LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
September 23/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

The Bulletin's Link on the lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias/english.september23.17.htm 

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Bible Quotations For Today
Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep
Romans 12/09-21/:" Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good. In love of the brothers be tenderly affectionate to one another; in honor preferring one another; not lagging in diligence; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; enduring in troubles; continuing steadfastly in prayer; contributing to the needs of the saints; given to hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless, and don’t curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice. Weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind one toward another. Don’t set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Don’t be wise in your own conceits. Repay no one evil for evil. Respect what is honorable in the sight of all men. If it is possible, as much as it is up to you, be at peace with all men. Don’t seek revenge yourselves, beloved, but give place to God’s wrath. For it is written, “Vengeance belongs to me; I will repay, says the Lord.” ✡ Therefore “If your enemy is hungry, feed him. If he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing so, you will heap coals of fire on his head.” Don’t be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Question: "Why is it important to spend time alone with God?"
GotQuestions.org
Answer: All relationships take time. A relationship with God, while unlike other relationships in many ways, still follows the rules of other relationships. The Bible is filled with comparisons to help us conceptualize our relationship with God. For example, Christ is depicted as the bridegroom, and the Church is depicted as the bride. Marriage is two joining their lives as one (Genesis 2:24). Such intimacy involves time spent alone with one another. Another relationship is that of father and child. Close parental relationships are those in which children and parents have special “alone time” together. Spending time alone with a loved one provides the opportunity to truly come to know that person. Spending time alone with God is no different. When we’re alone with God, we draw closer to Him and get to know Him in a different way than we do in group settings.
God desires “alone time” with us. He wants a personal relationship with us. He created us as individuals, “knitting” us in the womb (Psalm 139:13). God knows the intimate details of our lives, such as the number of hairs on our heads (Luke 12:7). He knows the sparrows individually, and “you are worth more than many sparrows” (Matthew 10:29, 31). He invites us to come to Him and know Him (Isaiah 1:18; Revelation 22:17; Song of Solomon 4:8). When we desire to know God intimately, we will seek Him early (Psalm 63:1) and spend time with Him. We will be like Mary, sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to His voice (Luke 10:39). We will hunger and thirst for righteousness, and we will be filled (Matthew 5:6).
Perhaps the best reason for us to spend time alone with God is to follow biblical examples. In the Old Testament, we see God call prophets to come to Him alone. Moses met with God alone at the burning bush and then on Mt. Sinai. David, whose many psalms reflect a confident familiarity with God, communed with Him while on the run from Saul (Psalm 57). God's presence passed by as Elijah was in the cave. In the New Testament, Jesus spent time alone with God (Matthew 14:13; Mark 1:35; Mark 6:45-46; Mark 14:32-34; Luke 4:42; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:18; John 6:15). Jesus actually instructed us to pray to God alone at times: “When you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen” (Matthew 6:6a).
To rely on Jesus as our vine (John 15:1-8), we will need to be directly, intimately connected to Him. Just as a branch is linked directly to the vine and, through the vine, connected to other branches, so we are linked directly to Christ and therefore share in a community. We spend time alone with God and in corporate worship for the best nourishment. Without time alone with God, we will find needs unmet; we will not truly know the abundant life He gives.
Spending time alone with God rids our minds of distraction so that we can focus on Him and hear His Word. Abiding in Him, we enjoy the intimacy to which He calls us and come to truly know Him.
Recommended Resource: Alone with God by John MacArthur
What's new on GotQuestions.org?

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on September 22-23/17
Is Germany Heading to a "September Surprise"/Vijeta Uniyal/Gatestone Institute/September 22/17
Europe: Muslim Reformers Need Police Protection/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/September 22/17
Protest Poem By Palestinian Poet Decries Oppression Of Women/MEMRI/September 22, 2017Special Dispatch No.7102
The Near East’s Costly Wrong Bets/Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17
The Kurdish Referendum Imbroglio/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17
Video Learning for 50 Million Students/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on  September 22-23/17
Aoun Back in Beirut, Sends Condolences to Mexican President after Earthquake
Report: Berri's Early Polls Call to 'Prevent Anew' Extension of Parliament Mandate
Israeli Strikes Hit 'Hizbullah Weapons' Depot by Damascus Airport, Monitor Says
Gemayel Hails Tax Law Repeal as 'Constitutional Revolution against Shady Deals'
Politicians Laud Constitutional Council's Repeal of Tax Law
Geagea Says Refugees Won't Accept Return Coordinated with Damascus
Constitutional Council Revokes Tax Hike Law, Says Won't Affect Salary Scale
Cabinet to Hold Emergency Session on Wage Scale after Hariri Contacts
Army Unit Deploys in South as Chief Discusses Coordinated Efforts with UNIFIL
1 Dead, 5 Hurt as Ain el-Hilweh Football Fight Erupts into Gunfire
Nasrallah: We're Not Advocates of War but We're Ready to Fight
Arslan praises Aoun’s UN speech
Report: Rockets hit Damascus airport area in probable Israeli attack
Lebanon: Car with flammable materials spotted near Minister of Interior convoy
Aoun distances himself from Al-Monitor interview
Aoun Rejects Settlement, Stresses Refugees’ Safe Return to Syria
AFHR Calls on UN Investigation into Violations Against Al-Murrah

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on  September 22-23/17
Barzani: We are ready for dialogue, but after Kurdish referendum
Turkey calls on Barzani to cancel northern Iraq referendum
Former Muslim Brotherhood head Mahdi Akef dies in hospital
Iran’s Rouhani vows to strengthen missiles despite US criticism
Syrian opposition figure, daughter murdered in Istanbul
Report: Faulty devices help keep Iran in nuclear deal limits
UN Security Council warns Iraqi Kurd vote ‘potentially destabilizing’
Erdogan: Turkey to deploy troops inside Syria’s Idlib
Iraq Kurd Head Resists Pressure to Scrap Independence Vote
Iran's Rouhani Vows to Boost Missiles Despite US Criticism
Saudi Arabia, US Look Into Applying Pre-Screening on Passengers
Sudan’s Bashir Seeks Women’s Help in Arms Collection Campaign
Hadi: We have Exhausted Peaceful Means to Prevent Rebels from Implementing Iran’s Agenda
Canada imposes sanctions on Maduro regime in Venezuela

Latest Lebanese Related News published on  September 22-23/17
Aoun Back in Beirut, Sends Condolences to Mexican President after Earthquake
Naharnet/September 22/17/President Michel Aoun returned back to Beirut on Friday after taking part in the 72nd UN General Assembly session where he delivered a speech and held meetings with heads of state and officials of international organizations, the National News Agency reported.
The President sent a cable of condolences, upon his arrival at the Baabda Palace, to Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto expressing his sympathy over the victims of the earthquake that killed scores of people. Pena Nieto said in a press conference last week that the quake was the biggest to strike the country in a hundred years killing thousands, and declared three days of national mourning.

Report: Berri's Early Polls Call to 'Prevent Anew' Extension of Parliament Mandate
Naharnet/September 22/17/Speaker Nabih Berri's call to slash the parliament's extension term and bring the legislative polls closer, is aimed at preventing attempts to “further postpone the elections” under a delay plight of “creating magnetic voter cards,” the pan-Arab Asharq al-Awsat reported on Friday. Sources close to Ain el-Tineh told the daily that “the law proposal submitted by the Development and Liberation bloc (of Berri) to bring the elections closer, is very serious.” The bloc has called on the Parliament to "discuss and vote on the proposal, either by approving and staging the elections before the end of this year, or to drop the notion after which everyone shall bear the responsibility,” of the consequences, said the the sources on condition of anonymity. They added that the Speaker has recorded an “early warning against any proposition of postponing the elections anew. He “wanted to uncover the genuine intentions of some seeking a compromise deal to create the magnetic voter card at a cost of $180 million, thus implicating the State in the constitutional deadline and pushing for a new postponement of the elections,” they said. Creating magnetic voter cards is a “costly” procedure, said the sources noting that “pre-registration of voters permits people to cast their votes at their area of residence and fulfills the purpose instead of creating said cards.”On Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil's disapproval of Berri's suggestion, the sources said the real intentions of some is to postpone the elections, “they want no reforms or elections, but a compromise deal that leads to the postponement of the polls.”Bassil has dubbed Berri's suggestion as “blocking the reform process.”Berri announced during a parliament meeting this week that his Development and Liberation bloc had submitted a draft law under which the extended term of the current parliament would expire on December 31, 2017 instead of May 21, 2018. A suggestion to upgrade the national identity card into a “biometric identity card” that enables citizens to use their IDs to cast votes in the upcoming parliamentary elections was approved by the Cabinet. The introduction of biometric voting cards was one of the excuses that the legislature had announced in order to extend its own term for a third time. The upcoming parliamentary elections are slated to be held under a proportional representation electoral law for the first time in Lebanon's history.

Israeli Strikes Hit 'Hizbullah Weapons' Depot by Damascus Airport, Monitor Says
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 22/17/Israeli strikes hit a weapons depot by Damascus airport overnight, targeting a warehouse reportedly belonging to Hizbullah, which is allied with the Syrian government, a monitor said Friday. "Israeli warplanes targeted with rocket fire a weapons depot belonging to Hizbullah near the airport," said Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. There was no immediate official confirmation from either Damascus or Israel, but the Jewish state has been accused of carrying out multiple strikes in Syria, including earlier this month. On September 7, the Syrian army said Israeli warplanes hit one of its positions near the central town of Masyaf. The site was reportedly used by Hizbullah forces and those of Iran, another Syrian government ally. In April, the government accused Israel of firing several missiles at a military position near Damascus airport, triggering a huge explosion.Israel has remained quiet on the accusations, but has repeatedly warned it stands ready to take military action to prevent Hizbullah from obtaining advanced weaponry. Earlier this month, the Israeli military fired a Patriot missile to bring down what it said was an Iranian-made drone operated by Hizbullah on a reconnaissance mission over the Golan Heights. Israel and Syria are still technically at war, though the armistice line on the Golan Heights had remained largely quiet for decades until civil war erupted in Syria in 2011. Israel seized 1,200 square kilometers (460 square miles) of the Golan Heights from Syria in the Six-Day War of 1967 and later annexed it in a move never recognized by the international community. Israel has expressed concern about Iran's growing power in Syria, as well as that of Hezbollah. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned on Tuesday that Israel would fight to prevent an "Iranian curtain" descending on the Middle East. "We will act to prevent Iran from establishing permanent military bases in Syria for its air, sea and ground forces," he said.

