LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 06/17
Compiled &
Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.september06.17.htm
News Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Bible Quotations For
Today
Take care! Be on your guard against all
kinds of greed; for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of possessions
“You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things
you have prepared, whose will they be?”So it is with those who store up
treasures for themselves but are not rich towards God.’”Holy Gospel of Jesus
Christ according to Saint Luke 12/13-21/:”Someone in the crowd said to him,
‘Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.’But he said
to him, ‘Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?’ And he said
to them, ‘Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one’s life
does not consist in the abundance of possessions.’Then he told them a parable:
‘The land of a rich man produced abundantly. And he thought to himself, “What
should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?” Then he said, “I will do
this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store
all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods
laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”But God said to him, “You
fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you
have prepared, whose will they be?”So it is with those who store up treasures
for themselves but are not rich towards God.’
The Jews joined in a conspiracy and bound themselves
by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed Paul
Acts of the Apostles 23/12-22/:”In the morning the Jews joined in a conspiracy
and bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they had killed
Paul. There were more than forty who joined in this conspiracy. They went to the
chief priests and elders and said, ‘We have strictly bound ourselves by an oath
to taste no food until we have killed Paul. Now then, you and the council must
notify the tribune to bring him down to you, on the pretext that you want to
make a more thorough examination of his case. And we are ready to do away with
him before he arrives.’Now the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush; so
he went and gained entrance to the barracks and told Paul. Paul called one of
the centurions and said, ‘Take this young man to the tribune, for he has
something to report to him.’So he took him, brought him to the tribune, and
said, ‘The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you;
he has something to tell you.’The tribune took him by the hand, drew him aside
privately, and asked, ‘What is it that you have to report to me?’ He answered,
‘The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council tomorrow, as
though they were going to inquire more thoroughly into his case. But do not be
persuaded by them, for more than forty of their men are lying in ambush for him.
They have bound themselves by an oath neither to eat nor drink until they kill
him. They are ready now and are waiting for your consent.’ So the tribune
dismissed the young man, ordering him, ‘Tell no one that you have informed me of
this.’”
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on September 05-06/17
Despite recent setbacks, Hezbollah's future is still bright/Yoav
Zitun/Ynetnews/September 06/17
Haley lays out argument to say Iran not abiding by nuclear deal/Associated
Press/Ynetnews/September 06/17
Will Jordan normalize relations with Syria/Shehab Al Makahleh,/Al Arabiya
English/September 05/17
When "Progressivism" Crushes Muslim Women/A. Z. Mohamed/Gatestone
Institute/September 05/17
Israeli President Rivlin: Iran Is a Threat To The World/Jerusalem Post/September
05/17
The Islamic Future of Europe/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/September 05/17
The Best Era for Working Women Was 20 Years Ago/Bryce Covert/The New York
Times/September 05/17
Confronting Korea’s Madman/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/September 05/17
Autumn of Iraq’s bleeding map/Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/September 05/17
The reality of confronting Kim Jong-Un/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/September
05/17
The Macron ‘doctrine’ for the Arab world/Christian Chesnot/Al Arabiya/September
05/17
How Qatar is destabilizing Africa/Jibril al-Abidi/Al Arabiya/September 05/17
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
September 04-05/17
Despite recent setbacks, Hezbollah's future is still bright
Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Heads to Damascus to Activate Agreements
Supporting Lebanese Army is Main Item in Upcoming Putin-Hariri Talks
SA Says Lebanon Bears Consequences of Hizbullah's Deeds
US Says IS Convoy Still Stranded in Syria
Army Command Says DNA Results of Slain Servicemen Wednesday
Ibrahim Discusses South Border With UNIFIL Commander
Report: Ain el-Hilweh File Pushed to the Front Burner
Kanaan hails defeat of terrorism, rebuffs preconditions involving refugee return
Russia welcomes Syrian breach of IS siege
France to arm military surveillance drones
Aoun: Victory against terrorism is promising
Hariri receives STL Prosecutor and Ray LaHood
Berri welcomes ambassadors of Russia, Switzerland
Hamadeh, World Bank loan steering committee meet over implementation of 'Race 2'
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports
And News published on
September 04-05/17
Haley lays out argument to say Iran not abiding by nuclear deal
Russian Warplanes Break Deir Ezzor Siege
Egypt, Russia Finalize Arrangements for the Completion of Nuclear Plant
Agreement
Houthis Prepare to End Partnership with Yemen’s Saleh
Red Cross President to meet with Sinwar to Discuss Israeli Prisoners held by
Hamas
Israel army to hold drill simulating war with Hezbollah
Russian frigate fires cruise missiles at ISIS targets near Syria’s Deir Ezzor
Syria’s Assad congratulates army on breaking ISIS Deir al-Zour siege
Two Russian soldiers killed by shelling in Syria’s Deir al-Zor province
Will Jordan normalize relations with Syria?
Israel evicts Arab family from Jerusalem home Jews claimed
Egypt to host war games with US after eight-year-hiatus
Churches condemn attempts to ‘weaken’ Christians in Jerusalem
Latest Lebanese Related News published on
September 05-06/17
Despite recent setbacks, Hezbollah's future is still bright
Yoav Zitun/Ynetnews/September
06/17
https://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-5012634,00.html
Op-ed: While losing both men and money into the Syrian civil war, Hezbollah and
its beleaguered leader Hassan Nasrallah seem to be tiptoeing towards becoming
the Middle East's second strongest army, after the IDF. Its cooperation with
Iran, and Russia, has made it part of a growing Shiite axis in the region.
The IDF's widespread combined arms exercise that began Tuesday in the country's
northern region comes on the heels of the army coming to terms with the fact the
next war in the northern sector versus Israel's main enemy—Hezbollah—will differ
from what was planned a few years ago in light of the rapid-fire changes in
Syria, Lebanon and the rest of the Shiite axis stetching all the way to Iran.
The IDF has drawn the conclusion that Hezbollah is an organization that isn't
growing nearly as much as it would have liked, thanks in part to the loss of
life and resources invested in fighting the Syrian civil war alongside Assad,
not to mention the frequent covert assaults against the organization, attributed
to Israel.
Furthermore, IDF sees the organization's leader Hassan Nasrallah as an isolated
figure surrounded by suspicious compatriots who question his ability to head of
the terrorist organization following the assassination of his second-in-command
Mustafa Badreddine last year.
Israel, claims the hit was intra-organizational and backed by Iran, based on
Badreddine's refusal to submit himself to the organization's war in Syria. The
Israeli army further notes Hezbollah is suffering harsh economic hardships with
2,000 of the group's fighters killed in Syria, only 50 in the past year. For
comparison's sake, 650 of the organization's men were killed fighting the IDF
during the Second Lebanon War.
Having said that, the axis that Hezbollah makes up is inching ever closer to
growing in strength. Iranian plans for building factories in Syria or Lebanon
intended to Hezbollah missiles more accurate are definitely in place both in
Tehran and in Dahieh, all part of Iran's grand scheme to entrench itself in
Syria after the civil war. This scheme, in fact, crosses over several environs
and is not restricted to the area of security, as Iran also aspires to create
the basis for agriculture in the war-torn country and take over mines and ports,
shoring up Syria's economic fortunes as those of ISIS shrink.
Some 16,000 Shiite militants are fighting on Syrian soil right now, most of them
pledging their allegiance to Hezbollah with a small number of Iranian forces and
advisors standing alongside local Shiite militias. In some of the cases, those
Iranian forces and Hezbollah fighters fight shoulder to shoulder with the
Russian forces, and are trying to glean any information they can from the latter
both on the battlefield and in command outposts.
As of today, Israel has been unable to convince Russia to abandon its
partnership with Iran, seeing as Moscow considers Tehran a strategic near-term
partner for removing ISIS while fortifying Assad's regime. Despite Nasrallah's
misfortunes, it seems he has overseen development of some impressive independent
capabilities and may no longer be considered a "puppet for the Iranians." While
he's yet to receive the full brunt of Iranian assistance, on the intra-Lebanese
playing field he enjoys a comfortable rapport with Prime Minister Saad Al-Hariri
who is pursuing a new elections law that may boost Hezbollah's parliamentary
power from 12 to 15 or more seats.Ironically, Nasrallah is waging a successful
war against ISIS on the Syria-Lebanon border and even closes prisoner-swap deals
with them. The only difference between his deals with ISIS, unlike similar deals
with Israel, is Nasrallah is willing to give away more prisoners in return for
fewer of his men, due to the growing sensitivity of the families of Hezbollah
fighters.
Hezbollah's learning curve, despite the difficulties, has become one of its
stronger suits. The terrorist organization—deemed by some in the IDF as the
"second-strongest army in the Middle East"—is now capable of waging regimental
war and utilizing offensive drones, along with efficient intelligence gathering
and using attack tunnels and caves. It also fires both small arms and artillery
while using tanks, all the while growing its ranks rapidly and expertly by 4,000
men in a specific area—as it has done only recently against ISIS. Serving as
backdrop to the above is the UN Security Council's recent decision to beef up
United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL)'s powers, allowing it to
supervise Hezbollah activities inside Shiite villages, a decision the Israeli
security establishment regards with cautious optimism. Nevertheless, the IDF is
far from content with the political move pushed by US Ambassador to the UN Nikki
Haley and is already seeking an increase in activities foiling Hezbollah and
Hamas power plays, emphasizing stopping attempts to transfer advanced weaponry
to Nasrallah.
Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Heads to Damascus to Activate Agreements
Asharq Al Awsat/September 05/17/Beirut
– Lebanese Minister of Agriculture Ghazi Zoaiter announced on Monday that he
will soon travel to Damascus to meet with his Syrian counterpart to follow up on
talks they held weeks ago when he had controversially traveled to the
neighboring country. He said while receiving popular delegations and farmer
associations that he was traveling to Damascus to “activate agreements in wake
of the opening of border passages between Syria and each of Iraq and Jordan.”
Zoaiter and Industry Minister Hussein al-Hajj Hassan had visited Damascus last
month where they attended the Damascus International Fair. The trip had stirred
controversy in Lebanon with many officials opposed to talks with members of the
Syrian regime. The ministers themselves said that they had headed to Syria on a
personal, not official, trip. Zoaiter said on Monday that he had held talks in
August with the Syrian Prime Minister and Minister of Trade and Agriculture on
various agreements signed between Beirut and Damascus. There are at least 36
deals between the two sides, he said, while adding that the cooperation and
coordination agreement signed between them had positive results on Lebanon’s
agricultural sector because Syria is the main portal for Lebanon’s exports to
the Arab world. On his visit to Syria, Zoaiter said: “We are not boycotting it,
but simply distancing ourselves from it. This has nothing to do with
agricultural exports.”
