LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
December 02/18
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth.
Book of Revelation 03/14-22: "‘To the angel of the church in Laodicea write: The words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the origin of God’s creation: ‘I know your works; you are neither cold nor hot. I wish that you were either cold or hot. So, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I am about to spit you out of my mouth. For you say, "I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing." You do not realize that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked. Therefore I counsel you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may be rich; and white robes to clothe you and to keep the shame of your nakedness from being seen; and salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. I reprove and discipline those whom I love. Be earnest, therefore, and repent. Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me. To the one who conquers I will give a place with me on my throne, just as I myself conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches."

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 01-02/18
Largest-ever surface missile attack on Syria targeted 15 Iranian/Hizballah sites/DEBKAfile/December 01/18
Iran Using Hit Squads to Silence Critics of its Meddling in Iraq/Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018
Iran Feeding Propaganda to Media Platforms Worldwide/London/Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018
Former President George H.W. Bush dead at 94/ABC NEWS,Good Morning America/December 01/18
Trump and Putin at the G20/Meghan O’Sullivan/Bloomberg View/December 01/18
Rich Societies and Poverty/Noah Smith/Bloomberg View/December 01/18
France's Meltdown, Macron's Disdain/Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/December 01/18
Will justice heal Cambodia’s grievous wounds/Hazem Saghieh/Al Arabiya/December 01/18
Saudi Arabia’s impact on the global economy as part of the G20/Ekleel Sallam/Al Arabiya/December 01/18
Reading Montesquieu in Tehran/Amir Taheri/Al Arabiya/December 01/18
What makes the G20 summit so valuable/Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/December 01/18
Why Airbnb will no longer accommodate the occupied West Bank/Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 01/18

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on December 01-02/18
Largest-ever surface missile attack on Syria targeted 15 Iranian/Hizballah sites
Wahhab Gunmen Clash with ISF Commandos during Attempt to Arrest Him
Jumblatt from Center House: We support any measure that stabilizes civil peace
ISF Information Branch dispatches unit to Wahhab's residence amidst army patrols
Wahhab says what happened tonight is over, calls on Hariri to avert bloodshed
Hariri, Jumblatt convene at Center House
Army reopens AleyBekaa highway after Wahhab supporters attempted to cut it off with burning tires
Report: 14-Minister Cabinet Proposal to End Govt. Impasse
Hariri Bound for Paris, London for Investment Talks
Independent Sunni MPs Slam ‘Tripartite’ Initiative to Resolve Govt. Hurdle
Street by Saudi U.S. Embassy Could be Renamed 'Jamal Khashoggi Way
Najm represents Riachy at the launching of Season 4 of the Arab Academy Award

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 01-02/18
Statement/Canada calls for Syria to be held accountable for its use of chemical weapons
Largest-ever surface missile attack on Syria targeted 15 Iranian/Hizballah sites
Iran Using Hit Squads to Silence Critics of its Meddling in Iraq
G-20 enters final day with work to do on bridging divisions
State media: Iran launches domestically-made destroyer
More than 75,000 take part in French anti-Macron protests
Tariff tensions shadow US, Canada, Mexico trade pact signing
Egypt Issues Permits for 168 New Churches
US Displays Arms that Iran Transferred to Middle East Militants
Iran Feeding Propaganda to Media Platforms Worldwide
US Airstrike Kills 11 Qaeda Terrorists in South Libya
Egypt Issues Permits for 168 New Churches
CNN Dismisses Contributor over Pro-Palestine Stance
Israel Questions Jordanian after Dispute with Jews

Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on December 01-02/18
Largest-ever surface missile attack on Syria targeted 15 Iranian/Hizballah sites
DEBKAfile/December 01/18
For 75 minutes on Thursday night, Nov. 29, the IDF blasted Iranian, Hizballah and Syrian targets in its biggest ever surface missile attack on Syria, DEBKAfile’s intelligence and military sources can now reveal. This was not an Israeli air force strike such as those conducted for two years against Iranian targets in Syria. Two kinds of ground-to ground missiles were used in this cross-border offensive: a Long-Range Artillery Weapon system known as LORA which has a range of 400km; and the guided, short range Tamuz. They raked across at least 15 sites, most of them belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), pro-Iranian militias and Hizballah. They covered an area ranging from the Syrian Hermon slopes in the north, down to the Iranian command center at Izra north of Daraa in the south..Among the locations targeted was Al-Zabadani, a town on the Damascus-Beirut highway near the Lebanese border in the west, which Hizballah has taken over and established there its command posts, training camps and ammunition and rocket depots. At Al Kiswah south of Damascus, the IDF missiles struck Iran’s central command post in Syria, which is known as the “Glass House.”Blasted too were the command posts and structures of two Syrian brigades which are structured for Syrian officers to command a hodge-podge of Hizballah, pro-Iranian Shiite and Palestinian militias. Israeli missiles also struck the Syrian Army’s 90th Brigade which rules the area north of Quneitra and 112h Brigade which is stationed south of this Golan town. The massive Israeli cross-border assault inflicted heavy casualties on the Iranians, their militias, Hizballah and the Syrian army, including fatalities. Up until Friday night, neither Iran, Syria nor Hizballah had disclosed the precise targets smashed by the IDF 24 hours earlier. The Russian military in Syria was also silent.

Wahhab Gunmen Clash with ISF Commandos during Attempt to Arrest Him
Naharnet/November 01/18/A clash erupted Saturday between supporters of ex-minister Wiam Wahhab and an elite force from the Internal Security Forces Intelligence Branch during an attempt to arrest him at his home. Media reports said a Wahhab supporter was wounded in the gunfight as the former minister said “many” of his supporters were injured. A security source told LBCI television that the security force headed to Jahliyeh to arrest Wahhab at the judiciary’s request after he had been “informed two times of the need to appear before the Intelligence Branch” in connection with a lawsuit filed against him. The lawsuit was filed by a group of lawyers accusing Wahhab of insulting Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri and his slain father ex-PM Rafik Hariri.

Jumblatt from Center House: We support any measure that stabilizes civil peace
Sat 01 Dec 2018/NNA - Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri received this evening at the "House of Center" Progressive Socialist Party Chief, former MP Walid Jumblatt, with talks focusing on the current political developments. Following the meeting, Jumblatt said: "Yesterday the security of the Shouf area was shaken by the passing of armed convoys everywhere. The army and the security forces carried out their duties, and those involved in said acts were arrested."
However, referring to this evening's events and in a bid to avoid any malicious rumors or falsified interpretations, Jumblatt assured that the dignity of the Druze and the dignity of all citizens is well preserved. "The dignity of the citizen yesterday was threatened and at risk, but the state carried out its duty. Today, what the security forces, the army and the information branch are doing falls within the framework of performing their duties, and the dignity of the Druze and all citizens remains preserved," he said. "The dignity of the citizen yesterday was threatened, and we support the state in its measures," Jumblatt asserted.
Responding to a question whether talks with PM Hariri touched on the government formation, Jumblatt said, "No, I have only come to support this operation, because we cannot continue in this abnormal situation, which threatens the security of the Shouf region at any moment."
Asked to comment on Tawhid Party Head, Wi'am Wahhab, in blaming him and Hariri for what happened this evening, Jumblatt emphasized, "We are with any measure that strengthens civil peace, and enough of having this person or that threatening civil peace!"
In response to another question whether he was in support of the Information Branch's heading to the Mountain today, Jumblatt said, "Yes, we are with the State in the first place...and in all our historical demands we have been with the State."

ISF Information Branch dispatches unit to Wahhab's residence amidst army patrols
Sat 01 Dec 2018/NNA - Around 15 vehicles belonging to the Internal Security Forces - Information Branch headed Saturday evening to the home of "Arab Tawhid" Party Chief, former Minister Wi'am Wahhab, in the town of Jahliah, where they were confronted by a number of supporters within the vicinity of his residence, NNA correspondent reported. Meanwhile, the Army ran patrols in the area without closing off roads.

Wahhab says what happened tonight is over, calls on Hariri to avert bloodshed
Sat 01 Dec 2018/NNA - Tawhid Party Chief Wi'am Wahhab said in an interview with LBCI this evening that "a clash occurred between the Information Branch and supporters of the Tawhid Party which led to injuries," adding, "Whoever wishes to inform someone of a lawsuit does not send hundreds of vehicles!"He added: "Hezbollah relayed to Prime Minister Hariri the appropriate position tonight, and I have prevented any armed appearance in the town now." Referring to the Public Prosecutor at the Court of Cassation, Attorney Samir Hammoud, Wahhab described him as a "decent" man who was never involved in bloodshed. Wahhab stressed that the dignity of al-Mokhtara is of his dignity and refused any assault against it. "What happened tonight is over, and appearing before the judiciary is an honor for every Lebanese," he added, calling on Hariri to avert bloodshed.

Hariri, Jumblatt convene at Center House
Sat 01 Dec 2018/NNA - Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri met this evening at the "House of Center" with Progressive Socialist Party Chief, former MP Walid Jumblatt, with the latest political developments topping their discussions.

Army reopens AleyBekaa highway after Wahhab supporters attempted to cut it off with burning tires
Sat 01 Dec 2018/NNA - Army units managed to re-open the Aley-Bekaa international highway in both directions while members of the civil defense extinguished the fire resulting from burning tires and removed them from the middle of the road, NNA correspondent reported. Supporters of Tawhid Party Head, Wi'am Wahhab, had earlier attempted to cut off the highway at the Dahr al-Wahsh area using burning tires.

Report: 14-Minister Cabinet Proposal to End Govt. Impasse
Naharnet/November 01/18/A solution for the government impasse has reportedly been made by one of Lebanon’s former prime ministers who suggested the formation of a 14-minister “technocrat” government instead of 30, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday. Trusted sources told the newspaper, the ex-PM suggested dropping the notion of forming a government of 30 ministers to substitute it with a 14-minister government headed by Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri. According to the sources, the suggestion aims to end the impasse and to help form a “strong government capable of making and implementing decisions.”The “traditional type” government being formed is “incapable” of decisiveness and decision-making, added the source on condition of anonymity, noting that said former PM discussed the idea with several officials. Hariri was tasked with forming the government on May 24, but disagreements between political parties over shares and quotas has delayed his mission. The new government was on the verge of formation on October 29 after the Lebanese Forces accepted the portfolios that were assigned to it but a last-minute hurdle over the representation of pro-Hizbullah Sunni MPs surfaced. Hizbullah has insisted that the six Sunni MPs should be given a seat in the government, refraining from providing Hariri with the names of its three Shiite ministers in a bid to press him. Hariri has rejected the demand, announcing that he’d rather step down than give the aforementioned lawmakers a seat from his own share in the government.