Gemayel Hails Tax Law Repeal as 'Constitutional Revolution against Shady Deals'
Naharnet/September 22/17 /Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel on Friday hailed as a “constitutional revolution” a Constitutional Council ruling that annulled a tax law aimed at funding a new wage scale for civil servants and the armed forces. Describing the decision as “historic,” Gemayel congratulated the Lebanese people on their “struggle” and thanked the MPs who had joined him in signing the appeal that was lodged with the Council. “What happened was more than a Constitutional Council ruling and bigger than a repeal of unjust taxes,” Gemayel said at a press conference. “It was a constitutional revolution against the approach of shady deals and closed-door rooms, seeing as respect for the Constitution was restored thanks to the opposition, people and the public opinion,” the young lawmaker added. “They will now have to pass the state budget, because according to the Constitution, it is unacceptable to spend without a budget,” Gemayel said. The MP reassured that the ruling class “can no longer take money from people's pockets to fund the wage scale” because they will be obliged to “carry out studies.”Gemayel, however, noted that the ruling class is obliged to pay the wage scale to its beneficiaries. “The new wage scale is a right for public employees and you must exert utmost efforts to stop corruption and the waste of public funds, and anything other than this would be intimidation,” the MP added. He also noted that the treasury has enough funds to finance the wage scale in 2017 and 2018 thanks to taxes on the extraordinary gains achieved by banks under the Central Bank's latest swap operation.

Politicians Laud Constitutional Council's Repeal of Tax Law
Naharnet/September 22/17 Politicians from several parties on Friday lauded a ruling by the Constitutional Council that revoked a controversial tax law aimed at funding a new wage scale for civil servants and the armed forces. Kataeb Party chief MP Sami Gemayel, who led the appeal that was filed against the law, congratulated the Lebanese on the decision.“Through rightful action and serious work, nothing is impossible, and people's rights and dignity are a red line,” Gemayel tweeted. Speaker Nabih Berri meanwhile announced that "the judiciary's ruling should be respected, even if it came in favor of the banks.""We must now address the complaints," the speaker added. Lebanese Forces leader Samir Gegaea for his part said the LF respects the Council's decision “out of its faith in state institutions.” “From now on, any discussion on the issue of taxes must be based on this council's ruling,” Geagea added. Free Patriotic Movement chief and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil meanwhile tweeted that he “respects” the Council's ruling, “especially in terms of the need to pass the state budget first and its inclusion of all articles of the wage scale.”“Parliament should carry out the necessary rectification to prevent any financial collapse,” Bassil added. Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil of the AMAL Movement said the Council's decision “deserves an emergency cabinet session to discuss the repercussions and alternatives.” Former justice minister Maj. Gen. Ashraf Rifi meanwhile said the decision is “an important step on the course of building a state of institutions.”“I salute the Council, MP Sami Gemayel and the lawmakers who filed the appeal,” Rifi added.

Geagea Says Refugees Won't Accept Return Coordinated with Damascus
Naharnet/September 22/17/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea noted Friday that Syrian refugees in Lebanon will not accept to return to their country through agreements coordinated with the Syrian government. “The circumstances in Syria have become suitable for their return and the decision in this regard is a sovereign Lebanese decision par excellence,” Geagea said during a Maarab ceremony to announce the candidacy of Ajjaj Haddad for the Sidon-Jezzine Greek Catholic parliamentary seat. “We must know the right way to return them based on the method that was applied by Turkey and Jordan,” Geagea added. The LF leader however noted that “when the refugees realize that their return is conditioned on coordination with Bashar al-Assad's regime, they won't return, because Bashar al-Assad himself was behind their displacement.”As for the thorny issue of coordinating with the Syrian government in the political and economic fields, Geagea pointed out that the Syrian government “is not recognized by the Syrian people, the international community and most Arab states.”President Michel Aoun had on Thursday underscored in his maiden speech before the U.N. General Assembly that Lebanon will not allow the naturalization of any Syrian or Palestinian refugee on its soil “no matter what that might cost.”Noting that the Syrian state is now in control of “85 percent of its territory,” the president emphasized that “there is an urgent need to organize the return of refugees to their country.” Separately, Geagea reassured that the parliamentary elections will be held on time. “We will hold parliamentary polls after seven months, although there are mouthpieces that have started to promote the claim that there will be no elections,” he said. “We tell them that the elections will definitely be held and that they will decisive and crucial – with or without a magnetic voting card and with or without pre-registration – becaue the people cannot wait any longer,” Geagea went on to say.

Constitutional Council Revokes Tax Hike Law, Says Won't Affect Salary Scale
Naharnet/September 22/17/The Constitutional Council unanimously annulled on Friday the tax hike law aimed at funding the wage scale for civil servants and the armed forces after an August appeal submitted by ten lawmakers. President of the Constitutional Council told reporters after the meeting, that the “next step would be the responsibility of the Parliament.”A member of the Constitutional Council assured reporters in remarks he made form his car while leaving the premises that the “decision will not affect the wage scale," and that civil servants and armed forces will receive their September salaries based on the new wages lists. Asked about the sources to fund the salary scale that were initially agreed to be allocated from the tax hikes, he said: “The government has heaps of money, it can manage.”According to MTV, Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil plans to hold talks with Prime Minister Saad Hariri in the wake of the Council's decision. The Council, which met for the third time this month, has ordered the suspension of the law late in August. In addition to five Kataeb MPs Sami Gemayel, Nadim Gemayel, Samer Saade, Elie Marouni and Fadi al-Haber, the appeal was signed by National Liberal Party chief MP Dori Chamoun, Marada bloc MP Salim Karam, Democratic Gathering MP Fouad al-Saad and independent MPs Khaled al-Daher and Butros Harb. The appeal was submitted based on arguments that the approved “taxes will lower the purchasing power of citizens, push more than 100,000 citizens Lebanese below the poverty line, and initiate an increase in school tuition fees.”The new taxes involve hiking the VAT tax from 10% to 11%, fines on seaside violations, and taxes on cement, administrative transactions, sea imports, lottery prizes, tobacco, alcohol, travel tickets, financial firms and banks. Authorities have argued that the new taxes are necessary to fund the new wage scale but opponents of such a move have called for finding new revenues through putting an end to corruption and the waste of public money.

Cabinet to Hold Emergency Session on Wage Scale after Hariri Contacts
Naharnet/September 22/17Intensive political contacts by Prime Minister Saad Hariri led to an agreement on holding an emergency cabinet session Monday at the Grand Serail to discuss the repercussions of the Constitutional Council's repeal of a tax law aimed at funding the new wage scale, the PM's office said on Friday. The office noted that Hariri had canceled all his meetings as of Friday afternoon to hold intensive talks over the Council's ruling. Earlier in the day, the Constitutional Council unanimously annulled the tax hike law aimed at funding the wage scale whose beneficiaries are civil servants and the armed forces. The ruling followed an appeal filed by 10 MPs led by Kataeb Party chief Sami Gemayel. “The decision will not affect the wage scale" and civil servants and the armed forces will receive their September salaries based on the new wages lists, a Council member told reporters.
Asked about the sources to fund the salary scale, he said: “The government has heaps of money, it can manage.” The revoked taxes involved hiking the VAT tax from 10% to 11%, fines on seaside violations, and taxes on cement, administrative transactions, sea imports, lottery prizes, tobacco, alcohol, travel tickets, financial firms and banks. Authorities had argued that the new taxes were necessary to fund the new wage scale but opponents of such a move called for finding new revenues through putting an end to corruption and the waste of public money.

Army Unit Deploys in South as Chief Discusses Coordinated Efforts with UNIFIL
Naharnet/September 22/17/A new army unit has completed its deployment south of the Litani River, the Army Command said on Friday. The move is part of “the Army Command's decision to boost the army's deployment on the southern border to defend it against the Israeli enemy, and to preserve its security and stability in cooperation and coordination with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as part of the implementation of (U.N. Security Council) Resolution 1701,” the Army Command said in a statement. The army's announcement coincided with a visit by Army Commander General Joseph Aoun to the UNIFIL headquarters in Naqoura. A UNIFIL statement said Aoun discussed with the U.N. Mission’s leadership “enhanced coordinated activities between LAF (Lebanese Army Forces) and UNIFIL in the area between the Litani River and the Blue Line in south Lebanon.” The Head of Mission and Force Commander Major General Michael Beary welcomed the visit and the deployment of additional LAF forces in the area of operations, UNIFIL said. “He emphasized the importance of strong collaboration between UNIFIL and LAF to respond to incidents and violations effectively and in a timely manner,” it added. Beary also congratulated Aoun for “his leadership and the LAF’s achievements in the recent military campaign in the northeastern parts of the country,” offering his “deepest condolences on the losses suffered.”“The LAF and UNIFIL are strategic partners in implementing the mandated tasks under U.N. Security Council resolution 1701 (2006) and 2373 of 30 August 2017, which extended the mandate for another year,” the UNIFIL statement said. It added: “UNIFIL and LAF are working closely to further enhance coordinated efforts that have helped keep an unprecedented 11-years of stability in the area of operations.”UNIFIL has around 10,500 peacekeepers coming from 41 troop-contributing countries. The Mission maintains an intensive level of some 13,500 operational activities per month. UNIFIL is also complemented by a seven-vessel strong Maritime Task Force.

1 Dead, 5 Hurt as Ain el-Hilweh Football Fight Erupts into Gunfire
Naharnet/September 22/17/One person was killed and five others were wounded Friday evening when a fistfight between football fans escalated into an armed clash in the Palestinian refugee camp of Ain el-Hilweh, state-run National News Agency reported. The agency said the clash between the fans of the al-Ansar and al-Nahda teams erupted after a football match at the camp's Jihad al-Wazir Stadium ended with a 1-0 win for al-Nahda. NNA identified the dead man as Mohammed Slim, saying he succumbed to his wounds at the al-Rai Hospital. According to the agency, the wounded include a woman.

Nasrallah: We're Not Advocates of War but We're Ready to Fight
Naharnet/September 22/17/Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah announced Thursday that his group does not want war with Israel but that it stands ready to fight should a confrontation be imposed on it. “A real resistance fighter, a real mujahid is one who performs his religious assignment to the fullest,” said Nasrallah in a televised sermon marking the beginning of Ashura, according to the Hizbullah-affiliated website al-Ahed News.“We are not advocates of war or fighting, but if our religious obligation is to fight, we will fight, even if (ex-U.S. president George W.) Bush, (U.S. President Donald) Trump, Israel, some Arabs and the entire world stand in our face. We are not afraid of anything,” Nasrallah added in brief political remarks during his religious sermon.

Arslan praises Aoun’s UN speech
The Daily Star/Sep. 22, 2017/BEIRUT: Minister for the Displaced and head of the Lebanese Democratic Party Talal Arslan said Friday that President Michel Aoun’s speech before the United Nations General Assembly the day before was a model of resistance and diplomacy. “President Aoun’s speech before the 72nd U.N. General Assembly was a model of resistance and diplomacy that must be followed,” Arslan said in a statement on his party’s official website. He added that Lebanon had taken humiliating positions back in 2008 at the request of Western authorities and didn’t defend the rights or interests of the Lebanese state or its people. However, he said on this occasion, Aoun’s speech reaffirmed Lebanon’s presence on the international playing field. “Aoun’s speech in the U.N. proved that Lebanon has become again a country that upholds its rights and defends its interests,” Arslan said. “Lebanon rejects the policy of submission that harms Lebanon while helping international forces.” In his speech, Aoun addressed the effects of the Syrian crisis and global terrorism in the Middle East and the world. He also suggested that Lebanon should become a center for dialogue between different civilizations, religions and races. Aoun’s speech before the U.N. marks the first time in three years that Lebanon was represented at the U.N. General Assembly as the country did not have a president for two-and-a-half years due to political deadlock.

