in money. On the one hand, recognizing Europe’s desire
to keep refugees away from its shores, Hariri is asking the Europeans to pay up.
Ahead of his trip to Paris, Berlin and Brussels last month, Hariri made the
pitch for a $10-$12 billion investment in Lebanon over the next seven years: “If
the international community does not invest with us, we will have to take
measures to see how these refugees could find another place for refuge,” he
said.
Hariri isn’t just asking for cash. Rather, he’s asking for an investment in
infrastructure—“bridges, universities, and hospitals, and strengthen electricity
and telecommunication.” In Germany, Hariri seems to have found a receptive ear.
In a joint press conference with Hariri, Chancellor Angela Merkel pledged to
continue support for Lebanon. What’s more, she presented this support in the
terms that Hariri laid out: “we are also trying to use this crisis situation to
promote economic momentum,” she said. “There shouldn’t be an impression [that]
the international community only takes care of the refugees; we have to look at
the whole of the country.”
Last year, Germany gave Lebanon $411 million. Hariri is requesting some
$1.4-$1.7 billion a year. It remains to be seen how much the Europeans can or
will dish out. But the Lebanese government is diversifying its options. Aside
from Hariri’s pitch to the Europeans, the Lebanese prime minister and his
government have also reached out to China. This more consequential outreach
entails drawing Chinese investment in northern Lebanon, especially in the port
city of Tripoli. Chinese delegations have been coming in to Lebanon, and the
Lebanese press is abuzz with stories about Chinese plans to invest in and
utilize Tripoli’s port and the adjacent planned Special Economic Zone, and to
overhaul and upgrade the nearby Qleiaat airport, and the old railroad linking
Tripoli to Homs in Syria.
To be sure, northern Lebanon is a region of vital political importance for
Hariri. So the prospect of bringing in investment and economic activity to the
area makes political sense. However, as is the case with the LAF’s synergy with
Hezbollah for example, this type of domestic Lebanese play intersects with far
more consequential regional and international dynamics inimical to U.S.
interests.
The Chinese interest in Tripoli, for example, is being marketed as part of the
future reconstruction effort in Syria. As such, Tripoli is billed as a gateway
and headquarters for Chinese firms looking to operate in Syria, with a port
right below the Russians slightly further north in Tartous. Of course,
refurbishing the infrastructure will take some time, but it doesn’t take much
imagination to see that this will be pitched also to Europeans eager to get in
on the Syria reconstruction wagon.
What all this says is that Hariri and the entire government he heads are
invested in a dynamic that only ties them deeper to Hezbollah and the
Assad-ruled Syria adjacent to Lebanon. Hezbollah, with its synergetic
relationship with the U.S.-backed LAF, has been working for the last five years
to safeguard the contiguity of Lebanon with Assad-controlled western Syria. LAF
liaison with the Syrian regime hasn’t stopped and may soon be formally and
openly reinstated. Getting Europe and China to invest financially in Lebanon,
with an eye on Syrian reconstruction, will tie Lebanon further to Assadist
Syria. What’s more, European and Chinese financial investment is also an
investment in the stability of the Hezbollah-dominated set-up and status quo in
Lebanon on which behalf Hariri is lobbying.
**Tony Badran, Tablet magazine's Levant analyst, is a research fellow at the
Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He tweets @AcrossTheBay.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on November 23-24/17
In Possible Nod To Israel, Two Top Saudi
Officials Visit Paris Synagogue
Jerusalem Post/November
23/17/
The Saudi officials told their hosts that it was their first time visiting
a synagogue.
In a historic first and possible nod to Israel, two top officials from Saudi
Arabia – both former government ministers – visited a synagogue in Paris this
week, The Jerusalem Post has learned. The officials were Secretary General of
the Muslim World League Dr. Muhammad Abdul-Kareem al-Issa, a former Saudi
justice minister, and Khalid bin Mohammed Al Angari, a former Saudi education
minister who currently serves as Riyadh’s ambassador to France. The Muslim World
League is an international Islamic NGO based in Mecca that works to spread
Islam. Alongside al-Issa’s work in the league, he also serves as an official
adviser to the royal court in Riyadh and to the Saudi minister of defense. The
pair, who visited the Grand Synagogue in Paris on Monday, were hosted by
France’s Chief Rabbi Haim Korsia and the synagogue’s rabbi, Moshe Sebbag. Sebbag
and Korsia removed a Torah scroll from the Ark during the visit and showed it to
the Saudi officials, explaining the significance of the text and showing them
various ornaments in the sanctuary. “This was very exciting,” Sebbag told the
Post on Wednesday. “This was their first time in a synagogue, and I was frankly
surprised that they came.”The Saudi officials told their hosts that it was their
first time visiting a synagogue. Their visit came amid reports of growing ties
between Israel and Saudi Arabia, and just a few days after IDF Chief of Staff
Lt.-Gen. Gadi Eisenkot gave an interview to a London-based Saudi newspaper in
which he said that Israel would be prepared to share intelligence on Iran with
the kingdom. In addition, Likud Minister Yuval Steinitz – a member of the
security cabinet – revealed on Sunday that Israel had covert ties with the
Saudis. “We have ties that are indeed partly covert with many Muslim and Arab
countries, and usually [we are] the party that is not ashamed,” Steinitz said.
“It’s the other side that is interested in keeping the ties quiet. With us,
usually, there is no problem, but we respect the other side’s wish, when ties
are developing – whether it’s with Saudi Arabia or with other Arab countries or
other Muslim countries.”
Arab Quartet Adds Two Entities, 11 Individuals to Terror List
Riyadh - Asharq Al-Awsat/November 23/17
The Arab anti-terror quartet added to its terror list 11 more individuals and
two entities – the International Union for Muslim Scholars (IUMS) headed by
Yusuf al-Qaradawi and International Islamic Council (IIC).
Saudi Arabia, Egypt, UAE, and Bahrain declared in a statement that in light of
their commitment to fighting terrorism, drying up its sources of funding,
combating extremist ideology and working together to eradicate it and immunize
societies against it, and in the framework of their joint efforts with active
partners in fighting terrorism, they blacklisted the two entities and eleven
individuals.
“The two entities listed are two terrorist organizations that promote terrorism
by using Islamic rhetoric as a cover to facilitate terrorist activities,” the
statement said. Qatar-based IUMS was established in 2004 and is chaired by al-Qaradawi
who is considered the Muslim Brotherhood's "godfather". The union is strongly
linked to the terrorist organization and has 67 members including the president,
the vice president, who is Iranian, the secretary general, and some indivudials
who had been accused of terrorism.
The International Union had an effective role in creating strife in Arab and
Islamic countries, backed by both Qatari and Turkish governments.
As for IIC, it aims at targeting Arab countries, mainly Saudi Arabia, UAE,
Bahrain and Egypt. Backed by the Qatari regime, it describes Saudi Arabia and
UAE as two "zionist" states.
The council is affiliated with several organizations and entities on the
quartet's terror list such as al-Karama organizations, Raf Institution, Qurtoba
organization in UK, and Islah Association.
Among those on the blacklist is Khaled Nazem Diab, a US citizen of Syrian
origin. He is the head of Relief International Development of the Qatari Red
Crescent, and funds armed militias in Syria.
Diab's activities reach countries like Yemen, Mauritania, Djibouti and Mosul
city in Iraq. He is a supporter of the Muslim Brotherhood and a member of the
board of trustees of al-Karama foundation.