Supporting Lebanese Army is Main Item in Upcoming
Putin-Hariri Talks
Asharq Al Awsat/September 05/17Beirut- The visit of Lebanon’s Prime Minister
Saad Hariri to Moscow and his meeting with President Vladimir Putin next Monday
carries several revealed titles, such as supporting the Lebanese Army to face
terrorism and discuss the Syrian refugee crisis in Lebanon. The visit also
carries concealed political headings, which are very sensitive to Kremlin. Putin
and Hariri are expected to tackle the fate of head of the Syrian regime Bashar
al-Assad in the transitional political phase in Syria. Observers close to Hariri
do not deny that the prime minister’s mission in Moscow would be difficult, as
Hariri might not be capable to convince Putin to give up the Assad paper. Head
of the Beirut-based Levant Institute for Strategic Affairs, Sami Nader told
Asharq Al-Awsat that the Russian president knows that Hariri represents an Arab
and regional voice. For his part, member of the Future parliamentary bloc MP
Okab Sakr said that Hariri’s visit to the Russian capital plans to mainly
discuss the Lebanese situation, considering that Moscow is now a main player in
the Middle East and the Arab world. “Hariri hopes that Russia plays a positive
role in the region, which would also reflects positively on Russia itself,” Sakr
told Asharq Al-Awsat on Monday, adding that the prime minister talks in Moscow
will push in this direction. The deputy spoke about the importance of improving
relations between Beirut and Moscow. “The Lebanese Prime Minister will have a
real say in the Syrian file as Lebanon is highly affected by the Syrian crisis,
and was previously occupied by the Syrian regime,” Sakr said. Despite the
difficulty to change Russia’s position vis-à-vis Assad’s presence in Syria, Sakr
uncovered that “in the backstage, the Russian leadership knows that Assad has no
role in the future of Syria, but the problem lies in who will replace Assad
during the transitional phase.” He said that Hariri has no illusion that he
could change the position of Putin, but, at least the prime minister will show
the Russian president the dangers of keeping Assad and their repercussions on
the future of both Syria and Lebanon.
SA Says Lebanon Bears Consequences of Hizbullah's Deeds
Naharnet/September 05/17/Saudi Arabia has lashed out at what it said are “brutal
crimes” of Hizbullah, meanwhile Lebanese diplomatic sources told al-Joumhouria
daily on Tuesday that Lebanon will pay the price of Hizbullah's “madness” and
intervention in regional conflicts. In a comment posted on Twitter, Saudi
Minister of State for Gulf Affairs Thamer al-Sabhan lashed out at Hizbullah
accusing the party of committing “brutal crimes,” as he urged the Lebanese to
stand against it. “The brutal crimes committed by the Party of Satan against our
nation will inevitably reflect on Lebanon. The Lebanese must either choose to
stand by the party or against it. Arabs' blood is precious,” said al-Sabhan on
his personal Twitter account. Meanwhile, unnamed Lebanese diplomatic sources
said in remarks to al-Joumhouria that “Riyadh considers Hizbullah a satanic and
terrorist party that has killed, destroyed and trained in various Arab countries
and must bear the consequences of its deeds together with its allies.”The
sources expressed their belief that “Lebanon is going to pay a dear price for
Hizbullah's insanity if the party is not confronted inside,” Lebanon. They
assured that Saudi Arabia's position reflected through al-Sabhan is addressed
“to every free Lebanese who rejects repression and terrorism,” they said.
US Says IS Convoy Still Stranded in Syria
Associated Press/Naharnet/September 05/17/The U.S.-led coalition says a convoy
of hundreds of Islamic State militants and civilians is still stranded in
government-held territory in Syria after it prevented them from being relocated
from the Lebanon-Syria border under a deal with Hizbullah. The coalition said
that it has passed a message to the Syrian government through Russia asking it
to separate the fighters from civilians. It says it has not taken any action to
prevent food and water from being brought to the evacuees. Lt. Gen. Stephen
Townsend says "the Syrian regime is letting women and children suffer in the
desert. This situation is completely on them."The IS fighters and their families
evacuated a week ago under a deal with Hizbullah, which agreed to give them safe
passage to far eastern Syria, near the Iraqi border, in exchange for the remains
of Lebanese soldiers captured in 2014.
The U.S.-led coalition and Iraq have condemned the deal, saying IS fighters
should be killed on the battlefield. The coalition has carried out airstrikes to
prevent the convoy from reaching IS-held territory, but has not targeted the
evacuees themselves.
Army Command Says DNA Results of Slain Servicemen Wednesday
Naharnet/September 05/17/The Army Command announced on Tuesday that the official
DNA results conducted to determine whether nine bodies found near the eastern
border belong to Lebanese troops abducted and killed by the Islamic State group
will be released on Wednesday at 10:00 a.m. Meanwhile, LBCI reported that DNA
tests have matched samples of Abbas Medlej and Khodr Yahya. Eight bodies had
been recovered last Sunday while the body of a ninth soldier was located on
Tuesday as part of a Hizbullah-led deal with IS. The jihadist group offered the
information about the troops’ burial site in return for being allowed to
withdraw to eastern Syria. The servicemen were abducted when the army was
battling the IS in the northeastern border town of Arsal in 2014.
Ibrahim Discusses South Border With UNIFIL Commander
Naharnet/September 05/17/General Security Chief Maj. Gen. Abbas Ibrahim held
talks on Tuesday with Force Commander and Head of Mission of the United Nations
Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Major-General Michael Beary, the National News
Agency said. Talks between the two men have reportedly focused on the situation
along Lebanon's southern border after the extension of the UNIFIL mission in
Lebanon. In August, the UN Security Council had extended the peacekeeping
mission in Lebanon for another year amid pressure from the United States for the
UN force to take action against Hizbullah. Talks have also dwelt on the means of
coordination between the UN and the General Security agency.
Report: Ain el-Hilweh File Pushed to the Front Burner
Naharnet/September 05/17/Lebanon's army and authorities have conveyed a “strong”
message to representatives of the Palestinian factions in the southern refugee
camp of Ain el-Hilweh to help in “handing over all the fugitives” taking refuge
in the camp, “mainly extremists Bilal Badr and Shadi al-Mawlawi,” and end
recurrent tension deviating to areas close to the restive camp, al-Joumhouria
daily reported on Tuesday. “The situation in Ain el-Hilweh camp has been put on
the front burner,” a Lebanese security source told the daily on condition of
anonymity. “In the past few days, even during Eid al-Adha holiday, leaders and
representatives of the Palestinian factions in the camp have been informed of a
strong worded Lebanese message that the situation in this camp will no longer be
accepted as a permanent point of tension, a source of sedition and a threat to
the security of the Lebanese and Palestinians alike,“ added the source. He also
pointed out that the camp is a “haven for most wanted terrorists.” The source
said that Palestinian factions were requested to help in handing over all the
terrorists and fugitives mainly extremist Bilal Badr and Shadi al-Mawlawi.
Lebanon's security and military forces are prepared to put this at the top of
priorities in their efforts to combat terrorist cells, assured the source. “Ain
el-Hilweh camp contains the most dangerous terror cells. They must be in the
army's and security services' grip in the end,” he added. For their part, the
Palestinian factions assured that they refuse shapes of terrorism inside the
camp. “The ball is now in the court of the camp's residents and Palestinian
leaders to prove their credibility. We are waiting for the fugitives to be
handed over,” concluded the source. The restive southern Ain el-Hilweh camp had
witnessed a week of deadly clashes last month between the secular Fatah Movement
and small Islamist groups led by the militants Bilal Badr and Bilal al-Orqoub.
By longstanding convention, the Lebanese army does not enter Palestinian refugee
camps in Lebanon, leaving the Palestinian factions themselves to handle
security. Ain el-Hilweh -- the most densely populated Palestinian camp in
Lebanon -- is home to some 61,000 Palestinians, including 6,000 who have fled
the war in neighboring Syria. Several armed factions including extremist groups
have a foothold in the camp which has been plagued for years by intermittent
clashes.
Kanaan hails defeat of terrorism, rebuffs preconditions
involving refugee return
Tue 05 Sep 2017/ NNA - The Change and Reform Parliamentary bloc held its weekly
meeting on Tuesday chaired by Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Minister, Gebran
Bassil. In the wake of the meeting, the bloc's Secretary, MP Ibrahim Kanaan,
said that today's meeting majorly focused on the aftermath of the Lebanese
Army's victory in "Fajr Al-Jroud" battle against Daesh terrorists. "Terrorism
has been defeated, and the victory of the army is clear. All the talk about the
withdrawal of terrorists and so on brings us back to the following question: Was
the aim of the battle against terror to kill or to liberate our land? Was the
aim to inflict heavy losses among our army ranks or to try to limit damage and
liberate our land? This operation has scored a 100 percent success because it
led to the liberation of our land at the lowest cost possible," Kanaan said.
Moreover, the lawmaker added that the blood of martyrs was not the sole property
of anyone, and pushed for justice away from politics. "This is an exceptional
move in a republic that had been used to submerge the truth and to reach
settlements at the expense of the Lebanese only to delve in a new round of
breaches all over again," Kanaan added. "Minister of Justice Salim
Jreissati announced today the adoption of measures similar to those proposed by
His Excellency the President of the Republic, demanding the competent
authorities to conduct full investigations," he added, explaining that the
Change and Reform bloc had called back in 2014 for defining the responsibilities
and conducting an investigation into the slain servicemen's issue. Touching on
the simmering Syrian refugee dossier, Kanaan reiterated on behalf of Change and
Reform bloc that the return of Syrian refugees was directly linked to Lebanon's
sovereignty. "No conditions, whether internal or external, regional or
international, should be set concerning the return of Syrian refugees to their
homeland," he added. As for the rampant corruption and squandering of public
funds, Kanaan stressed that the budget was the most important reform work that
could be done because it was an indicator of the expenditures of the Lebanese
state as a whole. "The final report on the draft budget in 2017 was completed in
its final form after hard work over the span of months of difficulties and
absence of quorum," Kanaan explained. "We hope that there will be a near session
by the House of Parliament to approve the budget," the lawmaker concluded,
stressing that there will be no compromise on public money. "We seek transparent
financial accounts and respect for constitutional assets in this area, and this
will hopefully protect the state's economy and public money.