Report: Rockets hit Damascus airport area in probable Israeli attack
Reuters, Beirut Friday, 22 September 2017/Two rockets struck near Damascus airport at dawn on Friday, Lebanese TV station al-Mayadeen reported, an attack it said had probably been carried out by Israeli warplanes from outside Syria’s borders. Al-Mayadeen gave no further details in the report carried in a news flash on screen. An Israeli military spokeswoman declined to comment on the reports of the air strike, saying: “We do not respond to such reports.”Earlier this month, the Syrian army reported an Israeli air strike on a military site in Syria’s Hama province. Israel says it has hit arms convoys of the Syrian military and its Iranian-backed ally Hezbollah nearly 100 times in the past five years. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria’s civil war, said the attack earlier this month was on a facility of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, an agency which the United States describes as Syria’s chemical weapons manufacturer. Syria’s government denies using chemical arms. In 2013 it promised to surrender its chemical weapons, which it says it has done.

Lebanon: Car with flammable materials spotted near Minister of Interior convoy
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 22 September 2017/A car carrying flammable materials has been reported near the convoy of the Lebanese interior minister, on Thursday. The convoy of Lebanon's Interior Minister Nohad Machnouk detected a car with flammable materials while leaving the mosque of Mohammed al-Amine in Beirut. The electronic devices in his convoy located and identified the car. After the explosives experts checked the car, they found that it was loaded boxes of explosive materials, Lebanese media reported. The security services are inspecting the nature of the seized materials. Lebanese media pointed that the car belonged to a cleaning company and the materials found inside were flammable and non-explosive cleaning materials.

Aoun distances himself from Al-Monitor interview
The Daily Star/Sep. 22, 2017/BEIRUT: President Michel Aoun Friday distanced himself from an interview published by Al-Monitor earlier this week after the president's media office released a statement saying the article was inaccurate. "Al-Monitor published an interview including some quotes attributed to President Michel Aoun that were taken out of context and inaccurate," a statement from the Aoun's media office said. The statement added: "The Presidency’s media office reiterates that Aoun's positions [during the interview] were no different than those he discussed during his speech to the U.N. General Assembly and those which he discussed during meetings with Arab and foreign officials as well as the U.N. Secretary-General." A separate statement from Aoun’s office said that local media outlets took some excerpts from the interview. “This made what was published on these sites inaccurate and falls outside the context of what President Aoun told Al-Monitor.”Al-Monitor published the interview Thursday with Aoun saying that Hezbollah’s weapons were necessary as long as Israel maintained its aggressive policies against Lebanon. “Actually, Hezbollah has become a component of the regional crisis. If we have to solve the problem of Hezbollah, it would be within a general solution to the Middle East crisis, especially in Syria,” Aoun was quoted as saying in the interview while in New York earlier this week. The president added that as long as “Israel is provoking Lebanon and it is attacking, we can’t ask Hezbollah to dismantle its organization.”Aoun also called on the international community to address the refugee crisis plaguing Lebanon and its dilapidated economy.
“We are paying more than the international community to help the refugees or displaced people in Lebanon because we have to provide them with water, electricity and everything else to make their life in Lebanon easier. The others, they are giving them food — but we are educating children, Syrian children. The schools are open twice a day, one session in the morning and one in the afternoon. And the hospitals are full.” When asked how the international community could help in a greater capacity, Aoun said, “[We are asking] from the international community not to help us, but to help the people go back to their homes.”
Turning to the recent renewal of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and calls for it to be more aggressive and active in making sure Hezbollah was not transferring weapons, Aoun said, “It is not a military force, they are observers and Lebanon cannot give them ... a mission to inspect the homes of the people to see if they have weapons or not.”He said UNIFIL’s work was to observe the borders of Lebanon and Israel and to monitor the number of Israeli aircraft violations into Lebanese borders. Responding to potential military and economic ties with Russia after Prime Minister Saad Hariri’s recent visit to Russia, Aoun said there was no accord with Russia about trade as of yet. “I think if I visit the Russians, at that moment, [we will] decide what we'll do. But we have some Russian weapons and I think we need some ammunitions for these weapons — they can help from the military side,” Aoun said.

Aoun Rejects Settlement, Stresses Refugees’ Safe Return to Syria
Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17/New York – Lebanese President Michel Aoun stressed the urgent need to organize the return of refugees and displaced persons to their homeland after the situation in most of their first places of residence has stabilized.
In his official address before the UN General Assembly on Thursday, Aoun noted that Lebanon distinguished between “voluntary” and “safe” return, based on the reasons for displacement. “Some call for the refugees’ voluntary return and we call for their safe return and differentiate between the two concepts,” Aoun noted. “The claim that they will not be safe should they return to their country is an unacceptable excuse… If the Syrian state is carrying out reconciliation with the armed groups that it is fighting, wouldn’t it be able to do so with refugees who had fled war?” the Lebanese president asked.
He revealed that waves of displacement and refugees had increased Lebanon’s population by 50 percent, citing severe overcrowding, a deteriorating economic situation, and increased crime. Aoun went on to warn that terrorists had taken shelter among the refugees, making the need to resettle displaced persons to their homelands urgent. He also underlined Israel’s defiance of international resolutions, especially with regards to the conflict with the Palestinians, and said: “Israeli wars proved that the cannon, the tank, and the plane do not produce solutions or peace.” He added: “There is no doubt that the crime of expelling the Palestinians from their land cannot be corrected by another crime committed against the Lebanese through the imposition of resettlement.”
Aoun said that terrorism has spread like wildfire to all continents and must be faced at its roots. “No one knows how far this terrorism will reach and how it will end,” he stated, highlighting Lebanon’s recent victories against ISIS and other terrorist groups. “Lebanon had been able to eliminate cells, as had recently been seen in its victories against ISIS along the border with Syria,” he noted.

AFHR Calls on UN Investigation into Violations Against Al-Murrah
Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17/AFHR Calls on UN Investigation into Violations Against Al-Murrah
Geneva-The Arab Federation for Human Rights(AFHR) has asked the United Nations Human Rights Council to intervene in the unraveling issue of the al-Ghufran branch of Al-Murrah tribe in Qatar and stop the “crimes against humanity” against the members of the tribe. Members of al-Ghufran branch of the Al-Murrah family accused Qatari authorities of launching “a systematic repression and injustice campaign” against their tribe, according to a report by the Arab Federation for Human Rights. Speakers at a Geneva seminar rejected Qatar’s arbitrary act of revoking the citizenship of Sheikh Taleb bin Lahom bin Shreim and 54 members of his family belonging to the Al-Murrah tribe. The seminar, organized by the AFHR on the sidelines of the 36th Session of the Human Rights Council, considered the Qatari act as a kind of ‘systematic revenge’ against the family for exercising their natural rights to freedom of movement and freedom of expression. It was for the second time in a couple of days the UNHRC session was overshadowed by the arbitrary Qatari act against a group of its citizens from Al-Ghufran clan of Al-Murrah tribe.
The participants noted that Doha’s arbitrary measures should be considered as a collective punishment, indicating that the revocation of the nationality of 55 members of the clan is clearly an arbitrary act by the government in violation of the principles of human rights and in direct violation of the provisions of the international laws governing the granting and withdrawal of nationality in accordance with certain mechanisms and controls.
“It is also to be noted that the decision of the Qatari government was sudden and without any reason or legal justification, and it was not based on any judicial decisions or fair trials,” they pointed out. The human rights activists, who participated in the seminar, expressed their deep concern over the consequences of the measures taken by the Qatari authorities against a number of Al-Murrah members and the consequent displacement and deprivation of their basic rights and freedoms in areas of health, education, housing, work, mobility, and expression besides other rights and freedoms that are enshrined in the international conventions and pacts, ratified by the government of Qatar and pledged to make available for its citizens. The participants noted that international human rights law recognizes the right of states to decide who are their nationals but at the same time emphasizes that this right is not an absolute one.
“All governments should comply with their human rights obligations with respect to granting and stripping of citizenship and prevent arbitrary deprivation of nationality because it effectively increases the woes of the affected persons and their vulnerability to human rights violations besides threatening their lives and the future of their children.”The AFHR delegates called on the international community to investigate Qatar’s violations against Sheik Taleb and his family. They appealed to all human rights organizations inside and outside Qatar to play their role in this regard, monitor such violations, and stand by the victims.
The Federation also stressed that silence on this blatant abuse, gross violation and collective punishment of innocent people —for no fault of theirs but only because of the punishment meted out by the Qatari authorities — is in violation of the credibility of human rights and their universal values.
“All those concerned inside and outside Qatar, especially Qatar’s National Human Rights Committee, will be responsible for what was exposed from danger by this tribe and its members. The committee has not observed this violation and has recently implemented Qatar’s unfair policy with discarding its duty of defending human rights principles”.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on  September 22-23/17
Barzani: We are ready for dialogue, but after Kurdish referendum
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 22 September 2017/Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan region of Iraq announced on Friday that the disputed independence referendum will go ahead on September 25. Barzani, who has been under international pressure to delay the vote, defiantly told his supporters that the referendum would go ahead as scheduled and that “anyone who opposes it can go to the ballot box and vote no”. Saudi Arabia called upon the parties concerned to engage in dialogue in order to achieve the interests of the Iraqi people in all its components and to ensure security and peace in Iraq and preserve its unity and sovereignty, according to a statement issued by a source from Riyadh’s government last week.The UN Security Council also warned on Thursday that a referendum on independence by Iraq’s Kurdistan region was potentially destabilizing and urged dialogue. In a unanimous statement, the 15-member council said the referendum planned for Monday could hinder efforts to help refugees return home. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday told his Iraqi counterpart Ibrahim al-Jaafari that Moscow supported Iraq's territorial integrity and sovereignty, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. "The Russian side confirmed its constant support for the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Iraq," the ministry said.
We may die for our goal
In his speech in front of over 30,000 Iraqi Kurds in Erbil Barzani said that the region is ready for dialogue, but only after the scheduled referendum takes place. Barzani said that the issue of postponement of the referendum has gone out of his hands after it became a public issue. Barzani declared that "we may die for our goal." "We have tried a lot with all parties to reach a solution to the problems and abide by the constitution, but they did not accept the partnership," he said. He stressed that the Iraqi constitution emphasizes a "union" and not "unity". Barzani talked about the bombardment of Halabja by chemical weapons during Saddam Hussein's rule, as well as Saddam's campaign against Kurdish villages in Iraq. "We thought after 2003 that we were building a new Iraq, but instead of building a democratic civilian state, we found a sectarian state." "They should have sent weapons to the Peshmerga, but they cut the budget," he said. "Baghdad believed the Kurds were divided and could not complete the referendum." "After the constitution of Iraq was drafted, we accepted it, but Baghdad did not comply with it. Article 140 of the constitution was not implemented," he said. Barzani said that "the referendum is not to draw out the border, but to assert our right for independence," The head of the Kurdistan region of Iraq rejected all local, regional and international pressure to postpone the referendum, saying: "They have been pressing us day and night. He insisted: "I will not take a position that shames my people, who does not want a referendum can go to the polls and says no." He pointed out that the Iraqi Kurdistan are now "choosing between freedom and slavery" and that the Peshmerga will not allow the territory to fall “into the hands of enemies”. Barzani praised the role of the Peshmerga in fighting against ISIS, highlighting their sacrifices.
Preparations for referendum complete
Evidence on the ground indicates that the Kurdistan region is on track to conduct the referendum on September 25 despite all internal and external rejection. The Electoral Commission in the region said that the number of ballot boxes amounted to 12 thousand and are distributed at over 2000 centers in all areas where the referendum will be held. The referendum will be held in the disputed areas of Kirkuk, Nineveh and Diyala, as well as the district of Tuz Khurmato.The Commission pointed out the completion of logistical and technical measures and the preparation of observers and supervisors of the referendum.