He was arrested in Lebanon in 2013 on charges of funding terrorist groups in
Syria and had been on UN and US blacklists since 2002.
Salem Jaber Omar Ali Sultan Fathallah Jaber, who is a Libyan preacher and a
partner at "Boshra News Agency", a classified organization, is also on the list.
He used to preach in al-Tahrir Square in Benghazi, Libya, where he was known for
provoking armed militias to launch attacks against vital infrastructure spots.
Slain Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi had banned Jaber from delivering any speech
for five years.
A close colleague of terrorist preacher Yusuf al-Qaradawi, Jaber is also a
partner in several Qatari foundations such as "Qatar Charity" and "Raf", both
entities identified as terrorist. Moyasar Ali Musa Abdullah al-Jubouri, dubbed
Abu Maria al-Qahtani, was a former officer in the Iraqi Army within a group
called "Fedayeen Saddam" until 2003. After Paul Bremer restructured the army and
police, Jubouri worked as a policeman in Baghdad after which he joined al-Nusra
Front in Syria as the Grand Mufti and Emir of eastern area. He was then
dismissed by the organization leader "Abu Mohammed al-Joulani". He is the
previous assistant of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and uses a Qatari
passport in his travels.
UN listed Jubouri as an international terrorist in 2014 for associating with
al-Qaeda terrorist group.
The list also included Bahraini national Hassan Ali Mohammed Juma Sultan.
Sultan is a known extremist Shi’ite cleric who obtained his religious studies in
Iran. He is one of the top commanders of the Islamic Dawa Party, as well as the
dissolved al-Wefaq Association, and affiliated in several activities with the
Lebanese Hezbollah. He is considered a fugitive in Bahrain.
An audio recording reveals a phone conversation between Sultan and the Qatari
Emir’s adviser, Hamad bin Khalifah al-Attiyah, on attempts to create chaos in
Bahrain.Also on the list, Mohammed Suleiman Haidar Mohammed al-Haidar, who is a
businessman from a wealthy Qatari family and accused of financing several
terrorist groups active in Bahrain. He supported Bahraini terrorists trough bank
transfers of over 35,000 Bahraini Dinars. He is also linked to terrorist
activities in Bahrain through his financial support of the Bahraini opposition.
On the list, an Egyptian national, Mohammed Jamal Ahmed Hishmat Abdul Hamid who
is accused of plotting the General Attorney’s assassination. Following the
Egyptian revolution on June 30, he fled to Sudan then to Turkey.
Abdul Hamid is the key founder of the dissolved Freedom and Justice Party, the
political office of the Muslim Brotherhood group, and member of the party's high
committee. He is accused of inciting riots in Egypt.
Egyptian Alsayed Mahmoud Ezzat Ibrahim Eissa is also on the list for his
terrorist activity. He is the Muslim Brotherhood’s supreme guide. He has escaped
Egypt and is a wanted fugitive.
Eissa is accused of several crimes including espionage and had been arrested
several times. The quartet said in the statement that through their monitoring,
they discovered that Qatari authorities continued to support and finance
terrorism, promotion of extremism, and dissemination of hate speech. It added
that Doha not taken effective action to stop terrorist activity.
The statement reaffirmed the four countries’ commitment to strengthening all
efforts to combat terrorism and establish security and stability in the region.
They stressed that they will not hesitate to pursue individuals and terrorist
groups and will support all means in this regard at the regional and
international levels.
The quartet assured that it will continue to combat terrorist activities and
target terrorism financing regardless of its source, and will continue to work
with partners around the world to effectively reduce terrorist activities and
extremist organizations that should not be tolerated by any state.
The four countries concluded by thanking all the countries that support them in
their fight against terrorism, extremism and violence.
Iran emphasizes maintaining the Revolutionary Guards in Syria
Reuters, Ankara/November 23/2017/Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards will play an
active role in establishing a lasting “ceasefire” in crisis-hit Syria, its chief
commander Mohammad Ali Jafari said, adding that disarming Lebanon’s Hezbollah
was non-negotiable, state TV reported on Thursday. “Hezbollah must be armed to
fight against the enemy of the Lebanese nation which is Israel. Naturally they
should have the best weapons to protect Lebanon’s security. This issue is
non-negotiable,” the television quoted Jafari as saying. Saudi Arabia has
accused the heavily armed Iran-backed Hezbollah of helping Houthi militias in
Yemen and playing a role in a ballistic missile attack on the kingdom earlier
this month. Iran and Hezbollah both denied the claims. Jafari repeated Iran’s
stance on its disputed ballistic missile work, saying the Islamic Republic’s
missile program is for defensive purposes and not up for negotiation. The
program was not part of the 2015 nuclear deal with Western powers under which
Iran agreed to curb its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of some
sanctions. “Iran will not negotiate its defensive program ... there will be no
talks about it,” he said. “(French president Emmanuel) Macron’s remarks over our
missile work is because he is young and inexperienced.” Macron said earlier this
month that Tehran should be less aggressive in the region and should clarify the
strategy around its ballistic missile programme.
Syria opposition meeting in Riyadh sees no role
for Assad in interim period
Reuters, Amman/November 23/ 2017/Syria’s main opposition stuck by its demand on
Thursday that President Bashar al-Assad play no role in an interim period under
any UN-sponsored peace deal, despite speculation it could soften its stance
because of Assad’s battlefield strength. “The participants stressed that this
(the transition) cannot happen without the departure of Bashar al Assad and his
clique at the start of the interim period,” opposition groups said in a
communique at the end of a meeting in Saudi Arabia. The opposition groups held
the meeting to seek a unified position ahead of U.N.-backed peace talks, after
two year of Russian military intervention that has helped Assad’s government
recapture all of Syria’s major cities. The communique said the participants
supported a U.N. based political process that would allow Syria to undergo “a
radical political transition” from an “authoritarian system” to a democracy
where free elections would be upheld. The meeting of over 140 participants from
a broad spectrum of the mainstream opposition, including independents and Free
Syrian Army military factions, also blamed the Syrian government for the lack of
progress in Geneva-based talks held in the past. “The political process has not
achieved its goal because of the regime’s violations,” the communique said,
citing the bombing of civilian areas, the siege of rebel held areas and the
detention of tens of thousands of dissidents. Syria’s civil war, now in its
seventh year, has killed hundreds of thousands of people and created the world’s
worst refugee crisis, driving more than 11 million people from their homes.
There had been speculation that the opposition could soften its demands that
Assad leave power before any transition at the meeting. Riyad Hijab, an
opposition hardliner who led the High Negotiations Committee that represented
the opposition at previous rounds of negotiations, abruptly quit this week.
Around 20,000 Children Killed in Syria Since
March 2011
Damascus- Asharq Al Awsat/November 23/17/The Syrian Network for Human Rights
released its special annual report dedicated to documenting violations against
children by the parties to the conflict in Syria. The report, which is entitled
“Children of Syria… The Glaring Letdown”, was released on Monday (20-11-2017) on
the Universal Children’s Day. It notes that Syria is the worst country in the
world with respect to a range of violations against children, as the Syrian
regime has been primarily responsible for these violations, despite the fact
that the Syrian government had ratified the Conventions on the Right of the
Child (CRC).The report documented the “killing of 21,631 children by Syrian
regime forces since March 2011, including 186 children who suffocated to death
in chemical attacks, and 209 children who were killed in attacks by the Syrian
regime that involved the use of cluster munitions or were killed in explosions
of old cluster remnants.” Additionally, the report records that no less than 289
children have died as a result of the siege imposed by Syrian regime forces and
that no less than 12,007 children have been arrested by Syrian regime forces. Of
those, 3,007 are still under arrest until today as most of the recorded arrest
cases, the report notes, qualify as enforced-disappearance cases. According to
the report, children of Syria have suffered from cumulative ramifications that
resulted from the daily bombardment and destruction as nearly 1,378 schools and
kindergarten have been damaged, as the number of out-of-school children has
exceeded 3.2 million children in Syria. The health sector was also affected as
vaccination rates have dropped, and wide parts of the infrastructure have been
destroyed, resulting in the spread of hepatitis, due to people resorting to
drinking water from wells.