Russia welcomes Syrian breach of IS siege
Tue 05 Sep 2017 /NNA - A Kremlin spokesman says President Vladimir Putin has
sent his congratulations to Syrian President Bashar Assad after government
forces breached the nearly three-year Islamic State siege of the eastern city of
Deir el-Zour. Dmitry Peskov told reporters Tuesday that Russian Defense Minister
Sergei Shoigu had briefed Putin on "the completion of the operation to break the
siege" of Deir el-Zour. Putin hailed it as an "important strategic victory" and
sent a telegram to Assad to congratulate him. Peskov says fighting in the Syrian
city continues, and government forces are still advancing. Syrian state TV said
earlier Tuesday that troops reached the western outskirts of the city, parts of
which have been controlled by the extremists since January 2015. Russia has
provided crucial aid to Assad since the Syrian civil war began in 2011, and has
been launching airstrikes in support of his forces since 2015.--AP
France to arm military surveillance drones
Tue 05 Sep 2017/NNA - France is set to arm drones that are currently used
exclusively for surveillance and intelligence, a first for the French military,
the defense minister said Tuesday. Florence Parly said the decision will
initially apply only to the six unarmed Reaper surveillance drones that France
bought from the United States. Most of them, based in Africa's Sahel region, are
involved in the fight against Islamic extremists. Parly did not specify a
timeframe for when they would be armed or what kind of weapons would be
deployed. The drones wouldn't become "killer robots," Parly said, stressing that
strikes would be governed by strict national and international rules relating to
the use of force. Arming the drones will give them "endurance, discretion,
surveillance and strike capability at the right place and the right moment," she
said in a speech in the southeastern city of Toulon, The armed drones will help
France's military become "more effective" and enable it to better use its
fighter jets, helicopters and other aircrafts, she added. Parly added that in
the longer term, France is also jointly working with Germany, Italy and Spain to
develop an armed European drone. The issue has long been sensitive in France,
where some critics have expressed fears about pilots operating at a great
distance from the battle ground. A report issued by French senators earlier this
year concluded that drones are now "at the heart of all operational tools" in
the fight against terrorism abroad. The report said many countries are already
using armed drones, including the United States, Israel, Great-Britain, Italy,
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, Iran, Pakistan and Turkey.--AP
Aoun: Victory against terrorism is promising
Tue 05 Sep 2017/NNA - President of the republic, Michel Aoun, on Tuesday
underlined that Lebanon's victory against terrorism on the outskirts of the
Anti-Lebanon region was positive and promising. Aoun made these remarks during
his meeting with a French delegation of Pierre Fabre company. The President
considered this visit to be a proof on businessmen's confidence in Lebanon's
future, as well as in the country's stability on the political and security
levels. On a different note, President of Central Africa, Faustin Archange
Touadera, will start tomorrow (Wednesday) an official visit to Lebanon, meeting
Aoun's invitation.
Hariri receives STL Prosecutor and Ray LaHood
Tue 05 Sep 2017/NNA - Prime Minister Saad Hariri received today at the Grand
Serail the STL Prosecutor Norman Farrell, in the presence of Deputy Prosecutor
Joyce Tabet, a statement by Hariri's press office indicated on Tuesday. Hariri
also received former congressman Ray LaHood, who said after the meeting: "I am
Ray LaHood, former secretary of transportation for the United States and former
member of congress. I just passed by to talk to the Prime Minister for a few
minutes. He and I have been friends for a couple of decades, 20 years. I was a
very good friend of his father and when we are in Lebanon we want to pay our
respect to the Prime Minister. We talked a little bit about his visit to the
United States and how successful that was. We also talked about the fact that my
son is now a congressman and serving in the congress in the United States and
was just in Lebanon. He will be representing as best he can the issues of
Lebanon in the congress in the future. We talked about moving forward. We want
to continue our friendship and continue to be helpful."
Berri welcomes ambassadors of Russia, Switzerland
Tue 05 Sep 2017/NNA - Speaker of the House, Nabih Berri, met at
Ein Teeneh on Tuesday with Russian Ambassador to Lebanon, Alexander Zasypkin.
Talks between the pair reportedly touched on the most recent developments in
Lebanon and the region. Separately, Berri met with Swiss Ambassador, Monica
Schmutz Kergus, with talks featuring high on bilateral relations and the
prevailing situation at the local and regional scenes. The former minister also
met former US Congressman, Ray Lahoud.
Hamadeh, World Bank loan steering committee meet over
implementation of 'Race 2'
Tue 05 Sep 2017/NNA - Minister of Higher Learning and Education, Marwan Hamadeh,
on Tuesday presided over the preliminary meeting of ambassadors and
representatives of donor countries supporting the Ministry of Education's
project "Race 2", which aims at delivering education to all students on Lebanese
territories. The meeting took place in presence of the ambassadors of Britain,
Germany, the European Union, Director of the US Agency for International
Development (USAID), UNICEF Representative in Lebanon, as well as the Ministry
of Education's Project Management Unit. The meeting discussed plans to launch
the new academic year for Lebanese and non-Lebanese students within the
deadlines set by the ministry, and to secure the financial solvency to cover
expenses and fill the financial gaps resulting from the last academic year.
Talks also touched on the meetings that will take place on the sidelines of the
UN General Assembly in New York, and which will gather Education ministers and
officials of international institutions with a view to securing funds for the
coming years, especially for projects in support of refugee education.
Hamadeh later chaired the first meeting of the steering committee which he
formed a per the loan agreement with the World Bank, in presence of the members
of the committee including Ministry of Education General Director Fadi Yark,
Head of the Educational Center for Research and Development Nada Aweigan,
Director of Secondary Education Jamal Baghdadi, Director of the Comprehensive
Education Program, Sonia Khoury, and the Minister's advisors Anwar Daw and
Ghassan Shukroun. The meeting had been an opportunity to present the proposed
steps to implement the loan project in accordance with the components included
in the project and allocated to the Directorate General of Education, the
Educational Center for Research and Development, and the project management of
education programs for non-Lebanese. Discussions also featured high on the
solicitation of proposals for the establishment of international and local
observation committees as stipulated by the loan law, which requires the
development of curricula, training teachers, improving the quality of education,
rehabilitation of schools, establishment of new schools, and increasing the
number of students in public schools to reach approximately 500 thousand
including Lebanese and non-Lebanese.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on
September 05-06/17
Haley lays out argument to say Iran not abiding by nuclear deal
Associated Press/Ynetnews/September
06/17
Speaking to a conservative think tank, President Trump's UN ambassador details
information which may lead to US declaring Tehran to be in breach of the nuclear
deal, says Trump may have to ‘move beyond narrow technicalities and look at the
big picture.' President Donald Trump's envoy to the United Nations laid out an
argument Tuesday for the US to potentially declare Iran in violation of the
nuclear deal, but suggested the Trump administration might then leave it to
Congress to decide whether to withdraw. In a speech to a conservative think
tank, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said she didn't know what decision Trump would
ultimately make, as a series of deadlines approach. But she said if he did
decide against certifying Iran's compliance, he'd be on solid ground, but added,
"What happens next is significantly in Congress' hands.""I get that Congress
doesn't want this. This is not an easy situation for Congress," Haley said. "But
our lives are not about being easy. Our lives are about being right."The Trump
administration has been debating for months whether to scuttle the nuclear deal,
as Trump threatened to do as a candidate, despite staunch opposition from US
allies who negotiated the deal with former President Barack Obama's
administration. Under pressure from both sides, the administration has been
exploring possible halfway options, such as declaring Iran in violation but
leaving its relief from nuclear sanctions in place at least temporarily. Yet
while a US law passed to codify the nuclear deal gives lawmakers some oversight,
the agreement is not a treaty. It's been widely assumed until now that
responsibility lies with the White House, not Congress, to determine continued
US participation in the deal. Kicking the issue to Congress would also echo the
president's newly announced approach on immigration and another Obama-era
program that shielded from deportation some immigrants brought to the US
illegally as children. Trump's administration announced Tuesday the program "was
being rescinded," but Congress would have six months to try to come up with a
legislative fix. Under the nuclear deal and the related US law, the president
must tell Congress every 90 days whether Tehran is complying with its
obligations under the deal, in which Iran agreed to roll back its nuclear
program in exchange for billions of dollars in sanctions relief. The
International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN agency that monitors the deal, said
as recently as last week that Iran was complying. The Trump administration has
faced two of the 90-day deadlines so far, and both times avoided the showdown
and said Iran was meeting the conditions needed to keep enjoying sanctions
relief. But Trump more recently has said he does not expect to certify Iran's
compliance again. The next deadline is in mid-October. Questioned about the
approach during a speech at the American Enterprise Institute, Haley insisted
she wasn't preordaining what should or shouldn't happen. She also acknowledged
that US allies in Europe are pushing Washington to stay in the painstakingly
negotiated deal, but added: "This is about US national security. This is not
about European security." "If the president finds that he cannot in good faith
certify Iranian compliance, he would initiate a process whereby we move beyond
narrow technicalities and look at the big picture," Haley said.
Russian Warplanes Break Deir Ezzor Siege
Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al Awsat/September 05/17/Beirut- Russian warplanes
allowed on Monday the Syrian regime and its allies to reach the outskirts of
Deir Ezzor for the first time in three years ahead of breaking the siege in the
ISIS-controlled city. Pro-regime websites announced on Monday evening that the
Syrian forces came to within 1800 meters from breaking the siege of Deir Ezzor,
which populates around 93 thousand civilians. The governor of the Deir Ezzor
said that the Syrian army would reach the city by Tuesday night. Mohammed
Ibrahim Samra said on Sunday that the Syrian army will arrive at the
ISIS-controlled city in 24-48 hours at the most. A military media unit run by
Hezbollah said the advancing forces were heading to the besieged military’s
garrison camp on the outskirts of Deir Ezzor. While the latest advancement was
surprising, Syrian opposition sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that Russian
warplanes “had largely facilitated the regime’s move” towards the city of Deir
Ezzor. “The Russian warplanes participated actively in attacking the ISIS
militants’ travels and in targeting their vehicles, positions and booby-trapped
cars,” the sources said. Meanwhile, reports revealed on Monday that the convoy
of buses carrying ISIS militants, who had left the Qalamoun Jurud at the
Syrian-Lebanese border last week as part of a deal between Hezbollah and the
terrorist group, have already reached the towns of Anah and Rawa in Iraq at the
border with Syria, taking shortcut roads in the Syrian desert. The reports also
revealed that their families were still trapped inside the Syrian territories.
However, military officials at the US-led coalition fighting ISIS in Syria and
Iraq asserted that the convoy of 17 buses was still waiting for the seventh day
under their observation near the town of Sukhnah in the desert while 6 buses
from the convoy had returned to the regime-controlled city of Palmyra.