Turkey calls on Barzani to cancel northern Iraq referendum
Reuters, AFP, Ankara Friday, 22 September 2017/Turkey made a directly appeal to the president of the northern Iraqi Kurdish region on Friday, calling on him to cancel an independence referendum planned for Sept. 25, warning that Ankara viewed the vote as illegal and unacceptable. In a statement, Turkey’s National Security Council (MGK) called on Massoud Barzani to stop the referendum, saying it retained the rights defined in bilateral and international agreements if the vote were held. It did not elaborate on the nature of those rights. The statement followed a meeting of the council, which was chaired by President Tayyip Erdogan. Erdogan is also due to hold a cabinet meeting later on Friday.
Vote ‘illegitimate’
Turkey's National Security Council (MGK) slammed the planned independence referendum in Iraq’s Kurdistan region next week as “illegitimate” and “unacceptable”. “The illegitimate and unacceptable nature of the referendum ... has been specified once again,” the MGK said in the statement. Earlier on Friday, Prime Minister Binali Yildirim said the referendum was a matter of national security for Turkey and Ankara would never accept a change of status in Iraq or Syria. “An action that will change the status in Syria and Iraq is an unacceptable result for Turkey, and we will do what is necessary,” Yildirim said. Erdogan has threatened to impose sanctions against Kurdish northern Iraq, saying the government would consider counter-measures against the vote at a cabinet meeting later on Friday. The parliament will convene for an extraordinary meeting on Saturday in order to discuss policy on Iraq. Turkey, home to the largest Kurdish population in the region and fighting a Kurdish insurgency, has warned that any breakup of neighboring Iraq or Syria could lead to a global conflict. On Monday, the Turkish army launched a highly visible military drill near the Habur border crossing, which military sources said was due to last until Sept. 26, a day after the planned referendum.
A direct threat to Turkey
The planned independence referendum for Kurdish northern Iraq represents a direct threat to Turkey’s security, and Ankara hopes it will be canceled so it can avoid implementing sanctions, Turkey’s government spokesman said. Bekir Bozdag made the comments at a news conference following a cabinet meeting chaired by President Tayyip Erdogan. Turkey has threatened to impose sanctions on Kurdish northern Iraq over the referendum, but Bozdag did not give any details about what those could entail.

Former Muslim Brotherhood head Mahdi Akef dies in hospital
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Saturday, 23 September 2017/Former Muslim Brotherhood head Mohammed Mahdi Akef has died in hospital aged 89. His last spell in jail began in July 2013, after the military overthrew Islamist president Mohamed Morsi and jailed his supporters and fellow Brotherhood members. Akef served the party for more than 70 years. Born in 1928 -- the year Hassan al-Banna founded the Muslim Brotherhood -- Akef became deeply involved in it at a young age. After leading its student section, the former physical education instructor joined the group's Guidance Bureau in the 1980s before being elected supreme guide in 2004, at the age of 76. Unlike his predecessors, who remained at the Brotherhood helm until their death, Akef retired after a single six-year term. A representative of the conservative old guard known for his blunt speech, Akef often provoked controversy. For him, Israel was "a cancer to root out" and the Holocaust a "myth". Before the Muslim Brotherhood came to power, Akef said: Brotherhood supporters would strike at those who attacked them if they came to power. On the cover of the Egyptian weekly magazine Al-Musawwar, the former leader was featured holding a shoe and a headline said: “This is the Brotherhood's program to rule Egypt.” Akef spent more than 26 years in regime prisons. After a failed assassination attempt against pan-Arabist leader Gamal Abdel Nasser in 1954, he was arrested and sentenced to life in jail. He was released 20 years later, when the new president, Anwar Sadat, was seeking Islamists' support to gain legitimacy and weaken the left-wing. Akef was appointed to a post in the reconstruction ministry. He joined the Brotherhood's Guidance Bureau in 1987 and was elected to parliament. But he was again sentenced to three years by a military court in 1996, this time under Mubarak. Detained again after Morsi's ouster, he was sentenced to life for his alleged role in the death of 12 anti-Brotherhood protesters who tried to attack the movement's Cairo headquarters in June 2013. The Court of Cassation overturned that verdict and ordered a new trial that left him behind bars. Ten months before his death, Akef had been transferred from jail to hospital in Cairo for cancer treatment.(With AFP)

Iran’s Rouhani vows to strengthen missiles despite US criticism
AFP, Tehran Friday, 22 September 2017/President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Friday that Iran would boost its ballistic missile capabilities despite criticism from the United States and also France. “Whether you like it or not, we are going to strengthen our military capabilities which are necessary for deterrence,” Rouhani said in a speech marking the anniversary of the outbreak of Iran’s devastating 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq. “We will strengthen not only our missiles but also our air, land and sea forces... When it comes to defending our country, we will ask nobody for their permission.” Criticism by the Donald Trump administration of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, including the United States, has focused heavily on Tehran's continuing missile program.
Nuclear warhead
Tehran says that the missiles are entirely legitimate under the terms of the deal as they are not designed to carry a nuclear warhead. But Washington says they breach the spirit of the agreement as they have the potential to carry a nuclear warhead and has imposed new sanctions over Tehran’s continuing launches and tests. But Trump, who this week described the deal as an “embarrassment”, is due to report to the US Congress on October 15 on whether or not he believes that Iran is in compliance. If, as now appears increasingly likely, he decides that it is not, it could open the way for renewed US sanctions and perhaps the collapse of the agreement. Trump said on Wednesday he had made his decision but was not yet ready to reveal it. Washington has also taken aim at what it says is Tehran's failure to meet expectations that it would play a more stabilizing role in the Middle East.
“Regrettably, since the agreement was confirmed we have seen anything but a more peaceful, stable region and this is a real issue,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters at the United Nations.

Syrian opposition figure, daughter murdered in Istanbul
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English Friday, 22 September 2017/A Syrian opposition figure and her daughter were found murdered in their Istanbul apartment on Thursday night. Orouba Barakat and her daughter Hala were stabbed to death. Turkish police found their bodies in their apartment in Istanbul’s area of Uskudar. The police, however, has not issued any information about the murder yet. Orouba’s sister Shaza wrote on Facebook: “The hand of tyranny and injustice assassinated my sister Doctor Orouba and her daughter Hala in their apartment in Istanbul,” adding that they were stabbed to death.
“Orouba wrote (news) headlines in the first page and she pursued criminals and exposed them. Her name and her daughter’s name, Hala, now made first page headlines,” Shaza added. Orouba’s sister Shaza accused the Syrian regime of killing her sister and niece. (Al Arabiya) Regime accused
Shaza accused the Syrian regime of killing her sister and niece and said the regime “displaced her since the 1980’s until it finally assassinated her in a strange land.” Orouba is a Syrian activist who opposes the Assad regime. She is a member of the opposition national council and is a well known as a supporter of the revolution and as a critic of opposition institutions. Her daughter Hala was a journalist in the Syrian Orient institution. Orouba was a Syrian activist who opposes the Assad regime. (Al Arabiya) This is not the first time opposition figure has been killed in Syria. Others have met a similar fate such as Zahir al-Sherqat and Naji Jerf who were killed in Turkey’s border city of Gaziantep.

Report: Faulty devices help keep Iran in nuclear deal limits
Reuters, Washington Friday, 22 September 2017/Frequent breakdowns of advanced uranium enrichment devices have inadvertently helped Iran comply with restrictions in the international agreement curbing its nuclear program, according to a new report by a Washington-based think tank.
Iranian compliance also is due to tougher policing by US President Donald Trump’s administration of the 2015 pact to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons, the Institute for Science and International Security said in a report due on Friday. A copy of the report was seen by Reuters.
“Iran can be expected to continue to push the deal’s limits, commit violations and seek interpretations that are unfounded,” the report said. “One should expect many struggles to keep Iran within the nuclear limits for the duration of the deal.”For those reasons and because Tehran is unlikely ever to build a financially viable uranium enrichment plant, an expansion of Iran’s program would either be a “colossal waste of money ... or the basis of a nuclear weapons program, which would not care about costs,” the report said. Washington and its negotiating partners in the agreement should find a way to make the deal’s restrictions permanent or “severely” extend their expiration times, it said. Under the deal between Iran, Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, Tehran agreed to restrict its nuclear program in return for the lifting of economic sanctions that had crippled its economy.
Trump’s call
The report comes as Trump weighs whether to certify to Congress that Iran is complying with the agreement. He has until Oct. 16 to make that decision. Decertifying Iran could lead Congress to re-impose US sanctions on Iran, threatening to collapse the deal and intensify tension in the Middle East.
Supporters of the deal, called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, insist that strong international monitoring will prevent Iran from developing nuclear bombs. Iran has denied that it is seeking nuclear weapons. The International Atomic Energy Agency, which monitors the pact, has found no “material breaches” by Iran, a judgment with which Washington has concurred. Tehran has exceeded some deal restrictions, such as a limit on its heavy water stockpile, used in nuclear reactors, the Institute for Science and International Security said in a November 2016 report. But it either rectified some infractions or won exemptions – while President Barack Obama was in office - before the pact took effect in January 2016. In its new report the institute listed other alleged Iran compliance issues, including changes to the design of a heavy water reactor that can produce plutonium, another weapons fuel.
Trump has put Iran "on notice" over charges that Tehran violated a nuclear deal with the West by test-firing a ballistic missile. (Reuters)
Breaking centrifuges
Iran’s improved compliance this year in part has been “unintentional or accidental” because advanced uranium enrichment devices called centrifuges have broken during testing more often than expected, according to the think tank report. Enrichment produces low-enriched uranium for power plants, but it also can make highly enriched weapons-grade uranium. By August, Iran had tested eight advanced IR-8 centrifuges although the deal limits it to one at most, the report said, adding that Iran also operated between 13 and 15 interconnected IR-6 machines, which the deal restricts to 10. However, according to the report, all but one of the IR-8s and many of the IR-6s broke because carbon fiber components failed. David Albright, a former UN nuclear inspector who authored the new report, said Iran’s compliance also had improved because the United States is taking a tougher line on attempts to “violate the nuclear limits and exploit loopholes.” Two sources, including a senior US official, said on Wednesday that the White House does not want to kill the deal. Instead, it wants lawmakers to hold off taking action while it discusses with European allies making the limits on Iran’s program permanent and fixing what US officials consider other flaws, said the sources, who requested anonymity.