Hariri Bound for Paris, London for Investment Talks
Naharnet/November 01/18/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri prepares to kick off visits to Paris and London early in December to discuss suggestions on “how to invest in Lebanon through the CEDRE support conference,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Saturday. According to reliable sources, the two visits are linked to said investment conference where Hariri is scheduled to participate in a meeting in Paris on December 10 with the French economic authorities. The meeting will be held in the presence of head of the Council of Development and Reconstruction, Nabil al-Jisr; Secretary-General of the Higher Council for Privatization, Ziad Hayek; Chairman of the Lebanese Petroleum Authority, Walid Nasr; the Prime Minister's Advisor for Economic Affairs, Nadim al-Manla, and the Governor of Banque du Liban Riad Salameh. On December 11, Hariri is set to fly to London where he will hold a meeting at the residence of the Lebanese ambassador, to be attended by a group of British economic organizations, major British companies and potential investors through CEDRE in Lebanon, as well as international investment circles and personalities, according to the daily. The meeting will be a prelude to the British-Lebanese Business and Investment Forum, prepared by the Lebanese embassy in London. It will be held on December 12 at the Savoy Hotel in the British capital.

Independent Sunni MPs Slam ‘Tripartite’ Initiative to Resolve Govt. Hurdle
Naharnet/November 01/18/The so-called Independent Sunni MPs of the Consultative Gathering refuted allegations on Saturday claiming initiatives have been made heralding a near solution to the Sunni MPs hurdle, LBCI reported on Saturday. About said “initiatives,” sources of the Gathering said “Independent Sunni deputies have not yet felt any seriousness in any of the circulated proposals to resolve the government crisis,” describing it as a “waste of time.” On claims that one of the concessions made was that Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri “agrees to meet them” at the Grand Serail, they said: “Agreeing to meet us is not a concession on Hariri’s part but more a constitutional duty stipulated in the parliamentary system governing Lebanon.” They said “we consider dead any tripartite initiative that does not include the appointment of one of the six deputies in a national unity government.”
Reports circulated lately a “tripartite” attempt to resolve the government hurdle by first, making Hariri agree to meet the Sunni deputies after adamantly rejecting the request. Second, Sunni deputies concede to having a minister from outside their bloc. Third, appointing said minster as part of President Michel Aoun’s share. The last-minute Sunni hurdle emerged when the new government was on the verge of formation on October 29 after the Lebanese Forces accepted the portfolios that were assigned to it. Hizbullah has insisted that the six Sunni MPs should be given a seat in the government, refraining from providing Hariri with the names of its three Shiite ministers in a bid to press him. Hariri has rejected the demand, announcing that he’d rather step down than give the aforementioned lawmakers a seat from his own share in the government.

Street by Saudi U.S. Embassy Could be Renamed 'Jamal Khashoggi Way'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/November 01/18/Local officials in a Washington neighborhood have voted to rename a street outside Saudi Arabia's embassy in honor of slain Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. If approved by the city council, the advisory commission's measure means a stretch of road going past the expansive embassy building in the upscale Foggy Bottom neighborhood would be ceremonially renamed "Jamal Khashoggi Way."Khashoggi, a US resident, was murdered in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October. After initially denying the murder, Saudi Arabia has acknowledged Khashoggi was killed inside the consulate but blamed his death on a "rogue" operation. Top officials from the administration of President Donald Trump have said they've seen no direct evidence linking the murder to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, but the CIA reportedly has found a connection. According to CNN, the idea to change the street's name started about a month ago following an online petition. "We suggest renaming the street address of the Saudi Embassy into Jamal Khashoggi Way to be a daily reminder to Saudi officials" that such killings are "totally unacceptable and as an expression of Washington's unstinting support for freedom of the press," the petition states.A similar action was taken outside the Russian embassy, where a street was this year renamed in honor of prominent Vladimir Putin critic Boris Nemtsov, who was assassinated in Moscow in 2015.

Najm represents Riachy at the launching of Season 4 of the Arab Academy Award
Sat 01 Dec 2018/NNA - Under the patronage of Caretaker Information Minister, Melhem Riachy, represented by his Advisor Antoine Najm, the Arab Academy Award Society launched Saturday the "Season 4 - 2019" events of the association's games, in presence of its Head, NNA Colleague Rizkallah Helou. In his word on behalf of Minister Riachy, Najm said, "Education and media are fundamental pillars of building the emerging generations, which in turn will build communities in the future, and the disintegration that we see in some societies is often due to a false, pivotal or fragmented education." Najm stressed the importance of establishing foundation principles for education and the implementation of these principles. Addressing the generation of Lebanese youths, Najm stressed on working to maintain their presence in their country while urging them to follow valid and sound educational systems.
In turn, Helou said, "We are not only meeting today to launch the fourth season of the Arab Academy Award, but to announce the launching of a crisis cell that will address the language of our mother tongue, as we are on the verge of marking the Arabic Language Day on December 18th."
"In our society today, we seek to apply what other Arab countries will apply in the field of activating excellence in the Arabic language, after ten years," Helou added. "The wise leadership in the developed countries is focused on the human being," he noted, questioning when this would be applied in Lebanon as well? "Educational studies have shown that scholars who have the opportunity to choose learning experiences in different ways become productive...isn't that our goal?" he questioned. "The Arabic language has not been found to be the incubator of terrorism, murder and human rights violations...yet no one takes the serious initiative to remove this distortion," Helou added, regretfully pointing to the absence of any public or private support to the Arab Academy Award in its past three seasons. Helou concluded by asserting that whoever has the will and determination shall eventually reach his aspired goals, vowing to continue in exerting all efforts to achieve the Academy's educational goals.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on December 01-02/18
Statement/Canada calls for Syria to be held accountable for its use of chemical weapons
December 1, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
Global Affairs of Canada today issued the following statement at the close of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons’ (OPCW’s) Fourth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention:
“Yesterday marked the end of the Fourth Review Conference of the Chemical Weapons Convention, which was held at The Hague, Netherlands, this past week.
“Canada is dismayed that members were unable to reach a consensus on a final document that included even the most basic, factual reference to the use of chemical weapons by Syria, as found by the OPCW-UN Joint Investigative Mechanism. Syria’s Assad regime, supported by its allies Russia and Iran, blocked any reasonable effort to include a reference to those findings in the conference’s final document. This is an appalling effort to deny the use of chemical weapons. As a result, reaching a consensus at the conference was impossible.
“Any use of chemical weapons is an abhorrent breach of international law, and Canada strongly supports efforts to ensure that perpetrators of such crimes are held to account. Canada urges all states parties to find common ground and work together to protect the impartiality, independence and capacity of the OPCW to uphold the international rules-based order.”

Largest-ever surface missile attack on Syria targeted 15 Iranian/Hizballah sites
DEBKAfile/December 01/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/69335/%D9%82%D8%B5%D9%81-%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B2%D9%86-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%AE-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A/
For 75 minutes on Thursday night, Nov. 29, the IDF blasted Iranian, Hizballah and Syrian targets in its biggest ever surface missile attack on Syria, DEBKAfile’s intelligence and military sources can now reveal. This was not an Israeli air force strike such as those conducted for two years against Iranian targets in Syria. Two kinds of ground-to ground missiles were used in this cross-border offensive: a Long-Range Artillery Weapon system known as LORA which has a range of 400km; and the guided, short range Tamuz. They raked across at least 15 sites, most of them belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), pro-Iranian militias and Hizballah. They covered an area ranging from the Syrian Hermon slopes in the north, down to the Iranian command center at Izra north of Daraa in the south. Among the locations targeted was Al-Zabadani, a town on the Damascus-Beirut highway near the Lebanese border in the west, which Hizballah has taken over and established there its command posts, training camps and ammunition and rocket depots. At Al Kiswah south of Damascus, the IDF missiles struck Iran’s central command post in Syria, which is known as the “Glass House.” Blasted too were the command posts and structures of two Syrian brigades which are structured for Syrian officers to command a hodge-podge of Hizballah, pro-Iranian Shiite and Palestinian militias. Israeli missiles also struck the Syrian Army’s 90th Brigade which rules the area north of Quneitra and 112h Brigade which is stationed south of this Golan town. The massive Israeli cross-border assault inflicted heavy casualties on the Iranians, their militias, Hizballah and the Syrian army, including fatalities. Up until Friday night, neither Iran, Syria nor Hizballah had disclosed the precise targets smashed by the IDF 24 hours earlier. The Russian military in Syria was also silent.

Iran Using Hit Squads to Silence Critics of its Meddling in Iraq
London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/69329/iran-using-hit-squads-to-silence-critics-of-its-meddling-in-iraq-%d8%a5%d9%8a%d8%b1%d8%a7%d9%86-%d8%aa%d8%b3%d8%aa%d8%ae%d8%af%d9%85-%d9%81%d8%b1%d9%82-%d8%a7%d9%84%d8%a7%d8%ba%d8%aa%d9%8a%d8%a7/
Tehran is using teams of hit squads in Iraq to silence critics of Iranian attempts to meddle in Iraq’s new cabinet, British security officials told The Daily Telegraph. The hit squads are said to have been deployed on the orders of Qassem Suleimani, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ Quds Force, with the aim of intimidating Iraqi opponents of Iranian meddling in Iraqi politics, the daily reported. The hit squads were deployed after Iraqi general election in May, when Iranian attempts to establish a controlling influence over the new Iraqi government were stymied by the failure of Tehran-backed candidates to win sufficient votes, it said. During the election campaign Iran backed former Iraqi prime minister Nuri al-Maliki, whose close association with Tehran was a major factor in his removal from office, said The Telegraph.
The Iranians also hedged their bets by supporting another pro-Iran candidate, Hadi al-Amiri, although neither candidate mustered enough votes to form a government, it added. According to the newspaper, the most high-profile victim to date of the Iranian hit squads was Adel Shaker El-Tamimi - a close ally of former Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi - who was assassinated by the Quds force in September. A Shiite and joint Canadian-Iraqi national, Tamimi, 46, was involved in attempts in Baghdad to heal the schism between the country's Shiite and Sunni communities, and also worked as a low-key envoy to restore Iraq’s relations with neighboring Arab states. Security sources told The Telegraph that the Iranian assassins have also targeted opponents across Iraq’s political spectrum. Other victims of Iran's hit squads include Shawki al-Haddad, a close ally of Muqtada Al-Sadr, the report said. Haddad was murdered in July after accusing the Iranians of election fraud. Meanwhile Rady al-Tai, an adviser to religious authority Ali Al-Sistani was the subject of a failed assassination attempt in August after he called for the reduction of Iranian influence in the new government. "Iran in intensifying its campaign of intimidation against the Iraqi government by using assassination squads to silence critics of Tehran," a senior British security official told The Daily Telegraph. "This is a blatant attempt to thwart efforts by the new Iraqi government to end Iran's meddling in Iraq." Apart from sending hit squads to Iraq, security officials say the Quds Force is also seeking to consolidate its military position in the country.  Using established Shiite militias such as Kataib Hezbollah, the Iranians are smuggling weapons into Iraq for use against US and other Western targets, they say.In September the militia was accused of launching two attacks against US targets - the US Embassy in Baghdad and the US consulate in Basra.