Egypt, Russia Finalize Arrangements for the Completion of Nuclear Plant
Agreement
Asharq Al-Awsat/September 05/17/Cairo–
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said on Monday that his country has
completed an agreement with Russia on the building of a nuclear power plant,
noting that the contract was ready to sign. He stated that he has also invited
Russian President Vladimir Putin to Egypt to mark the start of construction. The
nuclear plant will be established in the region of Dabaa, about 130 km northwest
of Cairo on the Mediterranean coast. Sisi met with Putin on the sidelines of the
BRICS summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen. Alaa Youssef, spokesman for the
Egyptian presidency, said that the two officials have reviewed a number of
issues related to bilateral relations, including the resumption of Russian
flights to Egypt. Air traffic between Egypt and Russia has been suspended since
the end of 2015, in the wake of the crash of a Russian passenger plane in the
Egyptian airspace on October 31, 2015, killing 224 passengers and crew. Youssef
noted that the Russian president praised efforts exerted by the Egyptian
authorities in securing airports. He expressed hope that Russian flights would
resume soon after the conclusion of the current technical consultations between
the two sides.
Putin underlined the importance of promoting close ties with Egypt in all
fields, especially the economic and trade relations, praising the increase of
trade exchange between the two countries by 14%, according to the Egyptian
presidential spokesperson. Political sources linked Moscow’s decision to resume
air traffic to Egypt with the completion of negotiations on the nuclear plant,
for which a preliminary agreement was signed in November 2015. The sources added
the completion of the agreement would accelerate the resumption of Russian air
traffic and the flow of Russian tourists into the country.
According to the agreement, Egypt will receive a $25 billion Russian loan to
cover 85 percent of the plant, with a capacity of 4,800 MW.
Houthis Prepare to End Partnership with Yemen’s
Saleh
Riyadh – It appears that former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, who is
nicknamed the “fox” due to his expertise in political maneuvering with his
friends before his enemies, is approaching a new phase in his career, this time
in regards to his ties with his allies, the Houthi insurgents.The Houthis
announced on Monday the termination of the reconciliation reached with Saleh in
September 2014, marking the beginning of possibly one of the most dangerous
chapters in the former president’s political career. Informed Yemeni sources
told Asharq Al-Awsat that the situation in Sana’a has reached a boiling point
and that the next 48 hours may witness “a heavy blow” dealt by one side to the
other. According to the obtained information, armed Houthis have come very close
to Saleh’s al-Sabeen security zone, while pro-Saleh forces have started to
depart Sana’a in anticipation of a possible siege against them. These
developments come at a time when a Yemeni source said that the Houthi militia
decided to end its alliance with Saleh and prepare to implement a plan that will
see his arrest and transfer to the Saada province. No official information has
been released to confirm this scenario. Yemeni security and political researcher
Mohammed al-Walas said that this information may have been deliberately leaked
to test Saleh’s alliance. What is certain however, he added is that Saleh’s
arrest and transfer to Saada has become one of the main options for the Houthis
in order to uncover the former president’s secret files that he still keeps to
himself in regards to his local and foreign ties. Walas said that Saleh is “now
besieged in Sana’a.”
Red Cross President to meet with Sinwar to Discuss
Israeli Prisoners held by Hamas
Asharq Al Awsat/September 05/17/Gaza- The head of the International Committee of
the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, is expected to meet with Hamas leader in the Gaza
Strip Yahya Sinwar to discuss the Israelis detained by the movement,
well-informed Palestinian sources told Asharq al-Awsat newspaper. The sources
added that the file of missing Israeli soldiers and civilians in Gaza “will be
at the top of the agenda of the meeting between Maurer and Sinwar.” Israel has
officially accused Sinwar of obstructing the completion of a swap deal because
of “Hamas’ exaggerated demands.”
Maurer begins on Tuesday a three-day visit, during which he will meet with
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman,
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah and other
officials in Gaza. A statement by the ICRC said: “The president of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) arrives in Israel and the
occupied territories tomorrow, Tuesday September 5, to take stock of the
humanitarian situation.” “In the course of his three-day visit, Peter Maurer
will meet with Israeli and Palestinian authorities at the highest level in
Jerusalem, Ramallah, Gaza and Tel Aviv to discuss various topics of concern to
the ICRC. Mr. Maurer will also undertake a number of field trips to witness the
situation on the ground,” the statement added. It also noted that the ICRC
president would share observations from his visit and from his exchanges with
the authorities and with civil society representatives during a press conference
that would take place on September at the American Colony Hotel in Jerusalem.
Maurer is expected to meet with families of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli
jails. However, it is still unclear whether he will meet the families of missing
Israelis in the Gaza Strip, who have recently demanded that the ICRC intervenes
and pressures Hamas to determine their fate.
Israel army to hold drill simulating war with Hezbollah
AFP, JerusalemTuesday, 5 September 2017/Israel’s army will begin Tuesday a
massive exercise simulating conflict with Lebanese movement Hezbollah in the
country’s north, military sources said, in what would be the largest drill in
nearly two decades. The drill will last 10 days and simulate “scenarios we’ll be
facing in the next confrontation with Hezbollah”, a defense source said Monday,
referring to the Iran-backed Shiite movement. Military sources said tens of
thousands of soldiers, including thousands of reserves, would take part.
Aircraft, boats and submarines would be deployed, and the army’s canine unit
would also participate, they said. The army would set up two field hospitals and
test unmanned trucks and helicopters to evacuate casualties. Israel and the
United States last month accused a UN peacekeeping mission of turning a blind
eye to Hezbollah smuggling arms and amassing forces on Lebanon’s southern border
with Israel in preparation for war, after a conflict between both sides in 2006.
Preparations for the drill, however, have been ongoing for more than a year and
a half, the sources said. The last time the Israeli army held a drill of this
volume was in 1998, when it simulated a war with the Syrian army for a week.
Russian frigate fires cruise missiles at ISIS targets near
Syria’s Deir Ezzor
Reuters, MoscowTuesday, 5 September 2017/The Russian frigate Admiral Essen fired
Kalibr cruise missiles at ISIS targets near the Syrian city of Deir al-Zor on
Tuesday to help a Syrian army offensive in the area, the Russian Defence
Ministry said. The strike, which was launched from the Mediterranean, destroyed
command and communications posts, as well as ammunition depots, a facility to
repair armored vehicles, and a large group of militants, the ministry said. The
strike had targeted ISIS militants from Russia and the former Soviet Union, it
added.
Syria’s Assad congratulates army on breaking ISIS Deir al-Zour
siege
AFPTuesday, 5 September 2017/Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Tuesday
congratulated government troops who broke a years-long ISIS group siege on the
government enclave of Deir al-Zour city, his office said. "Today you stood
side-by-side with your comrades who came to your rescue and fought the hardest
battles to break the siege on the city," Assad said in a call with the
commanders of troops who had been besieged in a base in Deir al-Zour. Syrian
forces and allied fighters arrived on Tuesday at the Brigade 137 base on the
western edge of Deir al-Zour, effectively ending a siege of more than two years
on part of the city.
Two Russian soldiers killed by shelling in Syria’s Deir al-Zor
province
Reuters, Moscow Tuesday, 5 September 2017/Two Russian servicemen have been
killed in Deir al-Zor province after ISIS militants shelled a convoy they were
escorting, the Russian Defence Ministry was cited as saying on Monday by the
Interfax news agency. The convoy was transporting Russian ceasefire monitoring
military staff when it came under mortar attack, the ministry was quoted as
saying. One soldier was killed on the spot and the other died in hospital after
sustaining serious injuries. Both were awarded posthumous military awards, the
ministry said. Russia said earlier on Monday that its air force was helping the
Syrian army push ahead with an offensive on the Euphrates city of Deir al-Zor,
where Islamic State has besieged 93,000 civilians and an army garrison for
years.
Will Jordan normalize relations with Syria?
Shehab Al Makahleh,/Al Arabiya English/September 05/17
Jordan has expressed optimism over the reopening of its border crossing in
southern Syria, with government spokesman Mohammed Momani affirming that
relations between the two sides were “heading in the right direction”.
Expressing satisfaction at increased ‘stability’ in southern Syria, the
Jordanian spokesman noted late last month, “If the current situation continues
and southern Syria stabilizes, it would allow for the reopening of the crossing
points between the two states.”An ‘incipient’ Jordan-Syria bonhomie . Meanwhile,
a top aide to Bashar Al-Assad praised relations between the two sides in glowing
terms: “Hearts in Syria and Jordan still beat for each other and this reflects
the Arab people’s longing for the project of reawakening and liberation”. The
political and media adviser to Bashar Al-Assad Bouthaina Sha’aban added: “We
must look at the future with optimism and this necessitates reading events that
our Arab nation went through with critical eyes, without repeating mistakes of
the past”. Shaaban issued these statements on receiving a delegation from Arab
Lawyers Union late last month. For his part, head of the delegation Samih
Khreiss said that he only hears positive and reassuring statements from
officials of the Assad regime and nothing that might adversely affect bilateral
ties.The Jordanian head of the delegation stressed that there was a common
refrain among all the delegates who visited Syria. “The rejection of all that
has happened in Syria thus far.” He reiterated that “If the Jordanian government
would take any positive steps toward Syria, we (the Lawyer’s Union) are ready
and we would support such a move to cement ties further”. Khreiss added that
during his visit to Syria he spoke with several officials of the Assad regime
including Hilal Hilal, Assistant Regional Secretary of the Syrian Regional
Branch of the Ba'ath Party, and Bouthaina Sha’aban.
Syrian war to be ‘over by year-end’
The head of the lawyers’ delegation also disclosed that sources in the Assad
regime told them that the war in Syria will be over before the end of the year,
which should raise prospects for the early reopening of the Jordanian-Syrian
borders. Jordan shares over 380 kilometer-long border with Syria, and is one of
the Arab states that did not sever its diplomatic relations with the Assad
regime due to “the special and unique ties between the people of both
countries”. The country also played a role in brokering a truce in south western
Syria, along with US and Russia, which entered into force on July 7, 2017.
The optimism of the Jordanian government over the eventual “normalization of
relations” is said to have risen with a noticeable fall in the number of Syrian
refugees in Jordan since the truce has come into effect.
Israel evicts Arab family from Jerusalem home Jews claimed
The Associated Press, JerusalemTuesday, 5 September 2017/Israeli officials have
evicted a Palestinian family from their home in east Jerusalem to make way for
new Jewish tenants. Municipality officials backed by security guards enforced a
court order Tuesday to remove the six-member Shamasneh family from a home
claimed by heirs of a Jewish family forced to abandon it in 1948 when it came
under Jordanian control. Israel took control of the area after the 1967 war and
continued existing renting arrangements with Arab tenants. But a law allowing
Jews to reclaim former homes or repurchase them have set up such conflicts.