UN Security Council warns Iraqi Kurd vote ‘potentially destabilizing’
AFP Friday, 22 September 2017/The UN Security Council on Thursday warned that a referendum on independence by Iraq’s Kurdistan region was potentially destabilizing and urged dialogue. In a unanimous statement, the 15-member council said the referendum planned for Monday could hinder efforts to help refugees return home. The United States also opposes the referendum, warning that it may not be able to help Iraq’s Kurds negotiate a better deal with Baghdad if they go ahead with the vote. The foreign ministers of Turkey, Iran and Iraq held a rare trilateral meeting Wednesday in New York on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, days ahead of the non-binding September 25 referendum. The ministers also called the planned vote “unconstitutional”, saying it ran the risk of provoking new conflicts in the region, and would “not be beneficial” for the Kurds of Iraq. They also said the referendum would put Iraq’s hard-earned gains against ISIS militants “under great risk”.

Erdogan: Turkey to deploy troops inside Syria’s Idlib
Reuters Friday, 22 September 2017/Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan told Reuters in an interview on Thursday that Turkey will deploy troops in Syria’s northern Idlib region as part of a “de-escalation” agreement brokered by Russia last month. Erdogan, in New York for the United Nations General Assembly, also said the United States was a strategic partner of Turkey that should extradite US-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan accuses of orchestrating a coup that failed in 2015. Erdogan warned Washington that a decision to arm YPG Kurdish forces fighting ISIS in Syria could end up hurting Washington and its allies. Turkey views the YPG as the Syrian extension of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK). He said in the interview that he hoped political relations with Germany could be improved, praising German Chancellor Angela Merkel for refraining from criticizing Turkey and its policies. He said Turkey’s ties with NATO were strong despite buying S-400 missile system from Russia.

Iraq Kurd Head Resists Pressure to Scrap Independence Vote
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/September 22/17/Iraqi Kurdish leader Massud Barzani insisted Friday that a controversial September 25 independence referendum for his autonomous Kurdish region in northern Iraq will go ahead, even as last-minute negotiations aimed to change his mind. Iraq's Kurds have faced mounting international pressure, including from neighboring Turkey and Iran, to call off the referendum that the U.N. Security Council has warned was potentially destabilizing. "The referendum is no longer in my hands, nor is it in those of the (political) parties -- it is in your hands," Barzani told a large crowd at a football stadium in the regional capital Arbil.
"We say that we are ready for serious open-minded dialogue with Baghdad, but after September 25, because now it is too late," he said of Monday's plebiscite. On Saturday, the veteran Kurdish leader is to hold a news conference at which he is expected to announce definitively whether the vote will take place.
Negotiations are still taking place aimed at persuading Barzani to postpone any referendum, according to officials close to the discussions. "Nothing is definitive yet. Discussions are continuing to try to offer him serious guarantees that will convince him to change his mind," said one official who did not wish to be identified. In Ankara, Turkey's National Security Council, chaired by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, slammed the planned referendum as "illegitimate," indicating that Ankara was prepared to retaliate if it went ahead. It warned that Ankara was prepared to use its "rights" in line with international agreement, with specifying what action it could take. On the Iranian front, a commander of its elite Revolutionary Guards, Major General Qassem Soleimani, held talks with Barzani in Arbil. "It's his last visit before the referendum to advise Kurdish officials that Iran is seriously hostile to it and warn them to call it off," a provisional source said.
Iran, Turkey concerns
Iran and Turkey both have sizable Kurdish populations of their own and fear the vote in northern Iraq will stoke separatist aspirations at home. The Iraqi government is also opposed to the referendum in the oil-rich Kurdish region, which it has called unconstitutional. In 2014, after a dispute over oil exports, Baghdad decided to suspend payments to Barzani's Kurdish regional government of 17 percent of Iraq's national budget. Wages, including those of Kurdish peshmerga fighters, were slashed after the end of those transfers, which were worth around $12 billion (10 billion euros) and made up 80 percent of the region's budget revenues. "The Iranians are still pushing for negotiations between Kurdistan and Baghdad," the source said. Soleimani has told Kurdish officials that "Iran is pressuring Baghdad so it accepts Kurdish demands and solves the issues of the budget, peshmerga salaries and disputed areas."
'Potentially destabilizing' -
Iraqi Kurdistan has since 2003 been made up of the three provinces of Arbil, Dohuk and Sulaimaniyah, but its leaders have laid claim to other areas that are constitutionally under Baghdad's authority, including the oil-rich province of Kirkuk. The Iraqi Kurds would like these disputed areas to take part in the vote.
On Thursday, the U.N. Security Council warned that the referendum was "potentially destabilizing."The council urged "dialogue and compromise" to address differences between the Iraqi government and the regional authorities. It also said the vote could weaken the military campaign against the Islamic State jihadist group, "in which Kurdish forces have played a critical role." Baghdad this week launched offensives to oust IS from the last two pockets it controls in Iraq. Despite tensions over the referendum, Iraqi forces on Friday recaptured IS-held Sharqat on their drive to retake the nearby northern town of Hawija back from the jihadists. On the political front, Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi said on Tuesday he rejected an independence referendum under any form, even non-binding. The poll was "rejected, whether today or in the future," he said.
Iraqi president initiative -
On Wednesday, Saudi Arabia urged Barzani to cancel the referendum to avoid further "crises" in the region. But the Iraqi Kurdish leader has refused to give in, and on Thursday rejected an initiative from Iraqi President Fuad Massum -- himself a Kurd -- for negotiations. Massum, in a document seen by AFP, suggested starting U.N.-backed talks towards a deal with Baghdad. In areas disputed between Arbil and Baghdad, some have issued strong warnings against the vote. In the town of Tuz Khurmatu in the province of Salaheddine, an official from the Hashed al-Shaabi paramilitary umbrella group has said he will not allow the poll. "We're ready for a fight to the death," said Atef Annajar, whose group is dominated by Iran-backed Shiite militias, adding however that "the leadership is trying to calm the situation."Hadi al-Ameri, head of the powerful Iran-backed Badr organization, last week vowed to defend the unity of Iraq, warning that the poll could trigger partition and civil war.

Iran's Rouhani Vows to Boost Missiles Despite US Criticism
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/September 22/17/President Hassan Rouhani vowed on Friday that Iran would boost its ballistic missile capabilities despite criticism from the United States and also France. His comments came as Iran displayed a new missile at a military parade marking the anniversary of the outbreak of its devastating 1980-1988 war with Saddam Hussein's Iraq. "Whether you like it or not, we are going to strengthen our military capabilities which are necessary for deterrence," Rouhani said in a speech broadcast live on state television. "We will strengthen not only our missiles but also our air, land and sea forces... When it comes to defending our country, we will ask nobody for their permission." Criticism by the Donald Trump administration of a 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and major powers, including the United States, has focused heavily on Tehran's continuing missile programme. Tehran says that the missiles are entirely legitimate under the terms of the deal as they are not designed to carry a nuclear warhead. But Washington says they breach the spirit of the agreement as they have the potential to carry a nuclear warhead and has imposed new sanctions over Tehran's continuing launches and tests.There has been some sympathy for the US position from France, whose President Emmanuel Macron said the deal could be expanded to ban missile tests and cut a sunset clause in the nuclear agreement that would see Iran resume some uranium enrichment from 2025.
But even he insisted that the core deal not be dumped. - New missile displayed -Iran showed off a new missile, named Khoramshahr after a southwestern city, at an anniversary military parade in the capital. "The Khoramshahr missile has a range of 2,000 kilometres (1,250 miles) and can carry multiple warheads," the official IRNA news agency quoted Revolutionary Guards aerospace chief General Amir Ali Hajizadeh as saying. Iran says all of its missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads only and has limited their range to a maximum of 2,000 kilometres, although commanders say they have the technology to go further. That makes them only medium-range but still sufficient to reach Israel or US bases in the Gulf. Thus far, the UN nuclear watchdog and the US State Department have reported that Tehran has complied with the terms of the nuclear deal. But Trump, who this week described the deal as an "embarrassment", is due to report to the US Congress on October 15 on whether or not he believes that Iran is in compliance.If, as now appears increasingly likely, he decides that it is not, it could open the way for renewed US sanctions and perhaps the collapse of the agreement. Trump said on Wednesday he had made his decision but was not yet ready to reveal it. Washington has also taken aim at what it says is Tehran's failure to meet expectations that it would play a more stabilising role in the Middle East. "Regrettably, since the agreement was confirmed we have seen anything but a more peaceful, stable region and this is a real issue," Secretary of State Rex Tillerson told reporters at the United Nations. Washington has been particularly concerned about Iran's heavy intervention in Syria on the side of the government of President Bashar al-Assad and its support for Shiite rebels in Yemen who control the capital in defiance of its Saudi-backed government. But Rouhani ruled out any change of policy in the region. "Whether you like it or not, we are going to defend the oppressed peoples of Yemen, Palestine and Syria," he said.

Saudi Arabia, US Look Into Applying Pre-Screening on Passengers
Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17/Riyadh-Head of the General Authority for Civil Aviation (GACA) Abdulhakeem al-Tamimi discussed with Acting Administrator of the US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Huban A. Gowadia ways to apply pre-screening on travelers to the United States through King Khalid Airport in Riyadh and King Abdul Aziz Airport in Jeddah. The meeting tackled mechanisms of applying the pre-screening program on travelers to the United States in order for citizens and residents to travel easily. “We discussed the possibility of applying the pre-screening program at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah first due to its well-founded infrastructure and at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh,” Tamimi said, adding that further meetings will be held on this subject to prepare the necessary infrastructure to achieve it. Tamimi stressed the importance of developing cooperation and relations with the US Federal Aviation Administration in all areas of civil aviation, particularly regarding safety, security and modern technologies. He also emphasized the importance of training the staff as the Saudi delegation discussed with the US side the mechanism to share expertise and distinctive experiences in addition to knowing the needs and modern techniques that will help raise the level of performance and maintain the security of airports. The efforts GACA is exerting to provide safety and security of aviation are highly commended by the world countries.GACA has put so much effort and has recruited qualified staff to work in the field of aviation, and it has also provided the latest equipment and systems used in the field of aviation protection and security.