G-20 enters final day with work to do on bridging divisions
The Associated Press, Buenos Aires/Saturday, 01 December 2018/The Group of 20 summit enters its crucial second and final day with hours left for diplomats to bridge divisions on major issues including world trade, climate change and tackling migration. Saturday will also see a highly anticipated meeting between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose nations have been embroiled in an escalating trade war with new US tariffs on China goods set to take effect a month from now. The divisions among the world’s leading economies were evident from the moment Argentina’s president opened the summit Friday with a call for international cooperation to solve the planet’s problems. Diplomats are haggling hard over a final joint statement, with disagreement over what language to use on the Paris climate accord and the World Trade Organization.

State media: Iran launches domestically-made destroyer
The Associated Press, TehranSaturday, 1 December 2018/Iran says it has launched a domestically built destroyer in the Arabian Gulf capable of traveling some five months without refueling.State TV on Saturday reported it took six years to build the 1,300-ton vessel named Sahand after a mountain in northern Iran. The Sahand has a helicopter landing pad, is 96 meters (105 yards) long and can cruise at 25 knots. It is equipped with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles as well as anti-aircraft batteries and sophisticated radar and radar evading capabilities, the report said. Since 1992, Iran has been working to build a self-sufficient military, reportedly producing its own jet fighters, tanks, missiles and light submarines as well as torpedoes. Iran added the first domestically made destroyer to its fleet in 2010 in the Arabian Gulf. Reportedly Iran has five other destroyers.

More than 75,000 take part in French anti-Macron protests
Al Arabiya English and agencies/Saturday, 01 December 2018/An estimated 75,000 people were taking part in the "yellow vest" protests across France at 3:00 pm (1400 GMT) on Saturday, the interior ministry said in a statement. The number was well below the first day of protests on November 17, which attracted around 282,000 people, and also down from the 106,000 who turned out last Saturday. Al Arabiya’s Paris Bureau Chief Hussein Kneiber, who is reporting from the middle of the protests, said Yellow Vests demonstrators are attempting to approach the famed Eiffel Tower while police are attempting to calm the situation near Champs-Elysee. At least 183 protesters have been arrested so far while 80 have been confirmed injured, including members of the French security
Speaking at Paris police headquarters, French PM Edouard Philippe said over 5,000 protesters were on and around the Champs-Elysees avenue. Authorities said 5,000 police were deployed in Paris to try to contain the protests. View image on TwitterView image on TwitterView image on Twitter
Thousands of police were deployed to try to contain the protests on and around the famed Champs-Elysees avenue. Most of the protesters, called “yellow jackets” for the fluorescent vests they wear, were peaceful. But others mixed in with them wore black hoodies and piled up construction materials, including large plywood planks, in the middle of a street near the Arc de Triomphe, and set the rubble on fire. Khattar Abou Diab, the director of the Council on Geopolitics and Perspectives in Paris, told Al Arabiya that this leaderless movement so far will test Macron’s leadership as protests go on for a third consecutive weekend. “The ruling party and leadership in France was betting that this disorganized and leaderless protest movement would die down eventually but observers say it’s not just about the numbers. But it’s about the breadth of the protests which has now spread to parts of outer Paris. The fact that the protests have reached the heart of the Champs-Élysées has given the protesters a push themselves to keep going on,” Diab said. Police responded by firing bursts from a water cannon with backup from riot officers, who used tear gas on the protesters. In addition to rising taxes, demonstrators are furious about President Emmanuel Macron’s leadership. A demonstration last weekend in Paris also turned violent. Earlier Saturday, hundreds of people gathered at the top of the Champs-Elysees on Saturday morning. Access to the avenue was closed to cars and strictly monitored by police with identity checks and bag inspections. Police used tear gas to disperse the crowds as some tried to force their way through. The protests, which began with motorists demonstrating against a fuel tax hike, now involve a broad range of demands related to the country’s high cost of living.
Shopkeepers on the Champs-Elysees prepared for possible new violence, bringing in workers to barricade boutique windows with boards. Decorative iron grates, used last week in barricades, were removed from around trees and outdoor terraces dismantled. All subway stations in and around the famous avenue were closed for security reasons, Paris public transport company RATP said. Last week, French authorities said 8,000 people demonstrated on the Champs-Elysees avenue. Some of the protesters torched barriers and plywood boards. Police fired tear gas and water cannons to push back angry demonstrators. Since the protests kicked off Nov. 17, two people were killed and hundreds injured in accidents stemming from the protests since they kicked off Nov. 17, and hundreds of protesters and police have been injured. Meanwhile, hundreds of roads blockades were also held quietly across the country.

Tariff tensions shadow US, Canada, Mexico trade pact signing
The Associated Press, Buenos Aires/Saturday, 1 December 2018/President Donald Trump signed a revised North American trade pact with the leaders of Canada and Mexico on Friday, declaring the deal a major victory for workers. But tensions over tariffs, looming GM layoffs and questions about the pact’s prospects in Congress clouded the celebratory moment. The US-Mexico-Canada Agreement is meant to replace the 24-year-old North American Free Trade Agreement, which Trump has long denigrated as a “disaster.”The leaders signed the new deal on the sidelines of the Group of 20 summit in Buenos Aires after two years of frequently blistering negotiations. Each country’s legislature still must approve. “This has been a battle, and battles sometimes make great friendships, so it’s really terrific,” Trump said, before lining up next to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and outgoing Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto to sign three copies of the deal - Trump using a black marker for his signature scrawl. The signing came at the beginning of a packed two days of diplomacy for the American president that will conclude with high-stakes talks Saturday with Chinese President Xi Jinping on ways to ease an escalating trade war between the two countries.“There’s some good signs,” Trump said. “We’ll see what happens.”For the new North American trade deal, legislative approval is the next step. That could prove a difficult task in the United States, especially now that Democrats - instead of Trump’s Republicans - will control the House come January. Democrats and their allies in the labor movement are already demanding changes. Within hours of the signing, Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said the deal must have stronger labor and environmental protections in order to get majority support in Congress and “must prove to be a net benefit to middle-class families and working people.”Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi- who is seeking to become House speaker in the new year- quipped, “The trade agreement formerly known as Prince - no, I mean, formerly known as NAFTA, is a work in progress.”Still, Trump projected confidence, saying: “It’s been so well reviewed I don’t expect to have very much of a problem.”Trump is describing USMCA as a landmark trade agreement. But most companies are just relieved that it largely preserves the status quo established by NAFTA: a regional trade bloc that allows most products to travel between the United States, Canada and Mexico duty free. During the negotiations, Trump repeatedly threatened to pull out, a move that would have disrupted businesses that have built complicated supply chains that straddle the borders of the three countries.The new agreement does make some changes to the way business is done in North America. It updates the trade pact to reflect the rise of the digital economy since the original NAFTA took effect nearly a quarter century ago. It gives US dairy farmers a bit more access to the protected Canadian market. The biggest changes target the auto industry. The new deal encourages auto companies to invest or expand in the United States and Canada, not low-wage Mexico, by requiring that 40 percent of a car’s content be made where auto workers earn at least $16 an hour; otherwise, the cars won’t qualify for USMCA’s duty-free treatment. Trudeau said the deal “lifts the risk of serious economic uncertainty” and said Canada worked hard for a “new, modernized agreement.” But he also used the ceremony to call on Trump to remove steel and aluminum tariffs the US slapped on Canada and Mexico. Trudeau also referenced recent downsizing moves by GM in North America as a “heavy blow.”Pena Nieto, who will hand off to his successor Saturday, said he was honored to be at the signing on the final day of his administration, calling it the culmination of a long process “that allow us to overcome differences and to conciliate our visions.”

Egypt Issues Permits for 168 New Churches
Cairo - Waleed Abdul Rahman/ Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 1 December, 2018/Egypt announced on Friday legalizing up to 168 churches and monasteries with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirming that the process will be timely.Despite the committee headed by Madbouly, who is also the country’s Housing Minister, approving the legalization of 168 churches and buildings, only 151 applications have received permits so far, with the body requiring additional documents for the remaining 17. Madbouly instructed concerned officials to set a time frame, during which churches and buildings that meet the conditions of Law No. 80 of 2016 will be finalized. To date, the committee has legalized a total of 508 churches and buildings since its founding. In a meeting attended by ministers of justice, antiquities, and parliamentary affairs, as well as other concerned authorities, the legalization committee reviewed studies carried out over the past two months on the conditions of the churches that have requested legalization. Madbouly urged relevant authorities to submit a follow-up report to the committee’s next meeting on the findings of smaller governorate-specific commissions formed by the PM to follow up on church legalization. These smaller commissions include representatives of NGOs, Christian sects, and other relevant authorities. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education denied reports on the government moving towards privatizing university hospitals before first implementing a new comprehensive health insurance law.The Ministry, in a Friday statement, confirmed that university hospitals will remain state owned and stressed that they will continue to provide medical and health services to citizens free of charge. As for reported rumors on state bureaus imposing a new registration fee of 2,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $111) for marriage contracts, Egyptian authorities denied the news, saying the Justice Ministry has stressed that fees remain unchanged.