Ayoub Shamasneh, 79, said his case was still pending. "How can they do this to
us?" he said.Palestinians claim the evictions aim to alter east Jerusalem's
demography. Israel says it is merely enforcing the law.
Egypt to host war games with US after eight-year-hiatus
The Associated PressTuesday, 5 September 2017/Egypt’s military says it will host
war games with US troops later this month for the first time in eight years.
Col. Tamer el-Rifai, a military spokesman, said Tuesday that the 10-day military
exercises, known as “Bright Star,” would begin September 10. The bi-annual
exercises date back to 1981, but the Obama administration postponed them in
2011, following the uprising that toppled longtime President Hosni Mubarak, and
scrapped them in 2013, after Egyptian security forces killed hundreds of
protesters while breaking up a mass sit-in. US President Donald Trump has
praised Egypt as a key ally against terrorism, although last month the United
States cut or delayed some $300 million in military and economic aid.
Churches condemn attempts to ‘weaken’ Christians in
Jerusalem
AFPTuesday, 5 September 2017/The leading churches in Jerusalem issued a rare
joint statement Tuesday condemning what they called “systematic” Israeli
attempts to “weaken the Christian presence” in the city. The statement, signed
by the heads of the Catholic, Greek Orthodox, Armenian, Lutheran and other
churches, condemned an Israeli court decision allowing a pro-settlement group to
take control of church land in a mainly Palestinian area of annexed east
Jerusalem, as well as a bill in the Israeli parliament relating to church land.
“We see in these actions a systematic attempt to undermine the integrity of the
Holy City of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and to weaken the Christian presence,”
the statement said. On July 31, a Jerusalem court upheld controversial real
estate deals involving Israeli pro-settlement organization Ateret Cohanim and
the church for two hotel properties near the Jaffa Gate entrance to the Old
City. The Greek Orthodox church has denied selling the land and called the
ruling “politically motivated”. Separately a proposed bill in the Israeli
parliament would transfer to the state all previously church-owned land that was
sold to private investors, in exchange for compensation, Israeli media have
reported. The bill has yet to be passed but could damage future church property
deals. The statement said the two measures threatened a decades-old agreement
between religions about the governing of sites in Jerusalem. “We cannot stress
strongly enough the very serious situation that this recent systematic assault
on the status quo has had on the integrity of Jerusalem and on the well-being of
the Christian communities of the Holy Land,” it said. They called for support
from Christians across the world.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on
September 05-06/17
When "Progressivism" Crushes Muslim Women
A. Z. Mohamed/Gatestone
Institute/September 05/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10931/progressives-muslim-women
It seems illogical for self-described
"progressives" to turn a blind eye to the misery of fellow females forced to
endure the kind of unimaginable treatment documented by best-selling authors
Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Azar Nafisi.
The reason for that is rooted in a regard for "multiculturalism" in which
anti-Americanism and anti-Zionism are considered more vital than the
victimization of women.
There is, of course, never any mention of the "people who suffered under Eastern
colonialism," such as the Iranian victims of the current regime, or the victims
of al-Qaeda and ISIS, or the nearly 11,000,000 Muslims killed since 1948. Of
these, 90% by other Muslims; only 3% by Israel.
In spite of repeated and verified accounts of the physical and sexual abuse of
women and girls throughout Muslim parts of the world, Western feminists at best
remain silent, and at worst supportive of the male oppressors.
It seems illogical for self-described "progressives" to turn a blind eye to the
misery of fellow females forced to endure the kind of unimaginable treatment
documented by best-selling authors Ayaan Hirsi Ali and Azar Nafisi. The reason
for that is rooted in a regard for "multiculturalism" in which anti-Americanism
and anti-Zionism are considered more vital than the victimization of women.
In such a value system, the highest priority is the ultimate goal of destroying
pluralistic and democratic Western values, which the far-left views as a
euphemism for conservative, capitalist, colonialist, imperialist ideals that
must be eradicated. They do not even bother to realize that throughout history,
Muslim conquests -- not even speaking of Asia -- but of the Christian Byzantine
Empire, the Middle East, North Africa, Eastern Europe, Greece, Spain and
Northern Cyprus have been even more repressive, brutal and absolute. According
to this "liberal," essentially totalitarian, worldview, the United States and
Israel are what the Iranian ayatollahs call the "Great Satan" and the "Little
Satan," while radical groups and regimes that oppose America and the Jewish
state are supposedly allies.
It is thus that Judith Butler, professor of comparative literature at University
of California, Berkeley and a "gender and third-wave feminist queer theorist,"
justifies her support for Islamist terrorist organizations such as Hamas and
Hezbollah, which she referred to at a 2006 anti-Israel teach-in as "social
movements that are progressive... part of a global Left."
This view is exactly upside-down and backwards. Hamas, the Sunni terrorist
organization that rules the Gaza Strip, and Hezbollah, the Iran-backed Shiite
terrorist group based in Lebanon and with a foothold in Syria, are not only mass
murderers, but would subject Butler herself to Sharia (Islamic) law and deny her
all human rights, let alone those associated with her womanhood and lesbianism.
Butler is living in a fantasy world if she considers radical Islamists
"progressive" in any shape or form.
As far back as 2001, Bronwyn Winter, a senior lecturer at the University of
Sydney and the Director of the Faculty of Arts International and Comparative
Literary Studies program, noted that the "'multiculturalist' discourse...
legitimates even the most fundamentalist Islamic voices in the name of 'cultural
difference.'"
This well-intentioned but sadly misguided view -- which then would presumably
approve of Aztec human sacrifice, slavery and the former Indian practice of
suttee, in which widows were thrown live on their husband's funeral pyre -- was
expounded upon by Kay S. Haymowitz in an in-depth 2003 analysis of left-wing
feminist attitudes to radical Islamism. Among the groups she examined were the
postcolonialists, according to whose outlook:
It is not men who are the sinners; it is the West. It is not women who are
victimized innocents; it is the people who suffered under Western colonialism,
or the descendants of those people, to be more exact. Caught between the rock of
patriarchy and the hard place of imperialism, the postcolonial feminist scholar
gingerly tiptoes her way around the subject of Islamic fundamentalism and does
the only thing she can do: she focuses her ire on Western men.
To this end, the postcolonialist eagerly dips into the inkwell of gender
feminism. She ties colonialist exploitation and domination to maleness; she
might refer to Israel's "masculinist military culture"—Israel being white and
Western—though she would never dream of pointing out the "masculinist military
culture" of the jihadi. And she expends a good deal of energy condemning Western
men for wanting to improve the lives of Eastern women.
There is, of course, never any mention of the "people who suffered under Eastern
colonialism," such as the Iranian victims of the current regime, or the victims
of al-Qaeda and ISIS, or the nearly 11,000,000 Muslims killed since 1948. Of
these, 90% were killed by other Muslims; only 3% by Israel.
Phyllis Chesler, professor emerita of psychology and women's studies at the
College of Staten Island (CUNY), put it this way: "Western feminists have become
totally Stalinized and Palestinianized." The author of 14 books -- most recently
An American Bride in Kabul: A Memoir (2013), about her 1961 marriage to an
Afghani and her time spent in his harem -- Chesler strongly counters the message
that leftist feminists are conveying to persecuted Muslim women: that the road
to their salvation lies in the defeat of Western civilization, rather than in
the overthrow of Sharia-dominated cultures and regimes that degrade and
dehumanize them.
If not for genuine feminist warriors, such Chesler, Hirsi Ali, and Nafisi,
Muslim women the world over would feel completely abandoned and betrayed, and
justifiably so.
If not for genuine feminist warriors, such Phyllis Chesler, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, and
Azar Nafisi, Muslim women the world over would feel completely abandoned and
betrayed, and justifiably so. Pictured: Ayaan Hirsi Ali, on April 7, 2016.
(Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images)
*A. Z. Mohamed is a Muslim man born and raised in the Middle East.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Israeli President Rivlin: Iran Is a Threat To The World
Jerusalem Post/September 05/17
We cannot accept Iran on our borders.’ Rivlin says to Bosnia Herzegovina
In rare call, Rivlin asks Erdogan to condemn Temple Mount violence
Rivlin cautioned that Europe will “have to be very precise” in determining
relations with Iran, because Iran is a supporter of terrorism.
Iranian support of terrorism is a threat not only to the region but to the
world, President Reuven Rivlin told Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Antanas
Linkevicius on Monday.
Rivlin insisted that Iran cannot be allowed to threaten the very existence of
Israel. Aware that some European countries have close relations with Iran,
Rivlin cautioned that Europe will “have to be very precise” in determining
relations with Iran, because Iran is a supporter of terrorism.
Linkevicius said that he wanted to hear more on the Iran issue “because there
seem to be some differences in perception of agreements with Iran,” and there is
also the need to diminish the threat. “This is something that must be
addressed,” he said.
The conversation touched briefly on Israel’s conflict with the Palestinians,
with Rivlin explaining that negotiations can be conducted only among parties
that trust each other. “They don’t trust us, and we don’t trust them.”
The overall situation is very complex, he said, and each problem must be tackled
individually.
“But they’re all related,” Linkevicius said.
Rivlin agreed, but insisted nonetheless that each problem be dealt with as a
stand-alone.
Their discussion focused mainly on security issues but also on their common
backgrounds, and on sport.
When hosting foreign dignitaries, Rivlin often introduces a sports element into
the conversation.
On Sunday, he and the prime minister of Macedonia chatted about soccer, and on
Monday, Rivlin and the foreign minister of Lithuania bantered about basketball.
Linkevicius told Rivlin that Tel Aviv was chockablock with Lithuanian basketball
fans who had come to Israel for the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 games. Local Litvaks
(meaning immigrants from Lithuania), he said, had been “splitting their hearts”
over which team to support in the match between Israel and Lithuania.
At one point, Rivlin mentioned that he would inform Defense Minister and former
foreign minister Avigdor Liberman that Linkevicius, whom he knows well, was in
the country.
“We already met at the basketball [game]. I imagine he supported Israel,”
responded Linkevicius, prompting Rivlin to remark that Lithuanian basketballers
are among the best in the world, and to recall that Lithuanian hoopster Sarunas
(Saras) Jasikevicius was a star player for Maccabi Tel Aviv. Linkevicius updated
the president with the information that Jasikevicius is now a coach.
In greeting his guest, Rivlin said, “I welcome you as a Litvak, as the president
of Israel and as a Jerusalemite, adding that Jerusalem is connected to Vilna,
which was long known as the Jerusalem of the north. He also suggested that
Linkevicius, who is known to be a good friend to Israel, could give UNESCO the
facts about that connection.