Sudan’s Bashir Seeks Women’s Help in Arms Collection Campaign
Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17/Khartoum– Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir warned against refusing to voluntarily surrendering weapons, in a campaign to collect arms from tribes in war-torn Darfur. Bashir also urged women in Darfur to help in the campaign, asking them to prevent their husbands and children from hiding the weapons they have.
Speaking at a rally in Niyala, South Darfur, Bahsir said: “Enough is enough. We will implement the rule of law in the region and weapons will only be carried by regular forces.”Earlier in July, the president pressed on with a government campaign to collect arms from tribes and combat arms proliferation in Darfur.
The campaign was mocked by the central government in Khartoum, however, observers believe the campaign overlooked the real reasons behind collecting the weapons. They see that the situation now is not suitable for citizens to relinquish weapons they attained from the government or following conflicts in nearby countries. Conflicts in Sudan have killed about 300,000 people and displaced more than 2,5 million, most of which are stuck in large camps, according to the United Nations. However, the Sudanese government believes the reasons behind the displacement had ceasedto be and the security situation in the country improved.
Bashir is touring the region ahead of a United States’ decision on October 12 on whether to permanently lift a decades-old trade embargo on Sudan.
Before arriving in South Darfur, Bashir told rally attendees in West Darfur: “We are asking people to surrender their arms voluntarily. Some are giving up their weapons but others are keeping them.”
He warned that the government will take the arms that had not been surrendered.
“By the end of this year, no civilians will be permitted to carry arms throughout the entire Darfur region,” he said. Bashir pledged to restore and maintain security in the region. He said the government is capable of reinstating stability in the region, adding that the rebels are responsible for halting reconstruction works.
“Security is the starting point of any development. You, the people of Darfur, give us security; we will give you development,” he said. He pledged imposition of state authority legalizing the unlicensed cars and completion of development and service projects, announcing providing the State with three excavators as part of Zero Thirst Program to solve problem of water in the West Darfur State. In related news, Sudanese foreign ministry stated that the Foreign Minister Ibrahim Ghandour led the country’s delegation to the UN General Assembly. The statement issued mentioned that the minister participated in a special session on immigration and refugees organized by the Italian delegation to UN. The statement also said that the minister spoke at that session along with the foreign ministers of Italy, Tunisia, Niger, and Uganda as well as members of the civil society. They discussed means to help refugees and displaced citizens.
The head of the Sudanese delegation presented the role of the government to contain the problem and cooperate with the regional and international community to overcome this crisis. He also lauded the role of Italy in this matter, pointing that Sudan continues to follow an open door policy to contain the refugees.

Hadi: We have Exhausted Peaceful Means to Prevent Rebels from Implementing Iran’s Agenda
Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17/New York – Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi said the legitimate government has depleted all peaceful means to prevent the rebels from implementing Iran’s expansionism plans in the region.“We are ending our third year of the war imposed on our country by the Houthis,” Hadi said at the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday. “The rebels have swept the cities of Yemen and taken the entire country hostage while implementing an Iranian strategy” in the conflict, he added. Violence and destruction perpetrated by Houthi militias in Yemen are fully supported by Iran, Hadi stressed, accusing the Persian State of working to destabilize the region “by supporting groups that are out of control.” “Sustainable peace cannot be achieved unless Iran stops interfering in the affairs of the region,” he noted. Hadi reiterated his keenness to reach a political solution to the Yemeni crisis in order to establish peace in the country. “I reaffirm […] our readiness to stop the war and reach peace; we are not advocates of war or revenge, but advocates of peace and harmony,” Hadi told delegations attending the Assembly’s annual general debate, stressing that he will continue, to “extend my hand to sustainable peace because we feel our full responsibility for all our steadfast Yemeni people.” The Yemeni President expressed his thanks to Saudi Arabia and said that it has a leading role in relieving the humanitarian crisis through its ongoing support from the King Salman Centre for Humanitarian Relief (KSRELIEF). He also declared the legitimate government’s readiness “to provide all necessary facilities for the delivery of humanitarian assistance to all areas of Yemen from Saada to Mehra, especially to the areas which are under the control of the rebels.” Hadi called on the UN to force the rebels to implement UN Security Council resolutions in order to allow humanitarian assistance to reach all the areas of the country.

Canada imposes sanctions on Maduro regime in Venezuela
September 22, 2017 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
In support of the people of Venezuela, Canada has announced sanctions on key figures in the Maduro regime to send a clear message that their anti-democratic behaviour has consequences. The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced sanctions against the people responsible for the deterioration of democracy in Venezuela. The measures are consistent with Canadian principles and values and aim to maintain pressure on the Government of Venezuela to restore constitutional order and respect the democratic rights of its people. Under the Special Economic Measures Act, Canada is imposing targeted sanctions against 40 Venezuelan officials and individuals who have played a key role in undermining the security, stability and integrity of democratic institutions of Venezuela. These decisive actions are in response to the Government of Venezuela’s deepening descent into dictatorship. By imposing sanctions on the Maduro regime, Canada demonstrates its strong commitment to the return of democracy in Venezuela. 
Quotes
“Canada will not stand by silently as the Government of Venezuela robs its people of their fundamental democratic rights. Today’s announcement of sanctions against the Maduro regime underscores our commitment to defending democracy and human rights around the world. Canada stands in solidarity with the people of Venezuela as they struggle to restore democracy in their country.”
- Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on  September 22-23/17
Is Germany Heading to a "September Surprise"?
Vijeta Uniyal/Gatestone Institute/September 22/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11040/is-germany-heading-to-a-september-surprise
Instead of hurting the AfD's electoral prospects, the smear campaign has ended up driving more voters toward the party.
Questioning the AfD's legitimacy on judicial and constitutional grounds has a two-pronged effect. It not only sows doubt in the minds of the undecided voters, but also scares away state employees, law enforcement officers, business owners and even law-abiding citizens from associating themselves with the AfD out of fear of government scrutiny and reprisals.
"I am ashamed that I am not brave enough to support the AfD publicly. But it would be professional suicide and I will never see my grandchildren again," confessed another anonymous German voter.
Stay at home instead of vote for the right-wing party, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), is the last-minute advice Chancellor Merkel's chief of staff, Peter Altmaier, is giving to voters ahead of Sunday's election in Germany.
"Better not vote than to vote for the AfD," Merkel's powerful right-hand man told the German newspaper Bild on Tuesday. "The AfD are dividing our country. They are exploiting people's fears. Therefore, I believe that a vote for the AfD cannot be justified.
"These are just a few rabble-rousers who profit from all the reporting on them," he continued, urging the media to stop covering the AfD.
An AfD campaign poster. Attempts by the German government and the media to smear the far-right party appear to be backfiring. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
After 12 years of running the country, Chancellor Merkel and her lieutenant still do not understand real democracy. In a real democracy, the voters hold the elected representatives accountable, not the other way around.
Regardless of what one may think of Altmaier's skewed views, his frustration over the AfD's rising poll numbers is understandable.
Attempts by the German media to smear the AfD and its top leadership in the final stage of election campaign has backfired badly.
Just weeks ahead of the polls, the leading German newspapers produced a flurry of negative stories and hit-pieces portraying the AfD leaders as a bunch of migrant-hating "Islamophobes." Instead of hurting the AfD's electoral prospects, however, the smear campaign has ended up driving more voters toward the party. Even the left-wing British newspaper The Guardian had to admit that "a series of scandals appear to have galvanized rather than weakened the chances of the far-right in next Sunday's election." The AfD could end up becoming the sole and legitimate opposition in the next German parliament, the newspaper added:
Should Merkel and her main challenger, Martin Schulz, agree to continue governing in a "grand coalition" between the two strongest parties, the AfD could lead the opposition in the Bundestag, a role that traditionally carries additional privileges, such as the presidency of the parliament's budget committee.
The AfD, polling around 12 percent in latest polls, is set to become the third largest party in the next German parliament.
Given this momentum, there is a concerted effort underway by members of Merkel's cabinet and the "establishment" parties to portray the AfD's opposition to the Refugee Policy as something unconstitutional or even illegal.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel's concern over the AfD's rising poll numbers are understandable, but in a democracy, it is the voters who hold their representatives accountable, not the other way around. Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
At the forefront of this campaign has been Merkel's Justice Minister, Heiko Maas. He has repeatedly urged the German domestic spy agency, Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz, monitor AfD's functionaries and backers. In the final week ahead of the election, Maas called "several parts of" AfD's election manifesto "illegal." "The nationalist rhetoric being used by AfD politicians shows that one must assume that an attitude incompatible with Germany's constitution is not only present in the party base but also among its leaders," Martin Schulz, Merkel's present coalition partner and main electoral rival, told the German weekly Der Spiegel earlier this month.
Questioning the AfD's legitimacy on judicial and constitutional grounds has a two-pronged effect. It not only sows doubt in the minds of the undecided voters, but also scares away state employees, law enforcement officers, business owners and even law-abiding citizens from associating themselves with the AfD out of fear of government scrutiny and reprisals.
This political witch-hunt is accompanied by a campaign from the mainstream media to stigmatize support for the AfD.
"To support the AfD publicly in Germany leads to social and economic ostracism. It is almost like admitting to being a witch in the Middle Ages," a German voter was quoted saying by the German broadcaster Deutsche Welle. "I am ashamed that I am not brave enough publicly to support the AfD. But it would be professional suicide and I will never see my grandchildren again," confessed another anonymous German voter. That fear could explain why more than a third of German voters are still telling pollsters that they are "undecided" -- a surprisingly large number given the high stakes involved in this election. After the Brexit-upset and President Trump's surprise victory, one cannot entirely rule out a hidden AfD vote. If the AfD manages to rope in enough of these undecided voters, pollsters could be in for a September Surprise in this year's critically important election.
**Vijeta Uniyal, a journalist and news analyst, is based in Germany.
© 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.