US Displays Arms that Iran Transferred to Middle East Militants
Washington - London - Atef Abdul Latif and Najlaa Habriri//Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018/The US special representative for Iran, Brian Hook, has displayed military equipment confirming that Iran is increasingly supplying weapons to militants across the Middle East and is continuing its missile program unabated. “The new weapons we are disclosing today illustrate the scale of Iran’s destructive role across the region. The same kind of rockets here today could tomorrow land in a public market in Kabul or an international airport,” Hook said Thursday at a military hangar in Washington. He showed reporters a collection of guns, rockets, drones and other gear. Some of these had been intercepted in the Strait of Hormuz en route to Shiite militants in the region while others had been seized by the Saudis in Yemen. “Today, the United States is unveiling new evidence of Iran’s ongoing missile proliferation. The Iranian threat is growing and we are accumulating risk of escalation in the region if we fail to act,” said Hook. “Iran’s support of the Houthi militants has deepened. Its backing of terrorist activities across the world has increased, and its efforts to undermine regional stability have expanded,” he added. The centerpiece of the display was what Hook said is a Sayyad-2 surface-to-air missile system that the Saudis had intercepted in Yemen this year. Farsi writing along the white rocket's side helped prove it was Iranian made, he said. “The Houthis have launched Iranian-origin missiles at Riyadh, with an estimated range of 560 miles,” he said. “Iran has funded the Houthis with hundreds of millions of dollars since the conflict broke out. With Iran’s ongoing help, the Houthi threat will grow as their capabilities steadily expand.”According to Hook, an estimated 4.5 million barrels of oil per day transits through the Bab al-Mandab, while about 17 million barrels a day flow through the Strait of Hormuz. “Iran has threatened repeatedly over many years to close the Strait of Hormuz. Give Iran a free hand in Yemen and it can threaten to close both straits and commit acts of maritime aggression with impunity,” he warned. He told reporters that several new small arms of Iranian origin, such as sniper rifles, RPGs, AK variants, and hand grenades had been given by Iran to Shiite militant groups in Bahrain to carry out attacks against the government. But Washington stands with Bahrain, which is home to the US Fifth Fleet, Hook said. In emailed remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, the US special representative for Iran said that Washington will continue to exert extreme pressure on Tehran’s regime so that its leaders change their “malign behavior,” respect their people’s rights and return to the negotiating table. He stressed that his country is working, under the supervision of President Donald Trump, through its allies in the Middle East and the rest of the world to confront Iran’s nuclear threats, its support for terrorism and extremism, and its proliferation of ballistic missiles. “Together, we will exert the required pressure to push Iran into changing its behavior,” Hook added.

Iran Feeding Propaganda to Media Platforms Worldwide
London/Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018
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/A Reuters report released on Friday revealed the extent of Tehran’s engagement in misinformation media campaigns worldwide, using the internet to access a pool of over half a million viewers. More than 70 websites found by Reuters push Iranian propaganda to 15 countries. The content comes from the International Union of Virtual Media (IUVM), which says it is headquartered in Tehran. Website Nile Net Online promises Egyptians “true news” from its offices in the heart of Cairo’s Tahrir Square, “to expand the scope of freedom of expression in the Arab world.”
Until recently, Nile Net Online had more than 115,000 page-followers across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. But its contact telephone numbers, including one listed as 0123456789, don’t work. A Facebook map showing its location dropped a pin onto the middle of the street, rather than any building. And regulars at the square, including a newspaper stallholder and a policeman, say they have never heard of the website. Nile Net Online, is one of more than 70 websites found by Reuters which push Iranian propaganda to 15 countries, in an operation that cybersecurity experts, social media firms and journalists are only starting to uncover. The sites found by Reuters are visited by more than half a million people a month, and have been promoted by social media accounts with more than a million followers. All the sites are linked to Iran in one of two ways. Some carry stories, video and cartoons supplied by an online agency called the International Union of Virtual Media (IUVM), which says on its website it is headquartered in Tehran. Some have shared online registration details with IUVM, such as addresses and phone numbers. Twenty-one of the websites do both. Emails sent to IUVM bounced back and telephone numbers the agency gave in web registration records did not work. Documents available on the main IUVM website say its objectives include “confronting with remarkable arrogance, western governments and Zionism front activities.”Some of the sites in the Iranian operation were first exposed in August by companies including Facebook, Twitter and Google’s parent, Alphabet, after FireEye found them. The social media companies have closed hundreds of accounts that promoted the sites or pushed Iranian messaging. Facebook said last month it had taken down 82 pages, groups and accounts linked to the Iranian campaign; these had gathered more than one million followers in the United States and Britain. Amongst the Tehran-based propagandist platform is a website called Realnie Novosti, or “Real News,” for Russian readers. It offers a downloadable mobile phone app but its operator could not be traced. Another is an outlet offering daily news and satirical cartoons in Sudan, and ten outlets target readers in Yemen.

US Airstrike Kills 11 Qaeda Terrorists in South Libya
Cairo/Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018/At least 11 terrorists were killed in an air strike carried out this week by the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM) near al-Uwaynat desert in Libya. AFRICOM said it carried out the operation in coordination with the Government of National Accord (GNA), killing 11 al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) terrorists and destroying three of their vehicles. “AFRICOM will use precision strikes to deny terrorists safe haven in Libya. We will keep pressure on their network, and they remain vulnerable wherever they are,” it said in a statement. This is the third US raid targeting AQIM terrorists, the last of which killed a militant on July 13. Eyewitnesses and a security source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the air strike, completely destroyed the vehicles in the Libyan desert. They pointed out that Red Crescent teams headed to the scene of the raid, and rescued an injured man who succumbed to injuries in hospital. Meanwhile, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) warned of "extrajudicial killings in the capital Tripoli."UNSMIL issued a statement, saying it continues to receive reports of armed groups carrying out extra-judicial killings in Tripoli, a phenomenon that has been on the rise over the past few weeks. “The Mission affirms that allegations of offenses and personal disputes should be judged in a court of law, not by gunmen on the streets.”The Mission called on the Libyan authorities to adopt with immediate effect the necessary measures to protect all persons from targeted killings, send a strong message that these acts are completely unacceptable and back these messages with objective investigations to identify and hold perpetrators of such crimes accountable. “Extrajudicial executions are not only acts of extreme cruelty, violating the laws of this country; they also violate International Human Rights and Humanitarian Laws. Those responsible for committing or ordering extrajudicial killings are criminally liable under international law,” the statement concluded. In related context, the EU agreed to fund 24 Libyan municipalities as part of an agreement signed along with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The agreement was also signed by Libyan Minister of Local Governance Baddad Gansu. The three-year program, named “Recovery, Stability and Socio-Economic Development in Libya” was funded by the EU with €50 million in the framework of the EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa. The program aims to improve the living conditions and resilience of the most vulnerable populations in 24 municipalities across Libya. It targets municipalities highly affected by migration flows and displacement processes of the Libyan populations. On Friday, the National Oil Corporation (NOC) announced that several of its crude terminals have been closed due to bad weather, and that loading has been postponed. The Ras Lanuf, Zueitina, Zawiya and Es Sider terminals are all non-operational, NOC said in a statement, adding that Brega is still open but may be shuttered due to high waves. "Production has already decreased by 150,000 bpd, and is likely to reduce by an additional 50,000 due to a lack of additional storage capacity," the company said. The company expected tanks at Es Sider to be fully used within two days, and warned that if the bad weather continues, another 150,000 bpd of production from the Sharara field in Libya's southwest could also be shut.

Egypt Issues Permits for 168 New Churches
Cairo - Waleed Abdul Rahman/Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018/Egypt announced on Friday legalizing up to 168 churches and monasteries with Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly affirming that the process will be timely. Despite the committee headed by Madbouly, who is also the country’s Housing Minister, approving the legalization of 168 churches and buildings, only 151 applications have received permits so far, with the body requiring additional documents for the remaining 17. Madbouly instructed concerned officials to set a time frame, during which churches and buildings that meet the conditions of Law No. 80 of 2016 will be finalized. To date, the committee has legalized a total of 508 churches and buildings since its founding.In a meeting attended by ministers of justice, antiquities, and parliamentary affairs, as well as other concerned authorities, the legalization committee reviewed studies carried out over the past two months on the conditions of the churches that have requested legalization. Madbouly urged relevant authorities to submit a follow-up report to the committee’s next meeting on the findings of smaller governorate-specific commissions formed by the PM to follow up on church legalization. These smaller commissions include representatives of NGOs, Christian sects, and other relevant authorities. Meanwhile, Egypt’s Ministry of Higher Education denied reports on the government moving towards privatizing university hospitals before first implementing a new comprehensive health insurance law. The Ministry, in a Friday statement, confirmed that university hospitals will remain state owned and stressed that they will continue to provide medical and health services to citizens free of charge. As for reported rumors on state bureaus imposing a new registration fee of 2,000 Egyptian pounds (approximately $111) for marriage contracts, Egyptian authorities denied the news, saying the Justice Ministry has stressed that fees remain unchanged.

CNN Dismisses Contributor over Pro-Palestine Stance
Asharq Al-Awsat/December,01/ 2018/CNN parted ways on Friday with contributor Marc Lamont Hill after comments he made in support of the Palestinian cause and after he called for a boycott of Israel. "Marc Lamont Hill is no longer under contract with CNN," a spokesperson said in a brief statement published on the US television channel's website. Hill, a professor of media studies at Philadelphia's Temple University who had been a recurring political commentator on CNN, called for countries to boycott and divest from Israel in the Wednesday speech given for the UN's International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People. "We have an opportunity to not just offer solidarity in words but to commit to political action, grass-roots action, local action and international action that will give us what justice requires and that is a free Palestine from the river to the sea," Hill stressed. Some have linked the proposal to the Palestinian Hamas movement. Hill addressed the issue on Twitter, writing that "my reference to 'river to the sea' was not a call to destroy anything or anyone." "It was a call for justice, both in Israel and in the West Bank/Gaza," he tweeted. "The speech very clearly and specifically said those things." "I support Palestinian freedom. I support Palestinian self-determination. I am deeply critical of Israeli policy and practice," he continued. "I do not support anti-Semitism, killing Jewish people, or any of the other things attributed to my speech." "I have spent my life fighting these things."