Many neighborhoods have been destroyed almost completely, forcing the Syrian
family to displace, whether inside Syria or abroad, as a new kind of suffering
had surfaced – with 60% of refugee children denied education, and forced into
labor.
The report adds that the UNHCR numbers suggest that 230,000 children at least
have been born in refugee camps. Many of those children weren’t able to acquire
identification papers, as the huge challenges of fighting the phenomenon of the
deprivation of nationality are significantly rising.
Belgium Welcomes 150 Syrian Refugees for
Humanitarian Reasons
Brussels - Abdullah
Mustafa/November 23/17/The Belgian government has agreed with various religious
leaders to receive 150 Syrian refugees from Lebanon and Turkey on humanitarian
grounds.Jan De Volder, the coordinator of this initiative, and a member of a
Christian community movement in Brussels, said that the Secretary of State for
Asylum and Migration, Theo Francken, would sign a “statement of intent” for this
purpose. The project, which is called “humanitarian corridors”, aims to welcome
150 people of Syrian nationality, who will arrive in Belgium from Turkey and
Lebanon, with a humanitarian visa. De Volder said the candidates would be
“checked in advance so that the authorities know the profile of the individuals
who are coming to Belgium.”In a statement to local media on Wednesday, he said
around 150 refugees, of different religions, mostly families with children as
well as elderly or people suffering from health conditions, would benefit from
this project. Francken, for his part, said he was happy with the ideological
diversity that characterizes this work, which is overseen by various religious
organizations. He added that his country would receive 150 Syrians and 1,150
others in the framework of Belgium’s share in a European plan for the
resettlement of Syrian refugees in 2018. He concluded that Islamic, Christian
and Jewish associations had showed support to the Syrian migrants and provided
aid and volunteers for a complete year to help welcome the new refugees.
Yazidi Mass Grave Found in Northern Iraq
Mosul- Asharq Al Awsat/November 23/17/Iraqi officials said they found another
mass grave in the northern Sinjar region on Wednesday containing the bodies of
dozens of members of the Yazidi minority killed by the ISIS terrorist group.
"The mass grave contains the bodies of 73 people, men, women and children
executed by ISIS when they controlled the region," local official Chokor Melhem
Elias told AFP. He said Iraqi security forces made the latest discovery in the
Rambussi area near the town of Qahtaniyya. In 2014, ISIS killed thousands of
Yazidis in Sinjar and kidnapped thousands of the community's women and girls as
sex slaves. The United Nations estimates 3,000 of them are still being held
captive. Kurdish fighters backed by the US-led coalition recaptured Sinjar from
ISIS in November 2015 before Iraqi security forces took control of the region in
October. Also, 10 days ago, mass graves containing at least 400 bodies were
found near Hawija, an Iraqi city that was occupied by ISIS fighters until last
month. Kirkuk province's governor, Rakan Said, said they were found at an
airbase just outside the city. Some of the victims were in civilian clothes but
others were wearing the jumpsuits that ISIS used to dress people who were
condemned to death. As government troops have advanced across Iraq, they have
discovered dozens of mass graves in areas that fell under the jihadists' brutal
rule. Last year the Associated Press published a survey of mass graves that
identified 72 sites. They could contain from 5,200 to more than 15,000 bodies,
the news agency said.
Abadi Gives Corrupt Individuals Two Options:
Return Money or Face Prison
Baghdad - Asharq Al-Awsat/November 23/17/ Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi
has waged a fierce battle against corrupt officials, giving them two options:
handing out the funds or face prison. During his weekly press conference on
Tuesday, Abadi said the corrupt had to either hand out the stolen money – and
maybe get an amnesty – or lose their money and spend the rest of their lives in
prison. He said his warning was similar to the government’s action against ISIS
in terms of asking the militants to surrender or die. Local sources clarified
that Abadi was hinting to a prominent businessman and contractor who gained
dozens of investment and service projects via his contacts during the term of
Nouri al-Maliki between 2006-2014. Abadi has been stressing in the past months
on “fighting corruption” as his next step after defeating ISIS. Islamic Dawa
Party, in a statement, revealed that party member Salah Abdel Razek was
investigated and found guilty of corruption. “I tendered my resignation before
the secretary general of Islamic Dawa Party Nouri al-Maliki due to the delicate
situation of the party as well as personal reasons. I pledge to remain loyal to
Maliki’s patriotic approach," wrote Abdel Razek. Islamic Dawa Party sources told
Asharq Al-Awsat that the decision to sack Abdel Razek preceded his resignation
statement. The sources asserted that the party is seeking to abolish corruption
ahead of elections expected in May, signaling that the party intends to sack and
hold accountable a number of members who occupy critical positions in Iraq. Dawa
Party's experience in the authority has severely impacted its reputation and led
to frustration among the people, given that it keeps its grip over the highest
executive authority in the country, meaning the premiership.
Libyan Army: Military Intervention Warning
Remains in Place
Cairo - Khalid Mahmoud
and Jamal Jawhar/November 23/17/The United Nations Support Mission in Libya
welcomed the House of Representatives’ decision to accept the consensual formula
to amend the political agreement signed by different Libyan factions in 2015. In
the meantime, a warning made by National Army Commander Marshal Khalifa Haftar
to intervene militarily in case negotiations fail remains in place. Spokesman
for the Libyan National Army Brigadier Ahmad al-Mesmari told Asharq Al-Awsat
that "the deadline set by Haftar has not passed," but he refused to give further
details. In a press conference held in Benghazi, Mesmari revealed that officers
and military commanders who have met recently in Cairo, have reached an
agreement that the head of state would be the "supreme commander of the armed
forces.”In this context, the UNSMIL media office explained that it had submitted
the latest version to the House of Representatives and the Council of State,
based on the deliberations of the Joint Drafting Committee in Tunisia. The
parliament voted overwhelmingly during Tuesday’s session to approve the unified
formula for the amendment of the political agreement presented by UN envoy to
Libya Ghassan Salame. Salame submitted a proposal to give the title of supreme
commander of the army to the new head of the executive authority. Mesmari
explained that this deal is the result of previous talks among military
commanders, revealing the arrangements for a fourth meeting among army officers
in the Egyptian capital, but he did not specify its date. “The people have been
suffering from the paralyzed institutions, and the military institution will
unite for the benefit of the homeland, and no party should be held accountable
for the failure of the intervention of the army in the political dialogue,” said
Mesmari. The unified formula approved by the Libyan parliament includes 12
clauses on the amendment of some points of the Skhirat Agreement concerning
executive power, which will consist of the Presidential Council and the Council
of Ministers.