Claiming descent from the Gaon of Vilna (Rabbi Eliyahu Ben Shlomo Zalman), who
sent his disciples to Jerusalem, Rivlin said that the idea of a Jewish
democratic state had been set down by the Vilna Gaon in 1776, long before
Theodor Herzl had conceived of political Zionism.
Linkevicius smiled and told Rivlin that he would always be welcome in Vilnius.
http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/President-Rivlin-Iran-is-a-threat-to-the-world-504229
The Islamic Future of Europe
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/September 05/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10940/europe-islamic-future
European leaders accepted the transformation of parts of their countries into
enemy territories. They see that a demographic disaster is taking place. They
know that in two or three decades, Europe will be ruled by Islam.
Ten years ago, describing what he called "the last days of Europe," the
historian Walter Laqueur said that European civilization was dying and that only
old monuments and museums would survive. His diagnosis was too optimistic. Old
monuments and museums might well be blown up. Look nowhere else than what the
black-hooded supporters of "Antifa" -- an "anti-fascist" movement whose actions
are totally fascistic -- are doing to statues in the United States.
The terrorist attack in Barcelona received the same reaction as all the
large-scale terrorist attacks in Europe: tears, prayers, flowers, candles, teddy
bears, and protestations that "Islam means peace ". When people gathered to
demand tougher measures against the rising influence of Islamism across the
continent, they were confronted by an "anti-fascist" rally. Muslims organized a
demonstration to defend Islam; they claimed that Muslims living in Spain are the
"main victims" of terrorism. The president of the Spanish Federation of Islamic
Religious Societies, Mounir Benjelloun El Andaloussi, spoke of a "conspiracy
against Islam" and said that terrorists were "instruments" of Islamophobic
hatred. The mayor of Barcelona, Ada Colau, cried in front of the cameras and
said that her city would remain an "open city" for all immigrants. The governor
of Catalonia, Carles Puigdemont, used almost the same language. Spain's Prime
Minister Mariano Rajoy, a conservative, was the only one who dared to call
jihadist terrorism by its name. Almost all European journalists said Rajoy's
words were too harsh.
After the attack in Barcelona, Spain, when people gathered at the site to demand
tougher measures against the rising influence of Islamism across the continent,
they were confronted by an "anti-fascist" rally. Pictured: "Anti-fascists" beat
a man who they claimed is a "right-wing sympathizer" at Las Ramblas, Barcelona,
on August 18, 2017. (Photo by Carl Court/Getty Images)
Mainstream European newspapers describing the horror once again sought
explanations to what they kept calling "inexplicable". The leading Spanish daily
newspaper, El Pais, wrote in an editorial that "radicalization" is the bitter
fruit of the "exclusion" of certain "communities," and added that the answer was
more "social justice". In France, Le Monde suggested that terrorists want to
"incite hatred", and stressed that Europeans must avoid "prejudice". In the UK,
The Telegraph explained that "killers attack the West because the West is the
West; not because of what it does" -- but it spoke of "killers", not
"terrorists" or "Islamists".
Anti-terrorism specialists, interviewed on television, said that the attacks,
carried out across the continent at an ever-faster pace, will become deadlier.
They noted that the original plan of the Barcelona jihadists had been to destroy
the Sagrada Família Cathedral and kill thousands of people. The specialists
parroted that Europeans will just have to learn to live with the threat of
widespread carnage. They did not offer any solutions. Once again, many said that
terrorists are not really Muslims -- and that the attacks "had nothing to do
with Islam".
Many leaders of Western European countries treat Islamic terrorism as a fact of
life that Europeans must get used to -- as some kind of aberration unrelated to
Islam. They often avoid speaking of "terrorism" at all. After the attack in
Barcelona, German Chancellor Angela Merkel issued a brief reproach about a
"revolting" event. She expressed "solidarity" with the Spanish people, and then
moved on. French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted a message of condolence and
spoke of a "tragic attack."
Throughout Europe, expressions of anger are conscientiously marginalized. Calls
for mobilization, or any serious change in immigration policy, come only from
politicians scornfully described as "populist."
Even the slightest criticism of Islam immediately arouses almost unanimous
indignation. In Western Europe, books on Islam that are widely available are
written by people close to the Muslim Brotherhood, such as Tariq Ramadan. Books
that are "politically incorrect" also exist, but are sold under the counter as
if they are contraband. Islamic bookstores sell brochures calling for violence
without even hiding what they do. Dozens of imams, similar to Abdelbaki Es Satty,
the suspected mastermind of the attack in Barcelona, continue to preach with
impunity; if they are arrested, they are quickly released.
Submission reigns. The discourse everywhere is that despite increasing threats,
Europeans must live their lives as normally as possible. But Europeans see what
threats exist. They see that life is not even slightly normal. They see
policemen and soldiers in the streets, proliferating security checks, strict
controls at the entrance of theaters and shops. They see insecurity everywhere.
They are told just to ignore the source of the threats, but they know the
source. They claim they are not afraid. Thousands in Barcelona shouted, "No tinc
por" ("We are not afraid"). In fact, they are scared to death.
Polls show that Europeans are pessimistic, and think the future will be bleak.
Polls also show that Europeans no longer have confidence in those who govern
them, but feel they are left with no choice.
This shift in their lives has occurred in such a short time, less than half a
century. Before then, in Western Europe, only a few thousand Muslims were
present -- mostly immigrant workers from former European colonies. They were
supposed to be in Europe temporarily, so were never asked to integrate.
They soon numbered hundreds of thousands, then millions. Their presence turned
permanent. Many became citizens. Asking them to integrate grew unthinkable: most
seemed to consider themselves Muslim first.
European leaders gave up defending their own civilization. They slipped into
saying that all cultures should be viewed the same way. They appear to have
given up.
School curricula were altered. Children were taught that Europe and the West had
plundered the Muslim world -- not that the Muslims had, in fact, invaded and
conquered the Christian Byzantine Empire, North Africa and the Middle East, most
of Eastern Europe, Greece, Northern Cyprus, and Spain. Children were taught that
Islamic civilization had been splendid and opulent before colonization
supposedly came to ravage it.
Welfare states, established in the post-war period, began to create a large
underclass of people permanently trapped in dependency, just when the number of
Muslims in Europe redoubled.
Social-housing neighborhoods suddenly were Muslim neighborhoods. The rise in
mass unemployment -- mainly affecting less qualified workers -- transformed
Muslim neighborhoods into mass-unemployment neighborhoods.
Community organizers came to tell unemployed Muslims that after purportedly
looting their countries of origin, Europeans had used Muslim workers to rebuild
Europe and were now treating them as useless utensils.
Crime took root. Muslim neighborhoods became high-crime neighborhoods.
Extremist Muslim preachers arrived; they reinforced a hatred of Europe. They
said that Muslims must remember who they are; that Islam must take its revenge.
They explained to young, imprisoned Muslim criminals that violence could be used
for a noble cause: jihad.
Police were ordered not to intervene lest they aggravate the tension. High-crime
areas became no-go zones, breeding grounds for the recruitment of Islamic
terrorists.
European leaders accepted the transformation of parts of their countries into
enemy territories.
Riots took place; leaders made even more concessions. They passed laws
restricting freedom of speech.
When Islamic terrorism first hit Europe, its leaders did not know what to do.
They still do not know what to do. They are prisoners of a situation they
created and cannot control anymore. They appear to feel helpless.
They cannot incriminate Islam: the laws they passed make it illegal to do that.
In most European countries, even questioning Islam is branded as "Islamophobia".
It leads to heavy fines, if not trials or prison time (as with Lars Hedegaard,
Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff, Geert Wilders or George Bensoussan). They cannot
re-establish law and order in no-go zones: that would require the intervention
of the army and a shift towards martial law. They cannot adopt the solutions
proposed by parties they have pushed into opposition at the margins of European
political life.
They cannot even close their borders, abolished in 1995 with the Schengen
agreement. Re-establishing border controls would be costly and take time.
Europe's leaders seem to have neither the will nor the means to oppose the
incoming waves of millions of Muslim migrants from Africa and the Middle East.
They know that terrorists are hiding among the migrants, but still do not vet
them. Instead, they resort to subterfuges and lies. They create "deradicalization"
programs that do not work: the "radicals," it seems, do not want to be "deradicalized."
Europe's leaders try to define "radicalization" as a symptom of "mental
illness"; they consider asking psychiatrists to solve the mess. Then, they talk
about creating a "European Islam", totally different from the Islam elsewhere on
Earth. They take on haughty postures to create the illusion of moral
superiority, as Ada Colau and Carles Puigdemont did in Barcelona: they say they
have high principles; that Barcelona will remain "open" to immigrants. Angela
Merkel refuses to face the consequences of her policy to import countless
migrants. She chastises countries in Central Europe that refuse to adopt her
policies.
European leaders can see that a demographic disaster is taking place. They know
that in two or three decades, Europe will be ruled by Islam. They try to
anesthetize non-Muslim populations with dreams about an idyllic future that will
never exist. They say that Europe will have to learn to live with terrorism,
that there is nothing anyone can do about it.
But there is a lot they can do; they just do not want to -- it might cost them
Muslim votes.
Winston Churchill told Neville Chamberlain, "You were given the choice between
war and dishonor. You chose dishonor, you will have war." The same is true
today.
Ten years ago, describing what he called "the last days of Europe," the
historian Walter Laqueur said that European civilization was dying and that only
old monuments and museums would survive. His diagnosis was too optimistic. Old
monuments and museums might well be blown up. Look nowhere else than what the
black-hooded supporters of "Antifa" -- an "anti-fascist" movement that is
totally fascistic -- are doing to statues in the United States.
Barcelona's Sagrada Família Cathedral was spared only thanks to the clumsiness
of a terrorist who did not know how to handle explosives. Other places may not
be so fortunate.
The death of Europe will almost certainly be violent and painful: no one seems
willing to stop it. Voters still could, but they will have to do it now, fast,
before it is too late.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27
books on France and Europe.
© 2017 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The Best Era for Working Women Was 20 Years Ago
Bryce Covert/The New York Times/September 05/17
The working woman was everywhere in 1980s and 1990s pop culture: The tough
single gal Murphy Brown ran the news on TV every week. Dolly Parton in “9 to 5,”
Melanie Griffith in “Working Girl,” and the ominously coldhearted mother in
“Mrs. Doubtfire.”
We didn’t know it then, but that was the apex for the American working woman.
It’s fitting that “Murphy Brown” left the airwaves in 1998. It would only be two
years later that the share of American women over 16 who are in the labor force
would hit its peak: 60.3 percent in April 2000.
The late 1990s — Murphy Brown’s decade — may have been as good as it gets for
American women in the workplace.