Israel Questions Jordanian after Dispute with Jews
Tel Aviv - Asharq Al-Awsat/Saturday, 1 December, 2018/Israeli authorities notified Jordan that they are investigating a Jordanian man who attacked Friday two Jewish port workers with a hammer, seriously wounding them in the Israeli Red Sea resort of Eilat. The assault was possibly motivated by racism, they said. The suspect was handed over to the Shin Bet internal security service for further questioning. Witnesses said the Jordanian laborer was working in the restoration of a sidewalk when two divers were summoned for maintenance. They asked him to get them their equipment but he went upset. So, he disappeared for a couple of minutes before returning with a hammer and beating them. The two injured men were transferred to Soroka Medical Center in Be'er Sheva. Later, a police statement said the "main line of investigation is that the motive was a terrorist attack." No such incidents have occurred in the area in the past ten years. Around 1,500 Jordanians cross daily to Eilat to work as part of a cross-border jobs program. Half of them work in hotels and restaurants while the other half work in other industries.

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on December 01-02/18
Former President George H.W. Bush dead at 94
الأميركي السابق جورج بوش الأب يتوفى عن عمر 94 سنة
ABC NEWS,Good Morning America/December 01/18
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George Herbert Walker Bush, the 41st president of the United States, has died at age 94.
His death was announced by his family Friday night. The president’s health had been in decline in recent months.
“George Herbert Walker Bush, World War II naval aviator, Texas oil pioneer, and 41st President of the United States of America, died on November 30, 2018. He was 94 and is survived by his five children and their spouses, 17 grandchildren, eight great grandchildren, and two siblings,” the former president’s office said in a statement. “He was preceded in death by his wife of 73 years, Barbara; his second child Pauline “Robin” Bush; and his brothers Prescott and William or “Bucky” Bush.”
His son George W. Bush, who served as the country’s 43rd president, released a statement of his own from the family.
“Jeb, Neil, Marvin, Doro, and I are saddened to announce that after 94 remarkable years, our dear Dad has died,” George W. Bush said. “George H. W. Bush was a man of the highest character and the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. The entire Bush family is deeply grateful for 41’s life and love, for the compassion of those who have cared and prayed for Dad, and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens.”
The family said funeral arrangements would be announced “as soon as is practical.”
“Melania and I join with a grieving Nation to mourn the loss of former President George H.W. Bush, who passed away last night,” Trump wrote. “Through his essential authenticity, disarming wit, and unwavering commitment to faith, family, and country, President Bush inspired generations of his fellow Americans to public service—to be, in his words, “a thousand points of light” illuminating the greatness, hope, and opportunity of America to the world.
“Along with his full life of service to country, we will remember President Bush for his devotion to family — especially the love of his life, Barbara,” he continued. “His example lives on, and will continue to stir future Americans to pursue a greater cause. Our hearts ache with his loss, and we, with the American people, send our prayers to the entire Bush family, as we honor the life and legacy of 41.”
He sent a follow-up tweet Saturday morning from the G-20 summit in Buenos Aires, Argentina, calling him a “truly wonderful man.”
George H.W. Bush and Trump had a contentious relationship recently. Trump did not attend first lady Barbara Bush’s funeral, regularly took shots at fellow 2016 presidential contender Jeb Bush and slammed Bush’s famous “thousand points of light” speech at a rally in July, saying, “Thousand points of light, what the hell was that by the way? Thousands points of light. What did that mean? Does anyone know?”
The former president had several health scares over the past year, including one just days after his wife’s funeral.
Bush was admitted to Houston Methodist Hospital with a blood infection on April 22 — two days after the funeral for his wife of 73 years, former first lady Barbara Bush.
Bush was with there his wife when she died at the age of 92 on April 17.
“He of course is broken-hearted to lose his beloved Barbara, his wife of 73 years. He held her hand all day and was at her side when [she] left this good earth,” a statement from his office said after her death. “But it will not surprise all of you who know and love him, that he also is being stoic and strong, and is being lifted up by his large and supportive family.”
He served two terms as President Ronald Reagan’s second-in-command and became the first incumbent vice president to be elected president since Martin Van Buren in 1836.
But Bush’s tenure in the White House was limited to four years. He was defeated for re-election by Democrat Bill Clinton in 1992. A weakened economy, a limited domestic agenda and a broken promise against raising taxes contributed to Bush’s defeat.
Bush was a one-time oil executive who spent years in government service, including terms as CIA director, ambassador to the United Nations and liaison to the People’s Republic of China. He was also elected to the House of Representatives as a congressman from Texas. Following his time in the White House, he and his wife moved to Houston, where they led a relatively quiet life.
Bush experienced a recurrence of the irregular heartbeat in February 2000, when he was attending a reception in Naples, Florida. He spent a night in the hospital, but smiled and joked with reporters the next day.
In November 2012, he was admitted to a Houston hospital for bronchitis and a chronic cough. He was expected to return home well before Christmas but remained hospitalized after the holiday. Officials said he had a high fever and had been placed on a liquids-only diet.
In 2017, the former president was admitted to the intensive care unit at Houston Methodist Hospital to “address an acute respiratory problem stemming from pneumonia,” according to his office.
His family has said publicly that the former president was no longer able to walk unassisted, a frustration for a man who enjoyed an active lifestyle of golf, fishing, jogging and power walks on the beach near his summer home in Maine.
In one of his last interviews, Bush reflected on his life, relishing the love of family and friends.
“I’ve been very blessed, when you look around, compared to … others,” Bush told ABC News’ “World News Tonight” anchor Diane Sawyer in June 2012. “But you must feel responsibility to others. You must believe in serving others. I think that’s a fundamental tenet of my life.”
World War II pilot
George Herbert Walker Bush was born on June 12, 1924, in Milton, Massachusetts. He was the second oldest child in a family of four boys and one girl. His parents were Prescott Sheldon Bush, an investment banker who later would serve for 10 years in the U.S. Senate, and Dorothy Walker Bush.
Growing up in Greenwich, Connecticut, George H.W. Bush had a privileged childhood. He attended the exclusive Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts.
World War II broke out while he was at Phillips. Rather than go on and attend Yale University immediately after prep school, Bush joined the Navy.
Bush flew 58 combat missions in the Pacific as a torpedo bomber pilot and once was shot down by the Japanese in 1944. For his effort at bringing the plane down and saving most of its crew, Bush was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross.
After the war, Bush entered Yale and graduated in less than three years with a degree in economics. Nicknamed Poppy, the tall and lanky Bush earned a Phi Beta Kappa key for high academic achievements and played baseball and soccer for Yale.
Shortly after leaving the Navy, Bush married Barbara Pierce, who he met at a country club dance when he was 17 and she was 16. They would eventually have six children, one of whom died of leukemia before her fourth birthday.
Two of their sons entered politics: George W. Bush became governor of Texas before winning the 2000 election for president, while his younger brother Jeb Bush became governor of Florida. Jeb Bush later ran for president in 2016 and dropped out during the Republican primary.
Bush’s political journey
Bush moved his growing family to Texas after college, where he formed an independent oil exploration company.
But politics eventually came to be the focus of Bush’s life. He made his first foray as a candidate in 1964 with an ambitious but unsuccessful run for the Senate.
Two years later, Bush was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, where he cast a vote in favor of President Lyndon Johnson’s program for open, nondiscriminatory federal housing.
The lure of a Senate seat prompted Bush to try again in 1970. This time, Bush lost to Democrat Lloyd M. Bentsen Jr.
Following his 1970 defeat, Presidents Richard M. Nixon and Gerald R. Ford appointed Bush to a variety of high-profile positions: U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, chairman of the Republican National Committee, liaison to the People’s Republic of China and director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Ford also considered naming Bush his vice president but opted instead to give the job to Nelson A. Rockefeller. As a consolation, Ford offered Bush his choice of ambassadorial assignments and Bush chose China. Bush left the government in January 1977 when Jimmy Carter became president.
Vice president under Reagan
In 1978, believing that Carter was vulnerable, Bush began his first campaign for the White House. Despite an early win in the 1980 Iowa caucuses, Bush’s campaign quickly lost momentum as Reagan overtook him to capture the GOP nomination.
During the campaign, Bush described Reagan’s plan to increase federal revenues by lowering taxes as “voodoo economics.” The remark got Bush needed coverage on the campaign trail but came back to bite him when Reagan chose Bush as his running mate and Bush had to become a cheerleader for Reagan’s economic plan.
Bush’s eight years as vice president were spent mostly in the shadows. He headed task forces on stopping the illegal drug trade and reducing federal regulations.
Reagan often sent Bush abroad as his representative. Bush set an attendance record at the funerals of foreign leaders, including those of three Soviet leaders.
But it was Bush’s participation in meetings of the National Security Council that threatened his political career. The Reagan administration secretly carried out the illegal sale of arms to Iran so the proceeds could be funneled to rebels fighting a Marxist government in Nicaragua.
After the Iran-Contra affair was exposed, questions were raised about what Bush knew of the secret program. Suspicions about Bush, however, had no lasting political impact.
In 1988, Bush ran to succeed Reagan with two catchphrases. He spoke of creating a “kinder, gentler nation” and he told voters, “Read my lips, no new taxes.” This last promise would become a problem for him; eventually he would break his word.
Despite an early challenge from Sen. Bob Dole of Kansas, Bush captured the GOP nomination and selected a little-known young senator, Dan Quayle of Indiana, as his running mate. The choice surprised political analysts, but delighted Democrats, who viewed Quayle as an intellectual lightweight.
The Democratic nominee, Massachusetts Gov. Michael Dukakis, enjoyed a healthy lead in early campaign polls. But Bush waged an aggressive campaign and cast Dukakis as a liberal, a dirty word after eight years of Reagan. Bush easily won the general election with 53 percent of the vote and a wide margin in the electoral college.
As president, Bush’s greatest successes were in foreign policy. He built on the relationships he developed as Reagan’s vice president as well as in his past life as a diplomat.
When Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein invaded neighboring Kuwait in August 1990, Bush saw the incursion as a threat to U.S. interests. Arab allies urged U.S. involvement.
Bush assembled an international coalition and got the U.N. Security Council to demand Iraq’s immediate withdrawal from Kuwait. The council authorized the use of force if Iraq stayed put. It was the first time since World War II that the United States and the Soviet Union were allied in a significant international crisis.
When Hussein refused to move, Bush succeeded in getting a reluctant Congress to authorize force. The day after the U.N. deadline ended, Bush launched “Operation Desert Storm” — six weeks of round-the-clock air strikes followed by a 100-hour ground campaign.
Iraqi forces left Kuwait and Bush enjoyed the highest approval ratings of any president — 91 percent in March 1991.
In January 2011, Bush marked the 20th anniversary of Desert Storm with his national security team at a gathering of Republican foreign policy heavyweights in College Station, Texas.
Bush credited his Cabinet and military team for their leadership and unity during the planning and execution of the air and ground attacks that liberated Kuwait from the invasion by Iraq.
More than 500,000 Americans were deployed at the peak of the fighting. One hundred and forty-eight service members were killed and 467 were wounded in the conflict.
“There are probably things I could have done better,” Bush said at the event. “I honestly believe history will say we did this right.”
The emir of Kuwait, Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, cited Bush’s “decisive action” in 1991.
“The world is a safer place thanks to Desert Storm and to the strength of the international community’s response to Saddam Hussein’s aggression,” he said.
Defeats at home
Despite his war against Iraq, Bush was never able to gain his footing in the domestic arena, and his domestic problems would be his downfall.
A major crisis in the savings and loan industry happened early on Bush’s watch, and taxpayers were left paying most of the bill. Bush took a hit in his support among American women when he nominated Clarence Thomas for the Supreme Court and a former employee of Thomas’ claimed he had sexually harassed her. Bush also had to confront a recession and rising unemployment figures. The jobless rate rose from 5.3 percent in 1989 to 7.4 percent in 1992.
But his biggest problem was breaking his word on taxes. Faced with the dilemma of paying for the Persian Gulf War, the savings and loan bailout and a weakened economy, Bush agreed to a budget plan with Congress that raised some taxes and gave up on his plan to cut the tax on capital gains.
In the end, nobody was happy. Democrats said the tax hike hit the poorest Americans hardest. Republicans hated the capital gains retreat.
In the 1992 primaries, Bush faced a surprisingly strong challenge from the conservative political columnist Patrick Buchanan. In the general election, he lost votes to H. Ross Perot, a populist third-party candidate. And Clinton, the Democratic nominee, proved to be a masterful politician.
The fall campaign was intense — Bush once called Clinton a “bozo” from the stump — but the two men later became friends — raising money for victims of the devastating 2004 tsunami in Asia and then more than $100 million for Hurricane Katrina relief in 2006.
During the transition phase in leaving the White House, Bush left a letter for Clinton wishing him “great happiness.”
“Your success now is our country’s success. I am rooting hard for you,” the letter read.
Bush on life, family and lasting friendships
“I don’t know what would happen, I don’t know where I’d be in life if I wasn’t blessed with a lot of kids and grandkids and family, including, of course, Barbara,” Bush told ABC News’ Sawyer in 2012. “Family means everything to me. And we’re blessed a with lot of ’em…. We take great pride in what they do and what their plans are for the future. And through — through their eyes, I think of life a lot.”
The newest member of the family at the time was Bush’s great-granddaughter, Georgia Helena Walker Bush, who was born in summer 2011.
Bush said he was coming to terms with his own mortality and believed in an afterlife.
“I’ve wondered about [heaven]. Who you see when you get there. Who do you look up? How do you find them? There’s a lot of people there. Maybe you look around, find some didn’t make it, too. … I don’t know how that works. I don’t think anybody knows,” he said. “I don’t fear it, though.
“When I was a little guy, I feared death. I’d worry about it. I’d be scared. Not anymore.”
Bush’s life story was also the topic of an HBO documentary titled “41,” which premiered in June 2012.
*Huma Khan, Karen Travers, Ben Forer, Margaret Aro, Tess Scott, Veronica Stracqualursi, Gina Sunseri and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Trump and Putin at the G20
Meghan O’Sullivan/Bloomberg View/December 01/18
If asked what will be the most consequential meeting this weekend in Argentina at the G20, you might have a hard time making up your mind. You’d have good reason to choose a) the Trump-Xi bilateral. But b), the gathering to sign the new Nafta deal, could also go awry.
We should certainly be concerned about what will transpire when President Donald Trump and President Xi Jinping have their sit-down. The prospects for diffusing the trade war look slim, but one can assume the Chinese have given serious thought to how they might take advantage of the American president’s impulsiveness and the lack of policy process in the US. They could present Trump with a face-saving deal to roll back tariffs. This would upset his advisers who are looking to force a “decoupling” between the two economies, but such a proposal would appeal to the president’s desire for quick wins. Still, it’s not the most likely outcome of this encounter. The more likely possibility is that the meeting will lead to greater tensions — and then more tariffs. One would think that the signing of the new Nafta, called USMCA, would be a cause for celebration. But there is at least a small chance that it might not even occur. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has injected uncertainty into the mix by announcing that there are still issues in the text to be resolved between the US and Canada. This is on top of Canadian unhappiness over the continued imposition of US tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Assuming the signing occurs, it is unlikely to be an event for the heads of state themselves. Earlier this month, Canada’s ambassador to the US, David MacNaughton, said that if steel tariffs remained in place, the most appropriate person to sign the USMCA from Canada’s side would be “the fourth secretary of [Canada’s] Buenos Aires Embassy."
A low-profile, begrudging signing, however, would be better than any further delay. Mexico’s new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, takes office on Saturday. It takes more than a little optimism to imagine that, given his past attitudes toward Nafta, he will be able to resist the urge to put his own fingerprints on a new deal. Yet the meeting that perhaps had the largest downside for the US — the Trump-Putin talk — has been canceled by Trump. Delivering a tough message to Putin in the wake of the Russian seizure of Ukrainian ships in clear violation of international law is important for future peace and security. I, for one, have been holding my breath for the two years that Trump has been in office, expecting an adversary of the US to take advantage of the discord in our country and directly challenge America’s vital interests. Yes, there has been clear Russian push into the Middle East; and inflammatory rhetoric by Iran, North Korean, Venezuela and others. But there has been no blatant provocation or overt testing of the US. One might say this is just good luck, but more likely, Trump’s nature has in fact given pause to those interested in testing American limits.
Well, the luck or trepidation could be running out. Pushing US boundaries is exactly what Putin was doing in the Black Sea on Sunday. If Trump continued to meet Russian meddling at home and abroad with silence, he would become predictable to Putin.
Now would be a great moment for the American president to deliver a stern, in-person, and public message to Putin. Ideally, Trump would hold the meeting, clearly criticize Putin, and warn him of further sanctions or other punitive measures if the situation with Ukraine is not resolved soon. But if, for whatever reason, Trump cannot envision himself doing that, canceling the meeting was the next best option. Another photo op between Trump and Putin could have been disastrous now, unleashing a new level of Russian adventurism.