Egypt Arrests 29 People Suspected of Spying for
Turkey
Cairo - Mohamed Abdu
Hassanein//November 23/17/Egypt took firm stances against Turkey on Wednesday
after accusing Ankara’s intelligence and security apparatuses of seeking to
target state institutions in collaboration with members of the Muslim
Brotherhood. Egypt’s Prosecutor General Nabil Ahmad Sadek ordered the detention
of 29 suspects for 15 days on charges of espionage for Ankara, with the
intention of damaging the country’s national interests and of conducting
overseas calls without licensing. General intelligence investigations revealed
on Wednesday that Turkish security and intelligence services developed a scheme
with Muslim Brotherhood members to take power in Egypt by disturbing the
existing systems in state institutions. According to investigators, the
conspirators “recorded calls and collected intelligence information, including
monitoring the opinions of various social groups and classes in Egypt.”
They said that Turkish intelligence then used the information to recruit agents
to commit aggressive acts against the Egyptian state. The findings of the probe
also uncovered that the conspirators deliberately circulated false information
and rumors through Egyptian media outlets, seeking to turn public opinion
against state institutions. The General Prosecution has allowed that phone
calls, meetings and all correspondences carried out between the defendants and
the Turkish security and intelligence services for consecutive months, be
recorded. Turkey currently hosts leaders and Muslim Brotherhood members, who
have received court verdicts. Ankara has also facilitated paperwork for Muslim
Brotherhood students who were dismissed from Egyptian universities by allowing
them to enroll in Turkish universities. The Supreme State Security Prosecutors
also ordered a raid on the houses of the suspects, seizing high tech electronic
devices, electromagnetic wave receptors, in addition to nano stations used in
rapid speed connection of these devices to international information networks.
Also on Wednesday, Cairo’s Criminal Court upheld a verdict by Prosecutor General
Nabil Sadeq to confiscate all belongings and assets of 16 defendants involved in
the case of spying for Turkey.
Palestinian Factions Agree to Hold General Elections by End of 2018
Cairo- Mohammed Nabil Hilmi//November 23/17/Representatives of Palestinian
factions and forces participating in the expanded reconciliation meeting in
Cairo achieved on Wednesday a relative breakthrough, by agreeing to hold
legislative and presidential elections before the end of 2018.
Participants also decided to launch a new round of negotiations in early
February. After two days of meetings at the Egyptian General Intelligence
headquarters, representatives of 13 factions and groups issued a joint
statement, which included six main items, mainly the recognition of the PLO as
the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians and the government
exercising its full functions in the Gaza Strip. Sources close to the matter
told Asharq al-Awsat that the issue of empowering the government was a major
dispute between Fatah and Hamas representatives. While the former wanted to
ensure greater authorities for the government at the level of ministries and
security services, Hamas said it had offered everything it had in this regard.
The Egyptian Intelligence sponsoring the agreement intervened by proposing to
form a committee of Egyptian officials to oversee the process of implementing
the government empowerment in detail, once the reconciliation meeting ended. As
for the elections, participants agreed to call on the Central Electoral
Commission and the concerned parties to complete all preparatory works in order
to conduct the presidential and legislative elections and the elections of the
National Council concurrently by the end of 2018. It was also agreed to ask
President Mahmoud Abbas to set the date of the elections after consulting all
national forces. On a different note, the participants condemned a US decision
not to renew the work of the PLO office in Washington. They described the
decision as pressure exerted by the US Administration on the Palestinian
leadership to impose “a regional solution” to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
UAE executes Jordanian who raped, killed 8-year-old compatriot boy
Al Arabiya/November 23/2017/UAE
authorities executed, Thursday morning, Nidal Eisa Abdullah, the convict who
raped and killed eight-year-old boy Obaida in May 2016, local media reported.
Dubai based newspaper Gulf News added quoted a chief prosecutor as saying “Today
(Thursday) morning, the convict was taken from his confinement at Dubai Central
Jail, where he had been waiting for the rulers approval to have the death
sentence executed ... a special execution team carried out the sentence in the
presence of high ranking officers, senior prosecutors and other involved law
enforcement bodies. Justice has been served and the ruling was carried out.”In
February, Dubai’s Cassation Court rejected the appeal lodged by the Jordanian
convict, Nidal Eisa Abdullah, 48, and upheld his death sentence given by lower
courts. UAE residents had, earlier, taken to social media expressing their anger
and shock over the crime, with some calling for the public execution of his
murderer. (MORE). The body of Obaida Ibrahim al-Aqrabawi was discovered in the
Al Warqa area of Dubai on Sunday after missing for two days. He was last seen
playing outside his home in the Industrial Area of Sharjah. Dubai Police Chief
Major General Khamis Al Muzeina said, then, the child was kidnapped from in
front of a garage in Sharjah’s industrial area, where the boy’s father worked.
UN survey: Besieged Syrians eating trash, fainting from hunger
Reuters/November 23/2017/Syrians in the besieged enclave of Eastern Ghouta are
so short of food that they are eating trash, fainting from hunger and forcing
their children to eat on alternate days, the U.N. World Food Programme said in a
report on Wednesday. Since September, approximately 174,500 people in the town
of Douma in the besieged zone have been forced to adopt emergency “coping
strategies”, the WFP report said. “This includes consuming expired food, animal
fodder and refuse, spending days without eating, begging and engaging in high
risk activities to get food. Moreover, many hunger-induced fainting episodes
have been reported among school children and teachers.”At least four people have
died from hunger, including a child in Douma who took his own life due to
hunger, said the report, which was based on a mobile phone survey and
information from contacts on the ground. Forces loyal to President Bashar
al-Assad have besieged rebel-held Eastern Ghouta since 2012 and Douma has not
had a food aid convoy since receiving wheat flour rations in August. Although
the area is traditionally agricultural, arable land on the outskirts of Eastern
Ghouta is either on the frontline of the conflict or targeted by snipers, the
report said. Last week fighting destroyed recently distributed rations in a
storehouse, exacerbating shortages. Although Damascus is only 15 km (10 miles)
away, 700-grams (25 ounces) of bread is 85 times more expensive in Eastern
Ghouta, the report said. “The situation is anticipated to deteriorate further in
the coming weeks when food stock is expected to be totally depleted and
household coping strategies will be highly eroded as a result.”Government
restrictions meant WFP could only provide a fraction of the food needed. Family
food baskets were being shared among six families and were reportedly the only
source of food for many female-headed and destitute households, it said. “Some
households are even resorting to rotation strategies whereby the children who
ate yesterday would not eat today and vice-versa.”The report quoted a female
head of household in Douma as saying she was forced to rotate rations between
her 13-year-old daughter and her two- and three-year-old orphaned grandchildren.
”My daughter cries every time I lock her door cause she knows today is not her
turn and will sleep with an empty stomach,” she said.
Iran sets Dec. 10 court date for jailed Iranian-British aid worker
Reuters, London/November 23/2017/Iran has told jailed Iranian-British aid worker
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe that she will appear in court next month accused of
spreading propaganda, her husband, Richard, said on Thursday. “She’s been told
she will appear in court on Dec. 10,” he told Reuters. He said that he
understood she would appear in court charged with spreading propaganda. Nazanin
Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a project manager with the Thomson Reuters Foundation, was
sentenced to five years after being convicted by an Iranian court of plotting to
overthrow the clerical establishment. She denies the charges.