The steady, seemingly inevitable march of significant numbers of American women
into paid jobs began during World War II. Women certainly worked before the war,
but it was usually certain groups: women of color, who have almost always had to
work, and single women. During and after the war, work suddenly opened for more
and more women.
In the decades after, the gender wage gap shrank, women became highly educated
and the options for more prestigious careers increased. Widely available
contraception allowed women to control when they became pregnant and to invest
in their careers. Beginning in the late ’70s, surveys have found increasing
shares of Americans accept and even support the idea of women working outside
the home.
But then, in the early 2000s, the rise in the share of working women came to a
halt. And since the Great Recession the figure has even fallen. Today it’s just
over 57 percent.
We’ve spent a lot of time worrying about American men. Their labor force
participation trend line has looked like a tumble down the side of a hill since
the late 1950s. But all of this time, men have always worked at higher rates
than women.
Up until the late 1990s, the United States stood out among developed countries
for its higher female labor force participation rate. But that’s when the other
countries started to catch up.
“We noticed right away,” said Heidi Hartmann, president of the Institute for
Women’s Policy Research. Her organization compiles an annual report on the
economic status of women in every state, and in 1998 it sent a preview to some
people in Vermont. The data showed that women’s labor force participation had
fallen in that state, a harbinger of a national trend. The reviewers said “this
can’t be right,” she recalled, adding, “We looked at the numbers again and we
wrote back and said, ‘It is right.’ ”
Things seem to have changed around the 2001 recession. Until then, women tended
to keep their onward march into employment steady even when the economy
faltered. If their employment dipped, it quickly recovered. But this was the
first time that the share of working women dropped without bouncing back.
A number of things may have coalesced at the time. Women are now getting even
more bachelor’s degrees than men. There is much less room for them to keep
getting ahead by obtaining degrees.
Husbands’ wages grew faster than wives’ in the 1990s, which may have eventually
discouraged married women from staying at work. The gender wage gap has stayed
relatively stuck for some time, offering women less incentive to work.
For lower-wage women, work itself has also gotten worse. Research by Robert
Moffitt, a Johns Hopkins economist, has found that the decline in women’s labor
force participation, especially among lower-educated women, mirrors that of
their male peers.
The 1990s were a turning point, Professor Moffitt noted. Every office suddenly
had a computer. “It’s an economywide thing,” he said. “It’s not
gender-specific.” Just as technology has reduced the number of jobs on factory
floors, it has also meant fewer secretaries, bank tellers and retail workers.
The low-wage jobs these laid-off workers found are more likely to come with
variable schedules that make it difficult to arrange child care. Work hours have
also stretched later and later, which hurts women more.
Even as women pushed their way into the workplace, the United States has done
almost nothing to help make it easier for parents to work and raise a family at
the same time. Unlike all other developed countries, the United States doesn’t
guarantee parents any paid time off when they have children.
Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn, economists at Cornell University, have found
that while the United States had the sixth-highest female labor force
participation rate in 1990, by 2010 it had fallen to 17th place. About a third
of that drop, they say, could be explained by the fact that other developed
countries instituted and expanded policies like paid family leave, subsidized
child care and flexible work arrangements while the United States did barely
anything at all.
It may very well be that the American women who were in the best position to
make it all work — who faced the lowest hurdles to arranging child care and
balancing work with family — have made it into the work force, but those who
have bigger challenges simply can’t swing it. “A lot of women were able to make
do, and those women are in the labor force,” Professor Blau said. “How do the
rest come in without some kind of change?”
It’s unlikely that the country has simply hit a ceiling for how many women want
jobs. If the United States were to spend more on helping parents get child care,
ensure they can take paid time off work and protect those who want or need to
work flexible schedules, it would almost certainly tap into this pool of women
who have stepped away from work.
Helping them isn’t just something that is nice to do. If women keep getting
pushed out, the economy will suffer. In 2012, one analysis found, the economy
would have been 11 percent smaller if women’s labor force participation had
remained at the levels of the late 1970s.
President Trump has said he wants to reach 3 percent G.D.P. growth. He would do
well to focus on increasing how many women work. “He could probably get there
much faster,” said Dr. Hartmann of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research,
“if he tried to do more on equal pay and provided subsidized child care for
everyone.”
At his daughter Ivanka’s insistence, he has talked superficially about
affordable child care and accessible paid leave, but so far his plans are pretty
pathetic. He just took a step backward on closing the wage gap, with Ms. Trump’s
blessing, by rescinding a rule requiring businesses to report pay by gender.
This is a man who said in the 1990s — that same decade when working women
reached their zenith — that “putting a wife to work is a very dangerous thing.”
He’ll find out how dangerous it is for the economy when the government doesn’t
help put all women, married or not, to work.
Confronting Korea’s Madman
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/September 05/17
Nobody no longer underestimates what Kim Jong-un says. Nearly everything that he
pledged and threatened to do has come true, the last of which was the major
nuclear test that angered the United States and the ballistic missile that
terrified Japan and landed in its territorial waters.
This young man, the president of North Korea, may in a single day destroy the
nearby city Seoul or kill over a million Japanese people or launch a destructive
nuclear warhead towards a US military base.
This is the first time since the Cold War that the world is living through a
real nuclear threat.
Even though US President Donald Trump responded by threatening that all options
were on the table – a phrase that usually means the use of military force – a
war with this madman will not be a walk in the park. The difference between him
and other owners of nuclear arms in the world is that Kim Jong-un is crazy
enough to commit a crime without batting an eyelid. He has already killed his
aunt’s husband and then had dinner at her house. He also executed his defense
minister and later his education minister.
It is because of Kim Jong-un that Japan decided to end its policy of refraining
from pursuing aggressive military power that it had adopted after its defeat and
surrender in World War II. It has finally been convinced that the world is no
longer safe and it needs to protect itself.
Even though Washington has considered North Korea to be an enemy state and a
danger to its allies in that part of the world since the rule of Kim Il-sung,
then his son and now his grandson, it has only made due with the siege policy
that has failed to rein in Pyongyang’s development of its military capabilities.
It is now a danger to the international community, not just the US, which are
caught in appeasing Pyongyang and confronting it.
Yielding to the demands of the mad Korean president will encourage the rest of
the madmen in the world to adopt the same policy. This includes Iran.
Confronting Kim Jong-un militarily could lead to millions of casualties.
This is why the world is watching and waiting to see what will happen,
especially after the US had excessively used its threatening rhetoric, vowing
that it will not allow Pyongyang to possess nuclear arms. North Korea has
completed six nuclear tests and developed its missile capabilities to transport
nuclear warheads. This was demonstrated in the missile that flew over Japan and
it is now on the verge of completing a nuclear bomb!
We cannot separate the North Korean predicament from how to deal with our
neighbor Iran, which has close ties with Kim Jong-un’s regime in military and
nuclear cooperation.
The ambitions of the Iranian command may be similar to North Korea’s. It may be
aspiring to develop aggressive nuclear capabilities that it may employ to cement
its rule inside Iran and impose its will on the region.
Failure to decisively resolve the standoff between Trump and Kim Jong-un may
embolden other world powers, such as Iran, to an extent that they may no longer
be deterred or contained.
Autumn of Iraq’s bleeding map
Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/September 05/17
On the way from Erbil to Kirkuk, strange feelings haunted me. For the first time
in my life, I wish I were a foreign correspondent, who writes with neutrality
and sangfroid and looks for a stark title for his article. When he leaves the
country, he turns the page and searches for another sick country to write an
interesting report.
But I am an Arab journalist.It is not simple, dear reader, to be an Arab
journalist who is tasked with pursuing these successive collapses in the region,
and counting the results of mud and blood hurricanes. It is not simple to have
known these capitals; to have stayed in them in different eras; and to have
listened to their decision-makers only to discover that the sole constant in
their stories is the tendency towards downfall. I am an Arab; I love Iraq, and
this has nothing to do with the identity of its ruler. As many people, I thought
that this country, where various kinds of wealth are gathered, would be the
lever in the way towards the Arab future. I was almost certain a decade ago that
the fall of the tyrant would lead to the emergence of a civil democratic state
that would serve as a model for a successful coexistence between Arabs and Kurds
on one hand and Sunnis and Shi’ites on the other. I was hoping to write an
optimistic article, even once, about an open window and a promising future. I
was not lucky. I love Baghdad. I went there during the rule of the “Glorious
Leader”. Later, I went to the Green Zone and Nuri al-Maliki told me: “The Sunnis
are our partners and we will give them what reassures them.” Then, I met Haidar
al-Abadi and found him interested in mending fences between the Iraqi
components; however, ISIS was overshadowing Mosul, the country and the people. I
also met President Jalal Talbani, who was trying to convince me that the
conditions of civil war were not available in Iraq.
A bleeding map
I have regularly met with Masoud Barzani, the President of the Kurdistan region
of Iraq, to measure the degree of tension of the Kurdish partner in this
marriage undermined by doubts and bitterness. All this talk is from the past;
the Iraqi map is bleeding. After being preoccupied with the Iraqi story for two
decades, here I am on the road to Kirkuk, feeling the smell of the Iraqi Autumn,
while the summer flame is still burning. The winds of autumn blew early in the
air. Since the announcement of the date of the independence referendum in Iraq’s
Kurdistan, scheduled for the 25th of this month, Iraq seemed to be rushing
towards the hour of truth and it will probably be the hour of divorce between
Baghdad and Erbil. I do not want to go far in my feelings as if I write that the
Arabic year consisted originally of a single season that is autumn. Nonetheless,
it is obvious that the Iraqi map is now in the throes of its fall; as if divorce
was the inevitable end of the failed marriage concluded by the Sykes-Picot
Agreement. The Arab-Kurdish tango on the Iraqi map was rickety and bloody, and
now the Kurds are preparing to announce the end of the costly dance.
A short dream caught me in the way. I dreamt that Haider al-Abadi would go to
the leaders of the “Shi’ite House” and tell them that time was running out; and
that saving the map of Iraq needed a historic pause… Tell them that avoiding
divorce required a bold historic decision that would give the Kurds full rights
and tranquility in exchange for keeping the map without official and public
divisions… Such as a definite agreement on a confederate regime that enables the
Kurds to exercise the right to self-determination… along with an agreement on
the fate of the disputed areas, including Kirkuk, for which a temporary solution
is reached to maintain relations with Erbil and Baghdad, so that its residents
will later decide in a calm atmosphere, on their future and destiny. I also
dreamt that those present would agree on a real solution that Abadi would bring
to Erbil and then Barzani would not have the choice but to adopt it.