Rich Societies and Poverty
Noah Smith/Bloomberg View/December 01/18
What does it mean to be poor? Currently there are two basic ways to define poverty. To get a better measure of who needs help — and a better sense of how to provide it — society needs a third definition. The first definition is absolute poverty — essentially, material destitution. Human beings need food, water and shelter, and if we can’t afford these things, life is pretty miserable. In the US, the federal government has poverty guidelines that are based on food consumption: If you make less than about three times the minimum amount people need to spend on food each year, you’re poor.
By this measure, a single adult living on $12,140 or less is considered poor as of 2018. For a family of four, the figure is $25,100. There is also a Supplemental Poverty Measure that includes not just food but clothing, shelter and utilities. Thanks in part to increased government assistance, US poverty according to this measure has fallen, especially for children. Critics of the federal poverty guidelines argue that these numbers are too low, thanks to growing inequality. Moreover, as a country grows richer, hunger becomes less common, so using it as measure of poverty becomes less useful. When the middle class is defined by having “a chicken in every pot and a car in every backyard”, then simply having a chicken would seem to indicate that you’re not poor. This is where the second measure — relative poverty — comes in. The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development defines poverty this way: If you earn less than half of the median income, you’re poor. By this measure, the US is doing a bit worse than other rich countries.
But this, too, feels unsatisfying.
Intuitively, then, it seems that a third definition of poverty is necessary — one that measures more than just material well-being but also takes into account economic growth. Luckily, there is just such a concept: It’s called material security. Psychologist Abraham Maslow believed that safety ranked second only to food and shelter as a basic human need. Someone who has food and a roof over their head today, but doesn’t know whether they will tomorrow, should be considered poor. Imagine a 55-year-old single woman with diabetes working a part-time job making close to minimum wage. Thanks to government assistance, her total income is $15,000 a year. But if she loses her job or has a medical emergency, she will probably become homeless. That in turn will make it very hard to get a new job, or to pay for her future health-care needs. In short, her situation is very precarious.
This kind of insecurity causes extreme stress. And this precariousness exists along several dimensions.
A reasonable, common-sense definition of poverty should include not just an absolute measure of material deprivation and a relative gauge of a person’s situation compared to the rest of society. It should also strive to measure how secure people feel — in their homes, their health, and their jobs.
This new measure might well show that poverty in the US is worse than the current statistics say. But an accurate view of a problem is the first step toward addressing it. And eliminating poverty should be a priority of any wealthy society.