Europe: Muslim Reformers Need Police Protection
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/September 22/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11032/europe-muslim-reformers
Seyran Ates, a moderate imam, has received "300 emails per day encouraging me to carry on," but "3,000 a day full of hate," some with death threats. In Germany, it is not the Muslim supremacists, such as those who preach killing homosexuals, who have to live under police protection; it is the Muslims who criticize the supremacists. The only "crime" these concerned Muslims committed was to exercise their democratic right to speak -- not in Iran or Syria or Iraq -- but in Europe. These reformers try to keep alive the values of the Enlightenment -- freedom of speech, separation of religion and state, equal justice under law -- to break through the coerced silence of Islam, in which "blasphemy" is punishable by death. The price, however, has been exile, torture, ostracism, public marginalization, and too often life itself. Where are the "moderate Muslims"? In the Muslim world, they are in prison, in exile, in flight. In Europe, these genuine "moderate Muslims" have to live under police protection. Multiculturalism for them is a prison. Abdelbaki Essati, the imam the authorities believe was at the center of terrorist attacks in and around Barcelona, was apparently a master of deception -- "too polite, too correct". He was apparently able to deceive European intelligence services by preaching a "moderate" version of Islam, while at the same time, orchestrating deadly jihadist attacks.
Another imam in Europe, Seyran Ates, preaches a genuinely "moderate Islam" but needs around-the-clock police protection.
Ates, training to become an imam, seems to have thought there was no better place than Berlin to inaugurate her mosque, Ibn Rushd-Goethe. It is the first Islamic religious site open to unmarried women, homosexuals, atheists, Sufis, unveiled women -- all those people that many fundamentalist Islamists have said they wish to silence or kill. But after the flashbulbs of photographers came the death threats. Now, six German police officers are needed to protect Ates. She is not new to death threats. She closed her law firm in Kreuzberg (a Turkish district of Berlin) after almost being murdered in a terror attack. The bullet lodged between her fourth and fifth vertebrae. It took her five years to recover from the injury. A week after the inauguration of "Berlin's liberal mosque", its prayer room was virtually empty. The number of faithful was the same as the number of security personnel. Muslims seem afraid to be seen there. Ates has received fatwas and threats from from Egypt to Turkey. She says she has received "300 emails per day encouraging me to carry on", but "3,000 emails a day full of hate", some with death threats.
Berlin's Seyran Ates, an imam who preaches a genuinely "moderate Islam", needs around-the-clock police guards to protect her from fundamentalist Islamists. Her fate, unfortunately, is not unique. Germany hosts many genuinely "moderate" Muslims who must live under police protection. They are journalists and activists who have challenged terror and radical Islam. Without protection, they would become "moderate martyrs". Ayaan Hirsi Ali fled to the US after the Netherlands refused to continue protecting her. In Germany, it is not the Muslim supremacists, such as those who preach killing homosexuals, who have to live under police protection; it is the Muslims who criticize the supremacists. The only "crime" these concerned Muslims committed was to exercise their democratic right to speak -- not in Iran or Syria or Iraq -- but in Europe.
These reformers try to keep alive the values of the Enlightenment -- freedom of speech, separation of religion and state, equal justice under law -- to break through the coerced silence of Islam, in which "blasphemy" is punishable by death.
It is they who penetrate that silence. They defend the right to democracy, to an independent judiciary, to education. The price, however, has been exile, torture, ostracism, public marginalization, and too often life itself. Where are the "moderate Muslims"? In the Muslim world, they are in prison, in exile, in flight -- when not murdered -- as was Salman Taseer, his lawyer, bloggers from Bangladesh and countless others. In Europe, these genuine "moderate Muslims" have to live under police protection. Multiculturalism for them is a prison.
Hamed Abdel-Samad, an Egyptian writer and author of the book Islamic Fascism, is protected by the German police. The German sociologist Bassam Tibi has been under police guard for two years for having sponsored a "Euro Islam": how Muslims might be assimilated in Europe, a concept opposite to the Islamization of Europe that the fundamentalists are trying to accomplish. In an interview with the German magazine Cicero, Tibi admitted his defeat and "capitulation".
Ekin Deligöz, a representative of Germany's Social Democratic Party, is under police protection as well, for having asked women to reject the veil as being "a symbol of inferiority and subjection". Fatma Bläser, a victim of forced marriage and the author of the novel Hennamond, is today protected by police. She travels from school to school among young Muslims to raise awareness. Mina Ahadi, who founded the Council of Former Muslims, is also under day-and-night government protection.
When Turkey's most courageous journalist, Can Dündar, former editor of the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet -- the only Turkish media that expressed solidarity with the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo -- left Ankara for Germany, he most likely would never have imagined that he would need police protection in Berlin, as well. In Turkey, the police searched his house for emails and articles; in Berlin, the police have to guard his house against the Muslim fundamentalists who want him dead. In Turkey, they wanted to kill him for criticizing political Islam; Europe is no different.
These are the real "moderate" voices in the Islamic world -- unlike many supposed "moderate Muslims" such as Tariq Ramadan, who was recently caught defending female genital mutilation (FGM). These heroic Muslim reformers are far from the Islamic officials of the mainstream Muslim organizations, often funded by oil-rich Islamic dictatorships. Qatar, according to a major enquiry by the French daily Libération, is the main source of funds for the Union of the Islamic Organizations of France (UOIF), the most prominent Islamic umbrella group there. The UOIF also evidently receives funding from Saudi Arabia and "benevolent associations" in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf. These brave dissidents, who need our help, have been struggling to uphold values that are the pillars of Europe's Enlightenment -- those the entire West has come to accept. But not Islam. These men and women have even been compared to heroes of the Enlightenment, such as Voltaire. The French playwright, however, did not have a million enemies who, recognizing him from television, could then plot to behead him.
**Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author.
© 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.

Protest Poem By Palestinian Poet Decries Oppression Of Women
MEMRI/September 22, 2017Special Dispatch No.7102
Palestinian poet Jadal Al-Qasem, born 1983 in Bulgaria to a Palestinian father and Syrian mother and now residing in Ramallah, frequently writes about women in the Arab and Muslim society. In 2015 her anthology Wheat in Cotton was one of two first-prize winners in the Young Writers annual competition held by the Palestinian A. M. Al-Qattan Foundation.[1] The prize committee described her as a "thought-provoking feminine voice" that offers "a new and sometimes startling perspective," adding that her poetry describes men with sensitivity and courage, based on her personal experience, and also reflects the character of the woman in the Arab Muslim society.[2] Al-Qasem launched the anthology in an April 17, 2017 event at the Mahmoud Darwish Museum in Ramallah, at which she also read several of her poems.[3]  In a March 3, 2017 televised interview with the Palestinian Maan news agency, Al-Qasem said that she believes every individual has a right to "personal self-definition" and that women must fight to realize this right in their everyday lives, in the domains of finance, thought, poetry, etc., because "we [women] are complete human beings and must enjoy all [our] rights." She stressed that "courage is an integral part of a woman" and that a true woman must be brave in everything she does.[4] On April 25, 2017, the Palestinian Authority (PA) daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida published a poem by Al-Qasem titled "I Am the Scar upon Your Arm," about an oppressed woman who lives to serve others and conforms to their expectations but is not recognized or appreciated. The woman in the poem expresses her hatred for all those around her – her husband, his family and her own – who enabled her suffering and contributed to it. She describes herself as a "puppet" and a "dead woman," and even as a wife doomed to be murdered by her husband.
The following is a translation of the poem.
Jadal Al-Qasem (image: arab48.com)
"I hate my husband
"And I also hate his mother
"And if not for the fire that burns in the world to come
"I would say that I also hate my mother
"I have seven children
"I love them and hate being their mother
"I never got any prize
"Even though I deserve the prize of a satisfactory woman
"I married to please my mother (my shame was uncovered and she covered for me)
"I worked at contemptible labor to please my husband
"I bore children to please my husband's mother
"I covered my daughter with the hijab to please my brother (I didn't tell you that I hate him at the beginning out of fear)
"Today I received a wonderful prize
"A prize for the best dead woman, when I found my soul hovering above my body
"With policemen milling around it
"Comforting my murderer husband!
"2
"The mole! Yes, that mole
"On the bottom of my foot
"The one that every time you kissed it
"Rose a little higher
"Has already reached my lower back.
"3
"I married a man I did not love
"And bore a girl who looks like a man I love
"But I could not enter my own surname after her name
"On the birth certificate
"My husband did that
"And thus my daughter has a fatherless name
"And my beloved has a nameless daughter
"And my husband has a daughterless lie
"I obtained the text and lost the meaning
"4
"I am the scar upon your arm
"The scar that never was
"For I do not know where I am when I am not
"The scar that never was!
"5
"When I returned in the evening
"I was bereft of an arm
"But I remembered that I am only a puppet!
"I was not sorry."
[1] The A.M. Qattan Foundation is a not-for-profit developmental organization working in the fields of culture and education, with a particular focus on children, teachers and young artists. It was founded in 1993 in the UK and has had a registered branch in Palestine since 1998. The Foundation’s operations are mainly in Palestine, with interventions in Lebanon and in the UK (qattanfoundation.org/en/about-en).
[2] Wafa.ps, April 25 2017.
[3] Wafa.ps, April 17, 2017.
[4] MaanNews.net, March 3, 2017.