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s fate become a major political issue in Britain after Foreign
Secretary Boris Johnson made remarks on Nov. 1 that appeared to cast doubt on
statements from her employer about what she had been doing in Iran. The Thomson
Reuters Foundation, a charity organization that is independent of Thomson
Reuters and operates independently of Reuters News, said she had been on
holiday. Johnson told a parliamentary committee he understood she had been
teaching people journalism before her arrest in April 2016. He later apologized
for his remarks. The Thomson Reuters Foundation said she had not been training
journalists in Iran. Iranian state television has said Johnson’s comments showed
Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s guilt and that she was involved in spying.
Iraq launches operation to clear last ISIS holdouts from desert
AFP, Baghdad/November 23/2017/Iraqi forces announced the launch of a major
operation on Thursday to flush remaining ISIS militants out of the western
desert near the border with Syria. The arid, sparsely populated wastelands
between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the last refuge of the militants in
Iraq after troops and paramilitaries ousted them from both valleys and all urban
areas. “The Iraqi army, the federal police and the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular
Mobilisation paramilitary units) this morning began clearing the Al-Jazeera
region straddling Salaheddin, Nineveh and Anbar provinces,” the head of Joint
Operations Command, General Abdelamir Yarallah, said in a statement.
Dry valleys
The region’s dry valleys, the oases and steppes make up around four percent of
national territory, Hisham al-Hashemi, an Iraqi expert on IS, told AFP last
week. Iraq’s close ally Iran has already declared victory of ISIS but Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday that he would not follow suit until the
desert has been cleared. “After the operation has ended, we will announce the
final defeat of Daesh in Iraq,” he said. Over the border in neighboring Syria,
pro-government forces and US-backed Kurdish-led forces are conducting similar
operations to clear ISIS fighters from the countryside north of the Euphrates
valley after ousting them from all urban areas.
Germany releases six Syrians suspected of terror
plot
AFP, Berlin/November 23/2017/Six Syrian refugees arrested in Germany on
suspicion of preparing a terror attack on behalf of ISIS were freed Wednesday
because of a lack of evidence, a prosecutor said. The suspects, aged 20 to 28,
were detained in dawn raids Tuesday that saw 500 police officers swoop on
residences in the cities of Kassel, Essen, Hanover and Leipzig. Media reports
said they were believed to be targeting a Christmas market. But the Frankfurt
public prosecutor said there was “insufficient evidence” they were preparing an
attack or were in any way linked to ISIS, a spokesman told AFP.
Refugee crisis
The six arrived in Germany between December 2014 and September 2015 at the
height of a refugee crisis which has seen Germany take in 1.2 million people in
the past two years. German authorities have been on heightened alert since ISIS
claimed a lorry assault on a Berlin Christmas market last December which killed
12 people. Earlier this year a man who had had an asylum claim rejected by
Germany stabbed one person to death at a supermarket and injured six others in a
suspected militant assault.
Iraq Launches Operation to Clear Last IS Holdouts from Desert
Naharnet/November 23/17/Iraqi forces announced the launch of a major operation
on Thursday to flush remaining Islamic State group fighters out of the western
desert near the border with Syria.. The arid, sparsely populated wastelands
between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the last refuge of the jihadists in
Iraq after troops and paramilitaries ousted them from both valleys and all urban
areas. "The Iraqi army, the federal police and the Hashed al-Shaabi (Popular
Mobilisation paramilitary units) this morning began clearing the Al-Jazeera
region straddling Salaheddin, Nineveh and Anbar provinces," the head of Joint
Operations Command, General Abdelamir Yarallah, said in a statement. The
region's dry valleys, the oases and steppes make up around four percent of
national territory, Hisham al-Hashemi, an Iraqi expert on IS, told AFP last
week. Iraq's close ally Iran has already declared victory of IS but Prime
Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday that he would not follow suit until the
desert has been cleared. "After the operation has ended, we will announce the
final defeat of Daesh in Iraq," he said, using an Arabic acronym for IS. Over
the border in neighbouring Syria, pro-government forces and US-backed
Kurdish-led forces are conducting similar operations to clear IS fighters from
the countryside north of the Euphrates valley after ousting them from all urban
areas.
Colombia's Minorities Still Face Armed Conflict, Says Amnesty
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 23/17/Colombia's landmark peace deal with
Marxist FARC rebels was supposed to mean peace for all -- but it has made little
difference to indigenous and Afro-Colombian minorities, Amnesty International
said Wednesday. A year on, the deal is having a "very limited impact" on the
lives of minority communities in Choco – a department where 60 percent of the
population are armed conflict victims. "Although the number of civilian deaths
has gone down since the Peace Agreement between the Colombian government and the
FARC was signed, armed conflict is still very much the reality for millions
across the country," said Salil Shetty, Secretary General at Amnesty
International. "Colombia is at a major crossroads," he added. "If the government
fails to take this opportunity to protect communities who have been terrorized
by armed groups for so long, the future will continue to look bleak." The peace
accord signed with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia in November 2016
ended a conflict which lasted 53 years. In addition to the human cost of the
violence -- which left 260,000 people dead and more than 60,000 missing -- it
also had serious environmental consequences. President Juan Manuel Santos was
awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year for his efforts to end his country's
conflict -- but he insisted his work was not finished.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on November
23-24/17
Prince Turki: Iran has not apologised for attack on Saudi embassy
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60535
Joyce Karam/The National/November 22, 2017
الأمير تركي الفيصل
يقول إن إيران لم تعتذر بعد عن الهجوم على السفارة السعودية في طهرا
Saudi Arabia's former chief of
general intelligence says time is not conducive for Saudi-Iranian talks
In a blistering critique of Iran’s regional policy, Prince Turki Al Faisal told
The National that its government is running on a “transnational sectarian
ambition” and that the time is not conducive for Saudi-Iranian talks.
Saudi Arabia's former chief of general intelligence described the economic and
social changes under way in his country as “transformational” and “on the right
track”.
He anticipated more progress in talks between Riyadh and Baghdad after Saudi
Arabia strengthened economic and political links with a flurry of diplomacy this
year.
On Iran, Prince Turki agreed with the Trump administration that parts of the
nuclear deal should be renegotiated to guarantee its sustainability over the
long term.
“When it comes to the nuclear deal, 15 years [duration of the deal signed in
2015] is a blink of an eye in a nation’s history,” Prince Turki said. “Countries
in the region need assurances that things won’t return to be threatening after
that period with Iran’s nuclear programme and enrichment levels.”
Prince Turki served for more than 20 years as head of the country’s intelligence
agency, before standing down in 2001. He went on to serve as ambassador to the
US before taking his current position as chairman of the King Faisal Centre for
Research and Islamic Studies in Riyadh.
Regionally, Prince Turki, who spoke to The National during a visit to Washington
this week, saw no room for Saudi-Iran negotiations in the current charged
environment.
“We have seen no improvement in Iran’s behaviour since the signing of the deal,
their reach and recruiting of proxies has even gone beyond the Arab World, it’s
driving a transnational sectarian ambition deep into Afghanistan and Pakistan,”
he said.
Prince Turki recalled the torching of the Saudi embassy in Tehran in January
2016.
“It’s been almost two years since the attack on the Saudi embassy in Tehran and
we haven’t seen even an apology from Iran,” he said. “There is no sign at all
for engagement or new room for negotiations.”
Prince Turki said Iran’s current behaviour “makes it hard to draw a line between
doves and hawks in their government”.
Iran’s foreign minister Javad Zarif “has consistently attacked Saudi as a
government and as an entity in opinion pieces. That’s a different level of
attacks”.