France's Meltdown, Macron's Disdain
Guy Millière/Gatestone Institute/December 01/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13364/france-meltdown-macron-disdain
"The French say, 'Mr. President, we cannot make ends meet,' and the President replies, 'we shall create a High Council [for the climate]'. Can you imagine the disconnect?" -- Laurence Saillet, spokesman for the center-right party, The Republicans, November 27, 2018
The "yellow jackets" [protestors] now have the support of 77% of the French population. They are demanding Macron's resignation and an immediate change of government.
The movement is now a revolt of millions of people who feel asphyxiated by "confiscatory" taxation, and who do not want to "pay indefinitely" for a government that seems "unable to limit spending". -- Jean-Yves Camus, political scientist.
European elections are to be held this Spring, 2019. Polls show that the National Gathering will be in the lead, far ahead of La République En Marche! [The Republic on the Move!], the party created by Macron.
On November 11th, French President Emmanuel Macron commemorated the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I by inviting seventy heads of state to organize a costly, useless, grandiloquent "Forum of Peace" that did not lead to anything. He also invited US President Donald Trump, and then chose to insult him. In a pompous speech, Macron -- knowing that a few days earlier, Donald Trump had defined himself as a nationalist committed to defending America -- invoked "patriotism"; then defined it, strangely, as "the exact opposite of nationalism"; then called it "treason".
In addition, shortly before the meeting, Macron had not only spoken of the "urgency" of building a European army; he also placed the United States among the "enemies" of Europe. This was not the first time Macron placed Europe above the interests of his own country. It was, however, the first time he had placed the United States on the list of enemies of Europe.
President Trump apparently understood immediately that Macron's attitude was a way to maintain his delusions of grandeur,as well as to try to derive a domestic political advantage. Trump also apparently understood that he could not just sit there and accept insults. In a series of tweets, Trump reminded the world that France had needed the help of the USA to regain freedom during World Wars, that NATO was still protecting a virtually defenseless Europe and that many European countries were still not paying the amount promised for their own defense. Trump added that Macron had an extremely low approval rating (26%), was facing an extremely high level of unemployment, and was probably trying to divert attention from that.
Trump was right. For months, the popularity of Macron has been in free fall: he is now the most unpopular French President in modern history at this stage of his mandate. The French population has turned away from him in droves.
Unemployment in France is not only at an alarmingly high level (9.1%); it has been been alarmingly high for years. The number of people in poverty is also high (8.8 million people, 14.2% of the population). Economic growth is effectively non-existent (0.4% in the third quarter of 2018, up from 0.2% the previous three months). The median income (20,520 euros, or $23,000, a year,) is unsustainably low. It indicates that half the French live on less than 1710 euros ($1946) a month. Five million people are surviving on less than 855 euros ($ 973) a month.
When Macron was elected in May 2017, he promised to liberate the economy; however no significant measures, were taken. In spite of some cosmetic reforms– such as limits on allowances for unfair dismissal or the slightly increased possibility that small businesses could negotiate short work contracts -- the French labor code, still one of the most rigid in the developed world, expertly blocks job creation. The tax burden (more than 45% of GDP) is the highest in the developed world. Even if some taxes were abolished since Macron became President, many new taxes were created. Public expenditure still accounts for about 57% of GDP (16% above the OECD countries average) and shows no signs of waning.
Macron also promised, when he was elected, to restore security. Lack of security, however, has been exploding; the number of violent assaults and rapes has been steadily on the rise. No-go zones are as widespread as a year ago and fiercely out of control. The influx of unvetted illegal immigrants into the country has sadly turned entire neighborhoods into slums.
In May, Macron warned that in many suburbs, France has "lost the fight against drug trafficking".
When Minister of the Interior Gérard Collomb resigned in on October 3, he spoke of a "very degraded situation" and added that in many areas "the law of the strongest -- drug-traffickers and radical Islamists -- has taken the place of the Republic." He was simply confirming the chilling assessments of "out of favor" commentators such as Éric Zemmour, author of Le Suicide Français, and Georges Bensoussan, author of Une France Soumise (A Submissive France).
Riots are frequent; they indicate the growing inability of the government to maintain order. Public transport strikes, which took placeduring the entire spring of 2018, were accompanied by demonstrations and an enthusiastic looting of banks and shops. France's victory at the soccer World Cup in July was followed by jubilation, which quickly gave way to violence by groups who broke store windows and attacked the police.
Since entering political life, Macron's remarks have not only revealed a contempt for the French population, but also have multiplied. That has not helped. As early as 2014, when Macron was Minister of the Economy, he said that the women employees of a bankrupt company were "illiterates"; in June 2017, just after becoming president, he distinguished between "those who succeed and those who are nothing". More recently, he told a young man who spoke of his distress at trying to find a job, that he only had to move and "cross the street". During a visit to Denmark, he announced that the French were "Gauls resistant to change".
In May, French President Emmanuel Macron warned that in many suburbs, France has "lost the fight against drug trafficking".
One of the few issues Macron did seem eager to work on was Islam. He stressed several times his determination to establish an "Islam of France". What he failed to take into account werethe concerns ofthe rest of the population about the rapid Islamization the country. In June 20, 2017, he said (not quite accurately, for example here, here, here, here, here and here), "No one can make believe that (Muslim) faith is not compatible with the Republic". He also seems to have failed to take into account the risks of Islamic terrorism, which he hardly ever calls by its name. He seems to prefer using the word "terrorism", without an adjective, and simply acknowledges that "there is a radical reading of Islam, whose principles do not respect religious slogans").
The current Minister of the Interior, Christophe Castaner, whom Macron appointed to replace Collomb, dismissed the concerns raised by his predecessor, and described Islam as "a religion of happiness and love, like the Catholic religion".
Another area in which Macron has acted relentlessly is the "fight about climate change", in which his targeted enemy arecars. On vehicles over four years old, mandatory technical controls were made more costly and failure to comply with them more punitive, evidently in the hope that an increasing number of older cars could be eliminated. Speed ​​limits on most roads were lowered to 80 km/h (50 mph), speed control radars multipled, and tens of thousands of drivers' licenses were suspended. Gas taxes rose sharply (30 cents a gallon in one year). A gallon of unleaded gas in France now costs more than $7.
The small minority of French people who still support Macron are not affected by these measures. Surveys show that they belong to the wealthy layers of society, that they live in affluent neighborhoods, and almost never use personal vehicles. The situation is painfully different for most other individuals, especially the forgotten middle class.
A recent decision to increase gas taxes was the final straw. It sparked instant anger. A petition demanding that the government roll back the tax increase received almost a million signatures in two days. On social networks, people discussed ​​organizing demonstrations throughout the country and suggested that the demonstrators wear the yellow safety jackets that drivers are obliged to store in their cars in case of roadside breakdowns. So, on November 17, hundreds of thousands of protesters blocked large parts of the country.
The government ignored the protesters' demands. Instead, officials repeated the many unproven imperatives of "climate change" and the need to eliminate the use of "fossil fuels" – but refused to change course.
After that, another national protest day was selected. On November 24, the demonstrators organized a march on Paris. Many, it seems, decided, despite a government ban, to head for the Champs Elysées and continue toward the presidential Elysée Palace.
Clashes took place, barricades were erected and vehicles were torched. The police responded harshly. They attacked non-violent protesters and used thousands of tear gas grenades and water cannons, which they had never done in the past. Although many of the protestors were holding red flags, indicating they were from the political left, the newly appointed Minister of the Interior Castaner said that the violence had come from a fractious and seditious "far right". One member of the government fueled the fire by equating the French "yellow vests" with the German "brown shirts" of the 1930s. Macron declared that those who try to "intimidate officials" should be "ashamed".
Finally, on November 25, Macron ended up recognizing, with visible reluctance, the suffering of the "working classes". Two days later, Macron delivered a solemn speech, announcing that he would create a "high council for the climate", composed of ecologists and professional politicians, and that his aim was to save the planet and avoid "the end of the world". He still did not utter a single word about the economic grievances that had poured forth during the previous ten days.
The spokesman for the center-right party, The Republicans, Laurence Saillet, remarked, "The French say, 'Mr. President, we cannot make ends meet,' and the President replies, 'we shall create a High Council [for the climate]' Can you imagine the disconnect?".
Marine Le Pen, president of the right-of-center National Rally (the former National Front party, and today the main opposition party in France), said, "There is a tiny caste that works for itself and there is the vast majority of French people who are abandoned by the government, and feel downgraded, dispossessed ".
The "yellow jackets" now have the support of 84% of the French population. They are demanding Macron's resignation and an immediate change of government. Those who speak on radio and television say that Macron and the government are hopelessly blind and deaf.
At the moment, the "yellow jackets" have decided to organize a third national protest – today, Saturday, December 1st -- with another march to Paris and the Elysée Palace. The revolt in the country is intensifying and shows no sign of slowing down.
The political scientist Jean-Yves Camus said that the "yellow jackets" movement is now a revolt of millions of people who feel asphyxiated by "confiscatory" taxation and who do not want to "pay indefinitely" for a government that seems "unable to limit spending". He added, " Some do not measure the extent of the rejection that the demonstrators express".
Dominique Reynié, professor at the Paris Institute of Political Studies, said that "Macron and the government had not expected that their tax policy would lead to this".
European elections are to be held this May, 2019. Polls show that Le Pen's National Rally party will be in the lead, far ahead of the party created by Macron, La République En Marche! [The Republic on the Move!].
In a little more than a year, Macron, elected in May 2017, has lost almost all credit and legitimacy. He is also one of the last European leaders in power who supports the European Union as it is.
Macron, who claimed that he would defeat the "populist" wave rising throughout the continent, has also claimed that leaders who listened to people eager to defend their way of life were "leprosy" and "bad winds".
The "populist" wave is now hitting France; it could well mean the end of Macron's term as president.
*Dr. Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, is the author of 27 books on France and Europe.
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Will justice heal Cambodia’s grievous wounds?
Hazem Saghieh/Al Arabiya/December 01/18
Those who believe that justice will be done, no matter how late, and that the oppressor will be punished, found this manifest earlier this month. Was it a questionable and incomplete justice? Yes! However, it was a step closer to the truth and righteousness.
We are referring here to two of the main figures of the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia, who committed one of the greatest massacres of the 20th century. They were sentenced to life imprisonment even though they are already in jail for other crimes.
They are Pol Pot’s deputy, Nuon Chea, 92 years old, and former President, Khieu Samphan, 87 years old. This was the first verdict of a Cambodian court in which the UN participated against Pol Pot’s regime and its massacres in Cambodia.
The official pretext behind curbing re-consideration is to avoid the flaring up of old grudges among the citizens and stresses the need to move forward and not remain a prisoner of the past and its grudges. But can people who have been through such a horrific experience really recover without reviewing their past and reconcile with it?
Genocide of two million
Who are the Khmer Rouge? What was the regime they established between 1975 and 1979, which only fell due to Vietnamese invasion?
They were extreme nationalists and communists. Their leaders, including Pol Pot whose real name is Saloth Sar, studied in France where they embraced Marxism-Leninism. They then joined the most extreme forms of Chinese Maoism and applied it in a highly repressive and brutal manner. They sought to establish rural communism that eradicates cities and establishes self-sufficiency upon an agricultural basis and eliminates all political or ethnic opposition. Two minority communities suffered the most from their crimes: The Vietnamese minority (during the bitter Cambodian conflict with Vietnam) and the ethnic Muslim Cham minority. The first one was completely eradicated by killing or forced displacement. The second, whose population is estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands, lost more than a third of its population. The total number of those who died in the Cambodian “killing fields” was estimated to be two million, most of them from the majority of Khmer ethnic groups, who were divided between intellectuals, employees, “urban bourgeoisie” and suspects for one reason or another. These were also eradicated as well as their families. This ideologically extremist regime eradicated different ethnic groups and different doctrines. In addition to direct killing and deaths via famine which struck the country, the regime also practiced the most brutal kinds of torture in prisons, imposing forced marriage and reproduction, as well as slavery and expulsion.
Wolf in sheep’s clothing
However, the issue has another face. The court was accused of slowing down the process of prosecution and its work raised domestic and international suspicion regarding the current political system in Phnom Penh. Some observers believe that the core of this issue lies with Hun Sen himself, the Cambodian prime minister who has been in power since 1985. The man who defected from the Khmer Rouge as a young officer and escaped to Vietnam before returning to his country with the Vietnamese army is not very different from the Khmer Rouge in terms of foundation. It is true that he did not commit what Khmer Rouge committed and he also seemed more responsive to the international and regional transformations, however, he established an authoritarian regime behind the guise of holding elections.
This allowed him to maintain his post for 33 years! In this sense, he wants to limit the trial of the figures of the previous era and not to turn it into a trial for a specific stage and mentality and that may open the eyes of the Cambodians to the crimes of the ideological authoritarian tyranny.
The official pretext behind curbing re-consideration is to avoid the flaring up of old grudges among the citizens and stresses the need to move forward and not remain a prisoner of the past and its grudges. But can people who have been through such a horrific experience really recover without reviewing their past and reconcile with it? The question of course goes beyond the Cambodian experience, although Cambodia does represent one of the most significant and expressive models.