The Near East’s Costly Wrong Bets
Eyad Abu Shakra/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17
As uncertainty engulfs a bleeding Near East, besieged by regional and global powers each pursuing its own agenda, dormant ambitions and sensitivities are waking up and finding the current situation suitable to express themselves. To begin, such dormant ambitions and suppressed sensitivities would have never emerged had it not been for the huge regional disorder and radical change of international balance of power. It is true that domestic consensus towards ‘national’ identities and boundaries is not guaranteed these days, even in western democracies that values human rights – as the Scots and Catalan nationalists seek to secede from the UK and Spain, respectively, through the ballot box – yet internal instability remains a sure prerequisite to animosities and partition as we witness in Iraq and Syria. Without dwelling too much on history, be it true or not quite true, it is obvious that there is a close relationship between loyalties on one side and interests on the other. Under multi-ethnic empires such as the Ottoman Empire, which ruled the Arab Near East for four centuries, many oriental constituent ethnicities accepted interaction, coexistence and intermarriage, and thus many Arabs became ‘Turkified’ while many Kurds, Syriacs and Chaldeans were ‘Arabised’. Those days, pragmatic interests necessitated interaction and coexistence, even assimilation. Moreover, internal migrations, as well as population exchange sometimes, became almost common phenomena within that great political, social and economic space. So when some constituent ethnicities or sects appear as if they are “correcting” the mistakes of the past or “avenging’ old injustices, they are not really doing that because they are necessarily braver or more decisive than their predecessors, but because times have changed, and they may allow them now to get away with what was impossible to in the past. Some proponents of ‘political Shi’ism’ who are now openly calling to avenge the murders of the ‘Talebis’ (the descendants of the fourth caliph Ali Ibn Abi Taleb) and “reclaim the legitimacy” of government in the Muslim world in favour of the ‘Mullahs’ of Iran against the (Sunni) descendants from the House of Omayya. This would have not been possible had it not been for the active support of Tehran and the west’s turning a blind eye to its plans for regional hegemony and acquiring nuclear capabilities. Others among religious minorities – namely, Christian – were hard pushed to openly welcome foreign protection had it not been for the emergence of ISIS, an extremist sanguinary and dubious phenomenon. ISIS’ atrocities have actually managed to divert the attention away from plans for hegemony and “revenge” carried out by Iran and its subordinate henchmen; and thus we see these minorities not only convinced of the need for foreign protection but also for building an “alliance of minorities” too!
Then, there are large ethnic and linguistic minorities, like the Kurds, who discovered that they are enjoying a unique opportunity to establish their unfulfilled dream of a ‘nation-state’ over the ever-expanding territories they now control, and claim as their own. The Kurds may have genuine grievances that would tempt some of their extremists to risk open animosities with the Turks and Iranians – whom the Kurds have long accused of discriminating against them -, as well as the Arabs, led in recent decades by regimes that combined chauvinist discourse with tribal structure.
However, the Kurds, themselves, are not totally blame-free from discriminating against others. Indeed, it could be argued that what they perpetrated against the Assyrians and Chaldeans early in the 20th century in northern Iraq and Hakkari Mountains may be regarded as “ethnic cleansing”. Furthermore, the arrogant attitude currently adopted by some Kurdish leaders in several ‘mixed areas’ in northern Iraq, like Kirkuk, Tal Afar and the villages and towns of Nineveh plain, as well as large areas in northern Syria, specifically, in the provinces of al-Hassakah, Al-Raqqah and Aleppo, does not augur well for a future free of hatred and bad blood.
Here lies the real challenge. Here it is very important to realize the dangers of adventures, opportunism, burning boats and over-reliance on foreign promises of support. This is risky not only for religious, sectarian and ethnic minorities in the Arab Near East, but also for the religious and sectarian majority too.
The mere presence of a phenomenon like ISIS is a symptom of a dangerous crisis in both the Arab and Muslim Worlds. Past experiences and lessons of history have taught us that moderation and openness were always signs of periods of renaissance and ascendancy, while extremism and intolerance were signs of weakness, decay and internal division. Terrorism and indiscriminate murder also reflect a failure to understand the world, and to take into account the repercussions of such heinous actions. Obviously, the outcome for all to see throughout the Arab and Muslim Worlds today is the retreat of intelligent dialogue and broad agreements in the face of violent and exclusionist mob rhetoric. Given the above, the greatest fear is that the worst may still to come, and the heavy price paid already may not be enough. In fact, this background provided the excuse for former US president Barack Obama to sign the nuclear treaty (JCPOA) with Iran’s rulers after describing them as “not suicidal”, and the veil Western powers hid behind as they conspired against the uprising of the Syrian people.
Still, there is no guarantee the current situation is permanent. Sooner or later Iran’s exploitation of and investing in ISIS will end, more so in the light of accelerating international military involvement in Iraq and Syria. Then, there are too many contradictions between competing regional plans which hope to sell the bear’s fur before hunting it! In northern Iraq there are danger signs of potential confrontation between the pro-Iran ‘Popular Mobilisation Forces’ (MDF) and pro-independence Kurds. This is natural as it is quite unlikely that Iran, which has its own secessionist Kurds, would be happy to see an independent Kurdish state on its western borders north of an Iraq that Iran had subdued and destroyed. The picture is not much different in Syria where Washington has encouraged secessionist Kurds – under the pretext of fighting ISIS – to establish their own mini-state along the Syrian-Turkish borders. This has been done with Washington’s full awareness that Turkey is the country in which lives almost half of the total the Kurdish population of the Middle East. Thus, much of what becomes of the Kurds depends on Washington’s and Moscow’s overall visions for the Near East in the foreseeable future. As for what the Shi’a would achieve, along with their erstwhile Alawi extension in Syria, much depends on Moscow’s regional strategy and Washington’s reaction to it.

The Kurdish Referendum Imbroglio
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17
What is the first thing you should do when you have dug yourself into a hole?
The obvious answer is: stop digging. This is the advice that those involved in the imbroglio over the so-called independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan, due to be held next Monday. But still in the suspense of writing this column, would do well to heed. The idea of holding a referendum on so contentious an issue at this time is bizarre, to say the least. There was no popular demand for it. Nor could those who proposed it show which one of Iraq’s problems such a move might solve at this moment. In other words, the move was unnecessary, in the sense that Talleyrand meant when he said that, in politics, doing what is not necessary is worse than making a mistake. If by independence one means the paraphernalia of statehood, the three provinces that form the Iraqi Kurdistan lack nothing: They have their president, prime minister, Cabinet, parliament, army, police, and, even, virtual embassies in key foreign capitals. They are also well furnished with symbols of statehood including a flag and national anthem. Having said all that, one could hardly deny the Kurds a desire for independence.  In a sense, some Kurds have dreamt of an independent state for over 2000 years when the Greek historian Xenophon ran into them in the mountains of Western Asia. (See his account in his masterpiece Anabasis). Right now, however, all indications are that any attempt at a unilateral declaration of independence by the Kurds could trigger a tsunami of conflicts that the region, already mired in crisis, might not be able to handle. In other words, the hole dug by Erbil may become an ever-deepening black hole sucking a bigger chunk of the Middle East into the unknown; hence the need to stop digging.
Yet, almost everyone is doing the opposite.
Massoud Barzani, the president of the autonomous government has lashed out against Turkey and Iran while threatening military action to seize disputed areas in Iraq. Barzani’s tough talk may please his base but could strengthen chauvinist elements in Bagdad, Ankara and Tehran who have always regarded Kurds as the enemy. For his part, Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi has come close to threatening the use of force to stop a process that remains unclear. Threats have also come from Tehran, where National Security Adviser Ali Shamkhani says the Islamic Republic would cancel all security accords concerning the Kurdish region and might intervene there militarily to deal with anti-Iran groups. For its part, Ankara has branded the referendum a “red line”, using a discredited term made fashionable by former US President Barack Obama in 2014 over Syria. Just days before the referendum, the Turkish army staged a highly publicized military demonstration on the border with the autonomous Iraqi Kurdistan, presumably as a warning to Erbil. As for Russia, the sotto voce support given to the referendum is more motivated by hopes of juicy oil contracts than sober geostrategic considerations. Such a stance might win President Vladimir Putin more support from the oligarchs but risks dragging Russia into a risky process over which it won’t have any control.
Washington’s mealy-mouthed comments on the issue are equally problematic.
Iraqi Kurds have been the United States’ best allies in dismantling the Saddamite system in post-liberation Iraq and the current fight against ISIS. The US would gain nothing by casting itself as an opponent of Kurdish self-determination.
Tackling the problem from a legal angle, Iraq’s Supreme Court has declared the proposed referendum in violation of the Iraqi Constitution. For its part the National Parliament has invited the Erbil leadership to postpone the referendum, echoing a message from the United States and the European Union.
It is not clear where all this talk of canceling the referendum at the 11th hour may lead. However, I think cancellation at this time could do more harm than good.
First, it could discredit the Erbil leadership at a time it needs to prop up its authority, indeed its legitimacy. Whether one likes the Erbil leadership or not, sapping its authority is neither in the interest of Iraqi Kurds nor, indeed, of Iraq as a whole. Encouraging splits in the Kurdish ranks and promoting a political vacuum in the autonomous region is the last thing Iraq needs. Secondly, last minute cancellation could strengthen elements who still believe that force and threat of force are the most efficient means of dealing with political problems. Almost 14 years after the demise of Saddam Hussein, Iraq isn’t yet free of past demons who dream of a monochrome Iraq dominated by a clique. Thirdly, a last-minute cancellation could be seen as a legitimization of the right of Ankara and Tehran to intervene in Iraqi domestic affairs through a mixture of military pressure and thinly disguised blackmail.
So, what is the best way to stop deepening the hole? A possible answer may be built around the position taken by Iraqi President Fouad Maasoum, himself an ethnic Kurd but, apparently at least, genuinely committed to building a pluralist system in Iraq. Maasoum has not offered an elaborate scheme. But his suggestion that the imbroglio be tackled through talks between Baghdad and Erbil could be used as the basis for a compromise. In such a compromise the referendum would go ahead unhindered while it is made clear that its outcome would in no way be legally binding on anyone. In other words, the referendum, whatever its result, would be accepted as a political fact that could and should be taken into consideration in designing the road-map Iraq would need once it has wiped out ISIS. Iraqi Kurds cannot impose their wishes by force, especially when they are far from united over national strategy. On the other hand, Iraq cannot revert to methods of dealing with its “Kurdish problem” that led to so many tragedies for the Kurds and derailed Iraqi national life for decades. Next Monday’s referendum was unnecessary. The best one could do at the 11th hour is to help morph it into a mistake. Politics cannot deal with the unnecessary, but it can deal with mistakes.

Video Learning for 50 Million Students
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al Awsat/September 22/17
It is not strange that the most distinguished science and mathematics students are from the most developed countries in the world: South Korea, Singapore, Japan and other major industrial countries. It is also no secret that development and advancement are linked to teaching these two subjects and excelling in them. It was rather a precious gift of UAE’s Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid to announce the project to translate more than 5,000 videos related to maths and science material into Arabic making them available for around 50 million students across the Arab world.
This will be a candle that lights up the already stumbling path of education in the Arab world, as he put it. He also called for volunteers to step forward and help translate thousands of videos which have been already translated into different languages for teaching purposes. Teaching physics, chemistry, biology, and maths in Arab schools face a lot of challenges because most teachers are not qualified and most schools are actually poor not equipped with laboratories and illustrative material. In addition, the atmosphere at home and in society do not encourage students to focus on these subjects.
Video learning and e-learning narrow the gap especially with the fast and widespread use of cellular phones among children. Of the available models, take India for example. Relying on video learning contributed to overcoming challenges in schools where teachers have weak skills and shortage in potentials.
Education is any nations’ path to progress and transformation and almost all Arab countries suffer from the failure of education policies, and as a result, we pay a high price. Had the governments adopted education as its own project and focused on it within the framework of a strategy that suits each country’s needs and circumstances, we could have exited the bottleneck we are stuck in and keep up with the advancing world, some of which suffered from failure until recently. Teaching is a difficult profession and its results are long-term and require a lot of time to yield, with its most challenging subjects: math and science.
Every four years, international institutions study a sample of students from all over the world. They examine the achievements of around 4,000 students in grades between the 4th and 8th, and evaluate each country’s capabilities and predict its future according to them.
This project is for everyone across the Arab world. Granting educational services for free is the greatest gift which can be given to any student who knows Arabic language and has a cellular phone or a laptop or service anywhere.
The project will be presented once it’s done next year. It will sum up global math and science curricula and most of it will be the same for all students all over the world, from kindergarten until the last year of high school. This marks the first step that can encourage benefiting from technology and using it to modernize education to save time and overcome difficulties. Education in the Arab world is moving in a vicious circle as it requires highly-qualified teachers, expensive equipment, and smaller classes all within a comprehensive policy. Most of these demands are not available today and 100 years might pass before they are even developed. That is why e-learning is the solution, not only to teach math and science but to teach all the rest of the curricula throughout all school stages.