Asked about the unprecedented anti-corruption sweep launched earlier this month
with the arrest of 11 princes and more than 200 current and former officials,
Prince Turki said: “When King Salman ascended to the throne [almost three years
ago], he referred to corruption as a disease that needs to be tackled in order
for the Saudi society to move forward.”
He refused to comment on possible settlements in the arrests, adding that “what
is clear now is that the issue is in broad daylight and we are waiting to see
what the next official steps and statements are.”
Prince Turki applauded “the historic changes in the Kingdom” granting women the
right to drive as of June 2018, or to enter stadiums and constraining the
guardianship rules.
He also praised the progress made with Vision 2030 – the vast economic reform
plan spearheaded by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to reduce the kingdom’s
reliance on oil revenues.
“This is a transformation,” Prince Turki said. Economically “we are waiting to
see what happens with Vision 2030 but one report issued this week referenced
that the private sector’s GDP contribution has risen by 80 per cent, that means
we are on the right track. “
Prince Turki dismissed talk that the changes in Saudi Arabia are an attempt by
Prince Mohammed to consolidate power. “Prince Mohammed bin Salman consolidated
power when he became Crown Prince in June. He didn’t come to power in a
parachute and has full support of the king,” he said.
On Syria, the Saudi former diplomat reiterated his support for declaring a
national ceasefire that encompasses all of the country to be followed by
elections. He warned that unlike what happened in Iraq after the 2003 invasion,
“bureaucracy in Syria should not be scrapped but there should be accountability
and tribunals for crimes against humanity”.
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia hosted members of the Syrian opposition to outline a
unified vision ahead of UN peace talks in Geneva.
Prince Turki did not see an imminent breakthrough in Yemen where a Saudi-led
coalition has been supporting government forces against Iran-backed rebels who
seized the capital in 2014.
The kingdom has tightened access to the Houthi rebel-held territory after they
fired a ballistic missile at Riyadh earlier this month. Aid agencies have warned
that this is exacerbating a humanitarian crisis in which thousands of Yemeni’s
face starvation.
“It is a continuing debilitating civil war and upheaval, the UN must set up
mechanism to implement the ceasefire, with monitoring and enforcement measures,”
he said. While acknowledging multiple efforts to broker an agreement between the
parties he said: “I don’t see one materialising anytime soon.”
One ray of hope is in Saudi relations with Iraq, Prince Turki said, referencing
increased diplomatic and economic traffic between Baghdad and Riyadh.
“Iraq is an Arab and a Muslim country, and one that could contribute greatly to
the stability and security of the region” he said. “Unlike Iran who wants Iraq
weak and divided, we want a strong united Iraq.”
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/prince-turki-iran-has-not-apologised-for-attack-on-saudi-embassy-1.677927
How Ten Dem (Dumb) Members of Congress Encourage
the Use of Child Terrorists
Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/November 23/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11420/congress-child-terrorists
Now ten members of the "progressive caucus" of the Democratic Party are trying
to give these terrorist leaders another reason for using even younger terrorists
to kill even more innocent civilians.
The bill fails to acknowledge that some of the most barbaric terrorist attacks
against Jewish Israelis have been committed by Palestinian teens who have been
recruited by terrorist leaders.
Israel has a right — according to international law — to protect its citizens
from constant terror attacks, even those committed by young Palestinians.
Indeed, it has an obligation to do so.
Palestinian terrorist leaders often use teenagers to commit acts of terror
because they know that the Israeli legal system treats child terrorists more
leniently than adult terrorists. Now ten members of the "progressive caucus" of
the Democratic Party are trying to give these terrorist leaders another reason
for using even younger terrorists to kill even more innocent civilians.
On November 14, Representative Betty McCollum introduced legislation c
co-sponsored by nine other "progressive" members of Congress — calling on the
State Department to "prevent United States tax dollars from supporting the
Israeli military's ongoing detention and mistreatment of Palestinian children."
In a statement about the proposed legislation McCollum said:
"This legislation highlights Israel's system of military detention of
Palestinian children and ensures that no American assistance to Israel supports
human rights violations...Peace can only be achieved by respecting human rights,
especially the rights of children. Congress must not turn a blind eye the unjust
and ongoing mistreatment of Palestinian children living under Israeli
occupation."
It is well established that recruiting and using young Palestinians to wage
terror on Israeli civilians is part of the modus operandi of Palestinian
terrorist leaders. For decades, members of the radical Palestinian political and
religious leadership have been stirring up young people to wage war against the
Jews and their nation state. This was seen in the gruesome Intifada that began
in 2000, in which Palestinian teenagers committed dozens of attacks against
Jewish Israelis on buses, in cafes and at nightclubs. More recently—in what has
become known as the 'lone-wolf' intifada — children as young as 13 have stabbed
Israelis with scissors, screwdrivers and knives with the aim of inflicting
maximum harm.
Legislation proposed by members of the "progressive caucus" — entitled
"Promoting Human Rights by Ending Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian
Children Act" — does not explicitly state what constitutes a child within the
context of its proposed cut in U.S. to Israel. While noting that children
between the ages of 12-17 are held and prosecuted by Israeli military courts,
the bill fails to acknowledge that some of the most barbaric terrorist attacks
against Jewish Israelis have been committed by Palestinian teens who have been
recruited by terrorist leaders. Consider the terrorists attack that took place
over this past summer in Halamish (an hour outside Jerusalem) where a
Palestinian in his late teens — from a nearby PA-controlled village — chose a
Jewish house at random;, and fatally stabbed three members of a family as they
ate Shabbat dinner. The Palestinian "child" murderer also wounded several other
family members, while one mother hid her young children in an upstairs room
until the terrorist left. This scene of carnage is reminiscent of a similar
attack that occurred only six years earlier when two Palestinian teens armed
with knives broke into the Fogel family home in Itamar as they slept on Friday
night; the teens butchered the mother, father and three of their children —
including a three-month-old baby as she slept in her crib.
As a result of such terrorist attacks by Palestinian teenagers, Israel has had
to introduce legislation to deal with minors who commit grave attacks. In August
2016, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) passed a bill allowing imprisonment of
terrorists as young as 12. The bill also allows for leniency. The courts can not
only postpone the convicted minor's transfer date from a closed holding facility
to prison, but can also shorten or cancel the prison sentence altogether, if
warranted by the circumstances.
When introducing the law in the Knesset, MK Anat Berko said:
"This law was born of necessity. We have been experiencing a wave of terror for
quite some time. A society is allowed to protect itself. To those who are
murdered with a knife in the heart it does not matter if the child is 12 or 15.
We've witnessed numerous cases where 11-year-old children were suicide bombers.
Perhaps this law will also do something to protect these children from being
used to slaughter people."
In a desperate effort to justify her proposed legislation Congresswoman McCollum
argued that, "peace can only be achieved by respecting human rights, especially
the rights of children." McCollum's hypocrisy in this context is palpable. She
claims to be an advocate for "the rights of children." Yet the Congresswoman
refuses to acknowledge or condemn the Palestinian leadership for perpetrating
acts of child abuse by recruiting children to commit terror attacks on Jewish
women and children. She expressed no outrage when members of the Palestinian
leadership have been caught posting material on social media inciting and
encouraging young Palestinians to go out onto the streets and stab Israelis.
McCollum failed to protest when Hamas set up training camps — under the mantra
"Vanguards of Liberation" — aimed at training children as young as 15 to use
weapons against Israel, or when children in Gaza were crushed to death when the
terror tunnels they were recruited to build by the Hamas leadership, collapsed
on their bodies.