I soon woke up from this dream. The atmosphere in Baghdad is not favorable for
compromises of this magnitude. The hawks insist on policies that have brought
this fall. The Kurds, for their part, have despaired of staying in the current
map and consider that the cost of divorce today is lower than that in the
future. Neither Baghdad nor neighboring counties accept the independence of the
Kurds, especially those states where “Kurdish bombs” sleep within their
territories, including Turkey, Iran and Syria.
Arabs tend to reject any change in the map of an Arab country. Washington, for
its part, advises to postpone the referendum to maintain focus on the fight
against ISIS. But what if the Kurds said they wanted independence? Are
neighboring countries entitled to close their borders to suffocate them? Are the
“Popular Mobilization Forces” entitled to punish them? Does the region tolerate
the outbreak of a Shi’ite-Kurdish conflict in addition to the current Shi’ite-Sunni
conflict? A journalist should not be satisfied with what he hears from the
sources of decision-makers. So I went to talk with Kurds in the streets, cafes,
cars and hotels. They are unanimous in supporting the independence even if some
of them fear the consequences.
A number of them said they did not want to stay in Iraq, whose prime minister
can “cut the salaries of the people of the province and the milk of its
children”, in reference to what Nuri al-Maliki did. Many noted that the
agreement on the establishment of a civil state after the ousting of Saddam has
perished, and that Baghdad was moving towards a religious and sectarian state,
in which Kurds have no room. They have also noticed that the PMF were not
subjected to the authority of the prime minister, but to “an authority outside
the Constitution and the borders of Iraq”, in reference to Iran.
The Kurdish situation is unique in each of the four countries in which Kurds are
distributed. Kurds originally suffer from bitter divisions among their ranks.
What Iraq’s Kurds consider as a solution to their situation cannot be
generalized. Seeing Iraq’s Kurds opt for independence would be a resounding
event. Change is very dangerous in a region with fragile maps. Coexistence in
the terrible Middle East is not in its best days. Velvet divorce similar to that
of Czechoslovakia is not an option. Our culture does not produce velvet. The
picture is really vague. But it is certain that the autumn has invaded the Iraqi
map, and the country will not be the same after this fall season.
The reality of confronting Kim Jong-Un
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/September 05/17
No one underestimates what Kim Jong-Un says anymore. Almost everything he
threatened of happened. The North Korean regime’s most recent move was the
nuclear test which angered the US. A ballistic missile had also frightened Japan
after it fell in its waters. North Korea’s young leader Kim Jong-Un can destroy
the neighboring city of Seoul in one day or kill a million or more Japanese
people or fire a destructive nuclear head on an American base. The world
confronts a real nuclear threat for the first time since the Cold War. American
President Donald Trump warned that all options are on the table – which usually
signifies threats to resort to military power. However, a war with this mad man
will not be a walk in the park. The difference between Kim Jong-Un and other
leaders who possess nuclear weapons is that he’s mad enough to commit any crime
without blinking. He killed his paternal aunt’s husband then went to eat dinner
at her house. He also assassinated the ministers of defense and education. It’s
because of him that Japan decided to end its policy of not attaining offensive
weapons – a policy that Japan has adopted since its defeat and surrender in
World War II. The Japanese are finally convinced that the world is no longer
safe and that they must bear the responsibility of protecting themselves.
The enemy
Washington has viewed North Korea as an enemy that has threatened its allies in
that part of the world since the days of Kim II-sung. The US only settled with
adopting a blockade policy against it. However, this policy did not prevent
Pyongyang from developing its military capabilities which now threaten the US
itself as well as the entire international community that is confused about how
to confront Kim Jong-Un and whether it should confront him or please him.
Submitting to the mad Korean leader’s demands will encourage other mad men
across the world to adopt the same approach. For instance, there are similar
leaders in Iran. Meanwhile, a military confrontation may cost millions of lives.
The world is thus anticipating developments especially that Washington has
excessively made threats and said that it will not allow Pyongyang to possess
nuclear weapons. The latter though has carried out six nuclear tests and
developed its capabilities to transfer its nuclear weapons. It proved this in
the test which flew beyond Japan, and it’s saying it’s about to finish
developing a nuclear bomb. We cannot separate North Korea’s crisis from the
problem of dealing with our neighbor Iran which has good relations, including
military and nuclear cooperation, with Kim Jong-Un’s regime. The Iranian
command aspires to be in a situation similar to North Korea’s. It aspires to be
capable of developing its nuclear offensive capabilities in order to solidify
its power inside Iran and subjugate the region. Iran expanded and it cannot
continue to do so without a nuclear weapon that strengthens its gains. The
verbal confrontation between Trump and Kim Jong-Un without decisively ending the
problem may cause a bigger rebellion in which countries like Iran, and that are
not possible to deter or besiege, are involved.
The Macron ‘doctrine’ for the Arab world
Christian Chesnot/Al Arabiya/September 05/17
Since his inauguration at the Elysée on May 14th, French President Emmanuel
Macron has gradually unveiled his foreign policy, particularly regarding
relations between France and the Arab world. Following his interactions with
French ambassadors at the end of August, the broad contours and priorities of
his foreign policy have started to emerge.
Substantive changes in policy
The changes are not superficial but are substantive. Macron has clearly laid out
his fundamental premise: the security of the French people as the raison d'être
of French diplomacy. He has also clearly designated the enemy: ISIS and Islamist
terrorism. Thus, he can now frame his ‘doctrine’ on various related issues
involving Syria, Iraq, Lebanon and Libya based on two key terms: “realism and
pragmatism”, or as his political opponents might dub it “cynicism and
opportunism”. Emmanuel Macron wants a more balanced French diplomacy between its
traditional allies of the Gulf and Tehran
Christian Chesnot
Basically, Emmanuel Macron based his vision from a simple but harsh observation:
France’s role in the Middle East, which is strategically of immense importance
for the country, has been in a steady state of decline. The young French
president seems to have learnt the lessons of the Arab revolutions well. The
sermonizing and self-righteous diplomacy of his predecessors, Sarkozy and
Hollande, did not allow France to weigh in on the course of events in the Middle
East. The Syrian crisis is the most illustrative example of the failure of the
Quai d'Orsay and the Elysée in the region.
Non-partisan approach
Macron wants to set the record straight. Henceforth, the French president
explained, “we must seek to end this war”. Excluded from the Astana process,
Paris wants to get back in the game. The Elysee does not consider the departure
of Bashar Al-Assad a prerequisite. At the next UN General Assembly in New York
in mid-September, France will propose the formation of a contact group on Syria,
involving the main actors in the conflict. Will Iran take part? That is the main
issue. Since his election, Emmanuel Macron wants a more balanced French
diplomacy between its traditional allies of the Gulf and Tehran. Paris does not
intend to arbitrate the conflict between Sunnis and Shiites but rather to play
the role of an intermediary, “the honest broker”. The same policy applies to the
Qatari crisis. Macron wants to talk to everyone, not naively but frankly. We
recognize Nicolas Sarkozy’s tropism for Qatar and François Hollande's for Saudi
Arabia. But the new French president wants to take the high road and does not
want to commit himself to any camp. On the whole, he has fixed his objective in
the region: to obtain a level of transparency that curbs all forms of terror
financing. When it comes to Libya, Macron again makes a point of speaking to all
parties, whether it be with Prime Minister Sarraj or Field Marshal Hafter. Just
as in the Syrian case, Paris wants to get into motion and will try at the UN
General Assembly to push for the application of the roadmap approved at Le
Celle-Saint-Cloud in July by the two Libyan officials.
Reversion to ‘Gaullo-Mitterrandism’
More important, the newly formulated French foreign policy seems less likely to
give lessons in ethics than the previous two dispensations. It will base itself
on facts and the inter-relation of forces on the ground and shall no longer
focus on giving moral prescriptions or gaining brownie points. Again, what
stands out for Macron is the fight against Islamist terrorism. Hence, his
renewed financial and military support to Iraq and Lebanon, two countries in the
front line against the Islamist militants. Can the Macron “doctrine” produce
results? Only future will tell. The French president feels that he has a task at
hand. The circumstances for a new role for France seem propitious. Donald Trump
and Vladimir Putin share Macron’s anti-terror agenda. One might say that the new
French president reverts to a form of ‘Gaullo-Mitterrandism’. It is a diplomatic
approach adopted earlier by General de Gaulle and François Mitterrand which has
long allowed France to make its voice heard from Moscow to Washington and has
resonated with local and regional actors as well. In sum, it is a policy of
proving useful for resolving crises.
How Qatar is destabilizing Africa
Jibril al-Abidi/Al Arabiya/September 05/17
In order to destabilize Africa, the Qatari regime couldn’t have found a better
starting country than Libya of February 2011. This was more so considering the
chaos and militias in the country. Qatari regime took advantage of the situation
created by the overthrow of the Libyan regime and the emergence of
revolutionaries after the dictatorship was eliminated.This turned out to be in
their interest and they could indulge in it without participating in the process
of nation building. All institutions had crumbled under the onslaught of the
chaos created by these militias. This is how they infiltrated into Africa. Some
of them, especially from the political Islamist groups, were recruited to
achieve the goals, even by using mantle of support for the Libyan “revolution”.
Doha regime has clearly interfered in the African continent but there exists
complacency among the superpowers when it comes to firm action in the face of
this dangerous Qatari game
Exporting crisis
The Qatari regime have continued to export crises and destabilize the Arab
region. The recent revelations by the Chadian government is the latest example.
Qatar has supported the Chadian opposition militias by training, funding and
supplying weapons through Libyan territory. The damage caused by Qatar in the
countries surrounding Libya, including Chad, which has geographical borders and
long population intersection through Ouzu strip. The Chadian government,
however, handled it patiently and ultimately shut down the embassy. The Qatari
government has utilized Libya’s vast borders and sea access to destabilize
African countries. The militant groups supported have access to 30 million
weapons and are made up of groups that are on NATO hit list. Qatar did not stop
sponsoring of terrorism in Central Africa but have also done so in the Horn of
Africa by supporting Somali militant groups with money and weapons. American
think-tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracy, has published a report
linking wanted Qatari businessman, Abdulrahman al-Nuaymi, who has been financing
al-Shabab, with its leader Hassan Owais.
Separatist militias
The Qatari regime, through a network of terrorist organizations, has funded the
Azawad separatist militias in Mali and made finance and weapons available to
extremists linked to al-Qaeda. Qatar has not stopped exporting terrorism to
Chad, but, like ISIS, has also extended to the Horn of Africa, supported and
supplied Somali militant groups with money and weapons. And many reports confirm
that the Qatari regime, supported and financed the separatist Azawad group in
Mali, and as well militants associated with al-Qaeda in the region.Doha regime
has clearly interfered in the African continent but there exists
complacency among the superpowers when it comes to firm action in the face of
this dangerous Qatari game.