So I ask: what do these members of Congress think Israel should do? If children
as young as 13 or 14 were roaming the streets of New York, Los Angeles or Boston
stabbing elderly women as they shopped at the supermarket or waited at a bus
stop, would they protest the apprehension and prosecution of the perpetrators?
Of course not. No country in the world would tolerate terror in its cities,
regardless of the age of the terrorists. Israel has a right — according to
international law — to protect its citizens from constant terror attacks, even
those committed by young Palestinians. Indeed, it has an obligation to do so.
If Israel were to be punished for trying to protect its citizens from teenage
terrorists, it would further incentivize terrorist leaders to keep using
children in pursuit of their key objective: wiping the Israel off the map.
Meanwhile, rather than condemning the abhorrent and unlawful use of children as
pawns in this deadly process, this group chose to single out only the
nation-state of the Jewish people for punishment, as it tries to protect its own
citizens from indiscriminate terror attacks. People of good faith on both sides
of the aisle should call out this double standard for what it really is: an
attack on Jewish victims of teenage terrorism and their state. For shame on this
group of biased anti-Israel "progressive" Democrats, which include the following
members of Congress: Mark Pocan (WI), Earl Blumenauer (OR), André Carson (IN),
John Conyers, Jr. (MI), Danny K. Davis (IL), Peter A. DeFazio (OR), Raul
Grijalva, Luis V. Gutiérrez (AZ), and Chellie Pingree (ME). They give a bad name
to the Democratic Party, to the Progressive Caucus and to Congress.
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© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved.
The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or
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Gatestone Institute.
The semblance of Chirac’s leadership style in Macron
Randa Takieddine/Al Arabiya/November 23/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60531
التشابه بين ماكرون وشيراك في اسلوب
القيادة/ماكرون الدبلوماسي الإطفائي
Those who followed former French President Jacques Chirac’s era will see much of
his diplomatic approach in the presidency of Emmanuel Macron. Chirac adopted a
form of personal diplomacy where he built relations on the basis of personal and
close knowledge of world leaders.
This successful approach was adopted throughout Chirac’s term in office, not
only with late Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri, but also with the King of
Morocco Hassan II. Yasser Arafat called him Dr. Chirac, while the Kings and
Princes of Saudi Arabia – the late King Fahd bin Abdul Aziz, the late Crown
Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz and King Abdullah as well as the Custodian of the
Two Holy Mosques, King Salman – were friends to Chirac. Even if the issue
remains unresolved for some time, Macron has advised all sides in Lebanon to
refrain from involving themselves in the various crises facing the region
Macron’s dynamism
The truth is Chirac’s relations with world leaders deserve to be the subject of
a book in itself. The young French president Macron seems to be adopting the
same approach and although he acknowledges that he is new to the international
scene he has made quick and intelligent moves, and possesses an inspirational
form of leadership. For instance, when Macron felt that Lebanon was on the verge
of war after the resignation of Prime Minister Sa’ad Hariri – given that
tensions between Gulf states with Iran had escalated – he understood that this
war could be ugly given the presence of one and a half million displaced
Syrians, and so he hurried to prevent the fire from engulfing the Middle East.
Thus, Macron paid a visit to the UAE and met His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed
bin Zayed Al Nahyan. He then visited Saudi Arabia to meet with His Highness
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Thereafter, he invited Saad Hariri and his
family to visit France after having established contact with Lebanese President
Michel Aoun. He also called on all those he personally knew, including leaders
of Iran and Israel, in an effort to calm the situation and prevent the outbreak
of war in Lebanon. Thus, Macron saved Lebanon from a war albeit the country may
remain subjected to a protracted phase of political crisis after Hariri’s
resignation. Even if the issue remains unresolved for some time, Macron has
advised all sides in Lebanon to refrain from involving themselves in the various
crises facing the region. He has also urged Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran
Bassil – on receiving him as an envoy of President Aoun – for the need to
inoculate Lebanon from the crises facing the region and thereby remain neutral
towards Syria and Hezbollah. Macron’s advice to Bassil was that although
Hezbollah was a political player in Lebanon, one party should not exercise its
authority in making all the decisions for the country on its internal matters
and at international levels because of its alliance with President Aoun’s party.
Unfortunately for Lebanon, the hegemony of Syria and the Assad family in Lebanon
has allowed Hezbollah to become the strongest variable in the power equation of
the country.
France takes the lead
Hezbollah has prevented Lebanon from observing the principle of non-interference
in foreign crises by involving it in Syria, Yemen and Bahrain. The French
president has urged Lebanon to pursue a policy of self-abnegation to protect
itself. The strong links between France and Lebanon were demonstrated when
Macron invited the Lebanese prime minister to his state for the first time
during his presidency. President Macron and his wife Brigitte greeted Hariri,
his wife Lara and their eldest son Hossam, in front of the international media,
and showed signs of intimate friendship by holding Hariri’s hand and embracing
the family as if they were members of family. Suddenly, Lebanon is back to being
in the headlines as international media starts to focus on Macron’s role. The
ingenuity of the young French president, which won him the presidency, at a time
when most pundits thought he would not make it, is becoming evident each day as
he begins to implement his reforms. Macron is determined to continue his role in
the international arena. He is scheduled to visit Iran later where he would warn
the regime about its aggressive policies aimed at destabilizing the Gulf,
Lebanon, Syria and Iraq, and will at least try to persuade it to change its
policies. He will continue trying to contribute towards crisis resolution. For
instance, he is trying to resolve the crisis in Syria, despite the difficulties
and obstacles and in spite of the limited abilities of Russia and the US in the
Syrian war.
His youthful dynamism may contribute to his success; especially since European
countries remain in the grip of their own internal political crises. Britain is
grappling with the Brexit issue, German Chancellor Angela Merkel is unable to
form a government and Spain confronts the Catalonian problem. As such, Macron’s
France currently remains the best European player for making its presence felt
on the international stage.
Iran-backed Houthi missiles
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/November 23/17
The launching of ballistic missiles on Saudi cities by Houthi militias is not
unprecedented, as they did not spare even the holiest and most sacred place on
earth, Makkah, from their attacks last June. Although Saudi defense forces have
thankfully been able to intercept all the missiles, the latest attempt to target
Riyadh on November 4 represents a serious development in the war in Yemen. As
the backer and the guarantor of these militias, Iran has crossed every red line
in the conflict with Saudi Arabia in particular and with the countries of the
region in general. Providing an out-of-state terrorist group with ballistic
missiles is a serious issue that is contributing to the continuation of the
conflict and hindering a political settlement of the crisis. It is also a
serious threat to neighboring countries and to the region. Had the Iranian
regime not supported the Houthis, Saudi Arabia would never have been targeted.
Moreover, these weapons can be transferred to other terrorist groups in areas of
conflict, thereby increasing the frequency of terrorist attacks.
Violation of UN resolutions
In addition, providing Houthi militias with these missiles is a continuation of
the explicit violation of Security Council resolution 2216, which prohibits the
arming of Houthi militias. With disrespect for the international system, this
terrorist group has gone too far because it feels that there is no deterrent.
International community must accelerate measures to put an end to the crisis in
Yemen in accordance with the Gulf initiative, the decisions of the national
dialogue and the resolutions of international legitimacy. Even the United
Nations has recently been prejudiced through reports containing many fallacies
and contradictions, equating the legitimate and the internationally recognized
government forces and leadership representing Yemen and the Yemeni people with
an out-of-state armed militia that overturned the legitimate government. The
most striking evidence of this is the recent UN report, which in criticizing the
international coalition seems to have forgotten that the participation of the
coalition came in response to the request of the legitimate government and in
implementation of UN resolution 2216.
Strategic weapons
Likewise, continuously supplying Houthis with Iranian-made strategic weapons,
which many reports confirm to be smuggled to the militias through the port of
Hodeida, is a serious threat to freedom of navigation in the strategic Strait of
Bab Al-Mandeb. Commercial vessels and oil tankers in the Red Sea may be targeted
and ports may be closed. Bab Al-Mandeb is a strategic strait for international
trade linking the Red Sea to the Indian Ocean. It is a busy corridor for oil
transportation in the Middle East and elsewhere. Over 60 commercial vessels as
well as millions of barrels of oil cross the strait every day.
Finally, the international community must accelerate measures to put an end to
the crisis in Yemen in accordance with the Gulf initiative, the decisions of the
national dialogue and the resolutions of international legitimacy. It has to
hold Iran accountable for its violations of international resolutions and its
destabilizing behavior. Moreover, according to the statement of the Arab
Coalition for the Support of Legitimacy in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has the right to
defend its land and its people at a time it deems appropriate, which is
guaranteed by international law and accords with Article 51 of the Charter of
the United Nations.
Macron as a firefighter diplomat
Christian Chesnot/Al
Arabiya/November 23/17
The mediation of Emmanuel Macron in the Hariri affair confirms France’s desire
to play a central role in the Middle East. The principles of the diplomatic
posture of Paris are regularly hammered by the French president’s advisers.
France speaks to everyone – be it Saudis or Iranians – and does not have to take
sides in the struggle for influence in the region. In this context, the Lebanese
crisis was a promising test case for the French president who was able to deploy
all his talent as a diplomat. If Emmanuel Macron has got involved in this, it is
because Lebanon remains the main gateway to French influence in the Levant and
that Saudi Arabia was promoted by his predecessor Francois Hollande to the rank
of strategic partner. Paris could not stay away from a case involving two of its
main allies in the region. To settle the Hariri case, President Macron was able
to engage with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman with whom he speaks frankly.
Apparently, the two men have good chemistry and, according to a diplomat, even
exchange text messages on their phones.
Young leaders
This is not surprising considering they are both young leaders belonging to the
same generation and yet embody political succession in their respective
countries. Thanks to this successful mediation, Emmanuel Macron scored points.
This is an indisputable personal success that France had not known for a long
time. Seen from Paris, accumulation of crises that pile up and feed off each
other, increases the risk of a destructive embrace for the entire region.
However, beyond this timely intervention, the president is doing a tight
balancing act between Saudi Arabia and Iran. His bet is to have the ear of both
Riyadh and Tehran. Is it possible? But above all, is it tenable? The Iranians
are furious that France has put on the table the question of Islamic Republic’s
ballistic missile program as well as the influence of Tehran in the region. On
the other hand, French president has sent several messages to the Saudi
leadership suggesting that Paris does not wish to call into question the Vienna
agreement on the Iranian nuclear deal and especially does not share the
anti-Iranian approach with Riyadh.
Ideal position
France thinks that it is today in an ideal position to try to make reason,
pragmatism and realism prevail. Will it be heard though? Faced with an
unpredictable American president, there is certainly room for Paris to play a
different tune. “France is available”, the Elysee repeats. Seen from Paris,
accumulation of crises that pile up and feed off each other, increases the risk
of a destructive embrace for the entire region. Realistically, the current
priority of French diplomacy remains the stability of Lebanon. Paris wants to
“distance” the country from Cedar regional crises, because in the current highly
volatile context, nobody has interest in its destabilization. As a firefighter
diplomat, this is the message that Emmanuel Macron repeats to all the Lebanese
parties, but also to Teheran and Riyadh. To match the words with action, the
French president also intends to organize an international aid conference for
Lebanon in Paris next year.
Bad day for Saudi diplomacy: Lebanese reversal, Syria summit
Associated Press/November 22
/17
يوم دبلوماسي سيء للسعودية حيث لافي لبنان عودة عن الإستقالة وفي المقلب الآخر قمة
سورية
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=60529
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Saudi diplomacy is not having a good day — in
fact, it’s a double whammy — and the kingdom’s bullish 32-year-old crown prince
is seen as the driving force behind the foreign policy blunders.
On one side, Lebanon’s prime minister Saad Hariri, a Saudi ally, on Wednesday
walked back his resignation, which had shocked the tiny nation when he broadcast
it from the Saudi capital, Riyadh, almost three weeks ago. Some say his
resignation was carried out under direct instructions from his Saudi patrons.
Also Wednesday, Saudi Arabia’s main rival, Shiite power Iran, stepped into the
limelight by taking part in a summit in Russia on Syria’s future.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the son of King Salman, is seen as being
behind most of Saudi Arabia’s major decisions. MBS, as he is known, is accused
in some quarters of being adventurist and impulsive in his foreign policy
approaches in Yemen and Lebanon, as well as in the crisis with neighboring
Qatar.
Moves by MBS to ramp up tensions with Iran, which backs Lebanon’s Hezbollah,
have had little success in actually rolling back Iranian influence in key
counties like Iraq and Syria.
The kingdom has accused Iran of supplying Yemen’s Shiite rebels with a missile
that targeted Riyadh earlier this month. The missile was intercepted by Saudi
defenses but it was the deepest a rebel projectile had made it into the kingdom.
Tehran denies arming Yemen’s rebels.
While the Saudis may have known ahead of time that Hariri would reverse his
resignation, it was still seen as a public blow to the kingdom, which some in
Lebanon accused of having orchestrated the Nov. 4 resignation in the first
place. Many Lebanese even questioned whether Saudi Arabia had been holding
Hariri against his will in Riyadh.
Hariri’s Saudi-backed political play may pressure the Shiite Hezbollah to limit
its role in regional conflicts but the militant group is still a major force in
Lebanon.
Close Saudi allies such as France and Egypt have cautioned against instability
in Lebanon and spoken out against rising tensions with Iran. France’s President
Emmanuel Macron’s mediation succeeded in getting Hariri out of Saudi Arabia to
Paris for a few days.
As Hariri addressed thousands of supporters at home in Lebanon Wednesday, Saudi
Arabia was hosting another meeting of Syria’s disparate opposition groups that
have failed to coalesce and present a unified front ahead of another round of
Syrian peace talks in Geneva.
The Syrian opposition remains bitterly divided.
Hours before the Riyadh meeting, a dozen opposition figures, including Riad
Hijab, the head of the Saudi-formed High Negotiations Committee, resigned in
protest, accusing others of being too willing to accept Syrian President Bashar
Assad’s continued role.
In Russia’s Sochi, President Vladimir Putin was hosting his counterparts from
Iran and Turkey. Though Turkey backs the Syrian opposition, it has agreed to
cease-fires to reduce violence with Assad’s main backers, Iran and Russia. The
three countries are all seen as the dominant players in the war-torn country.
On Monday, Assad was warmly received by Putin in Sochi. Assad’s government,
whose forces have been backed by a Russian air campaign and fighters from Iran
and Hezbollah, now controls more than 50 percent of Syria — about a fifth more
from earlier this year.
Despite Saudi efforts and those of others backing the Syrian opposition, no
force on the ground seems capable of driving Assad out at this stage.
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