Saudi Arabia’s impact on the global economy as part of the G20
Ekleel Sallam/Al Arabiya/December 01/18
The 13th meeting of the Group of Twenty (G20) was held this week in Buenos Aires, Argentina. The G20 is a leading forum of the world’s major economies that seeks to develop global policies in order to address current pressing challenges. Saudi Arabia enjoys a privileged position in both economic and geopolitical terms; the Kingdom’s international political and economic importance is reflected in its rising stature on the world stage. G20 members represent all inhabited continents, 85 percent of global economic output, two-thirds of the world’s population and 75 percent of international trade.
The annual gathering of leaders from the world’s 19 top industrialized and emerging economies plus the European Union will be held next year in Japan, and in 2020, Saudi Arabia will host the 15th meeting of the G20 in Riyadh.
Saudi Arabia is the only oil producer with significant spare capacity on hand and as such the Kingdom has the power to influence the oil market and impact the global economy
The only Arab country at the summit
Saudi Arabia is the only Arab country and the only Middle Eastern country among the members of the G20. Additionally, the Kingdom is the only G20 country that is a current member of OPEC, due to its leading role in the global economy and its power in balancing the world oil price.
Moreover, Saudi Arabia is heavily connected to the world’s economy through energy markets, and in fact it is an honor for the entire Arab and Muslim world to have such a state as the Kingdom with a massive source of power. Nowadays, Saudi Arabia has shifted its economic focus in line with Saudi Vision 2030 on capital regional and foreign investment as well as banking and financial systems. However, the Kingdom remains one of the world’s main producers of oil with powerful influence on the world’s oil market. What makes oil production remarkable in Saudi Arabia is that it is controlled by Saudi Aramco, which is the state-owned oil company and reportedly the most profitable oil company worldwide. This is unlike Russia where oil production is concentrated among several companies and in the US where hundreds of companies act in their own self-interest.
Saudi Arabia is the only oil producer with significant spare capacity on hand and as such the Kingdom has the power to influence the oil market and impact the global economy. The Kingdom has massive economic wealth and power, and global economic security will continue to depend on its cooperation.
According to these reasons and facts, Saudi Arabia has earned its place among the members of the G20. In line with the economy, Saudi Arabia should also focus on environmental issues in order to achieve more Sustainable Development Goals.

Reading Montesquieu in Tehran
Amir Taheri/Al Arabiya/December 01/18
Although the recent visit to Tehran by Britain’s new Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt did not produce the result he had hoped for, it may have helped him get a better understanding of how things work in the Islamic Republic in Iran. According to London sources, Hunt had hoped to secure the release of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, a dual national hostage serving a five-year prison term on a vague charge of trying to overthrow the Iranian regime. Had she been released Hunt and his boss, Prime Minister Theresa May would have scored a double win. With a “Nazanin-home-for-Christmas” number, they would have been able to divert attention from the ordeal of Brexit with at least a momentary flash of national unity at a time of deep divisions. On a less grand scale, they would also have scored a point against Boris Johnson, the previous Foreign Secretary and Mrs. May’s principal rival for the leadership of the Conservative Party. The flamboyant but gaffe-prone Johnson had visited Tehran as Foreign Secretary and tried to snatch Nazanin from the mullahs’ claws. Not only did he fail to achieve that but he may have made Nazanin’s case more complicated by claiming that she had been involved in training Iranian journalists.
Seizing hostages has been a permanent feature of the Islamic Republic politics from its first moments of existence in 1979. Since then hardly a day has passed without the mullahs holding some foreign hostages
To be sure, Nazanin isn’t the only hostage in Tehran. At last count, there were 21 of them from six nationalities, including at least four more dual British nationals.
The use of hostages
Seizing hostages has been a permanent feature of the Islamic Republic politics from its first moments of existence in 1979. Since then hardly a day has passed without the mullahs holding some foreign hostages. Initially, most of the hostages were Western diplomats, journalists, and businessmen. By the 1990s the number of such would-be hostages had fallen dramatically as fewer Western diplomats, journalists and businessmen traveled to Tehran. Because the regime couldn’t do without hostages it had to find a new category of victims. It was thus that a number of ordinary Western tourists, including a group that had strayed into Iran from Iraq by mistake, were seized as hostages. However, that new category had to be abandoned soon because tour companies owned by the mullahs or their front-men complained that seizing hostages was wrecking their business.
A new category of hostages was found among individuals, including some dual nationals, who believed themselves safe because they had campaigned in favor of the Islamic Republic in Europe or North America. Soon, however, that sense of safety proved to be misplaced as a number of prominent pro-mullah campaigners, especially in the US, were seized during visits to Tehran. When that source of hostages also dried up because many pro-mullah apologists in Europe and the US realized that going to Iran was a high-risk undertaking, the mullahs found a new trick for replenishing their supply of captives. That new trick was to actually hire people in Europe and North America, offering mouth-watering contracts, and then seize them as hostages when they came to Iran. Thus, we witnessed surrealistic scenes in which a Western or dual national employee of the Islamic Republic would arrive at Tehran Airport to a full official welcome only to be arrested a few days later and charged with espionage.
‘Not a normal state’
The need for hostages meant that even lobbyists for the Islamic Republic were not safe. Right now several founders of the National Iranian American Council (NIAC), Tehran’s principal lobby group in the US, are held as hostages in Tehran on spurious charges among them 82-year old Muhammad-Baqer Namazi and his son Siamak. In dealing with the Islamic Republic, Hunt has repeated the mistake of his predecessors by believing that he is dealing with a normal state structure in which men who act as high officials truly represents the decision-making machinery.
For example, he raised the issue of hostages with Foreign Minister Muhammad-Javad Zarif who promptly asserted that he and his office had no influence on the issue. In fact, Zarif cannot guarantee his own safety let alone help the British secure the release of any hostages.
By most accounts, the Islamic Republic has at least nine parallel security agencies separately controlled by the office of the “Supreme Guide”. Those agencies can operate outside the official legal framework and, at times, could even arrest each other’s agents. They also get involved in bizarre situations. For example, Mrs. Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested by a security outfit based in the southeastern province of Kerman. How such a group could come to the capital to arrest a British citizen at the Tehran airport remains a mystery. The Lebanese-American hostage Nizar Zaka who had come to Iran as a technician invited by the Islamic Minister of Communication was seized by one branch of the security despite the fact that he had received “full clearance” from yet another branch.
The standard excuse used by Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani in refusing to take up the issue of hostages is that the Islamic Republic observes the principle of “separation of powers” cherished by Montesquieu.
“Our justice is independent,” Zarif reportedly told Hunt. In a sense, Zarif is right as the presidency and the Council of Ministers have no influence in the judiciary. But what Zarif didn’t say is that the judiciary, being independent and all, also has no influence on who gets arrested and sentenced in the Islamic Republic. In the Islamic Republic, Montesquieu’s teaching is taken to the extreme to create a system in which power is divided into numerous apparently autonomous branches that are, nevertheless, all controlled from a single center. And that single center hides behind a governmental façade that includes a presidency, a Council of Ministers, a judiciary, a legislature and other paraphernalia of statehood whose task is to lead people like Jeremy Hunt up the garden path. In their time, both Presidents Muhammad Khatami and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad promised to ensure the release of various hostages in appreciation of what they believed was European Union support in the face of American sanctions. They failed to secure freedom for even a single hostage. Instead, both men now found themselves hostages in Iran because, having had their passports confiscated, they cannot travel abroad.
Instead, they have enough time to read Montesquieu’s “Persian Letters”.

What makes the G20 summit so valuable
Cornelia Meyer/Arab News/December 01/18
The first G20 summit was convened in 2008 during the height of the financial crisis. Leaders met to avert a financial meltdown not seen since the Great Depression. In the face of danger, they cooperated well. The summits have had varied results since then. There is value in a gathering that represents 60 percent of the world’s population and 85 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP).
What has made the summits particularly valuable is that they have enlisted broader participation than the G7, particularly since Russia’s expulsion from what used to be the G8. As such, the G20 is one of the few forums where Western leaders collectively engage with the Russian president. Thus it was a pity that US President Donald Trump cancelled his planned meeting with Vladimir Putin.
Trump is no friend of multilateral mechanisms, preferring bilateral talks instead. He puts America first and favors trade restrictions. His skepticism of climate change is well known. This has made it hard to draft communiques, though officials are hopeful that they may get there this time. Trump has so far acted as the disrupter-in-chief at these summits, but he seems more conciliatory this time.
He used the gathering to sign the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA), which replaced the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). The automotive industry in all three countries sighed with relief when an accommodation was found. But it did not prevent Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from criticizing US tariffs on steel and aluminum.
Trade will be top of the agenda, especially when looking at the US-China relationship. All eyes will be on the meeting between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The world is waiting with bated breath to see whether trade tensions between the two countries intensify. This would put a damper on Chinese economic growth and have ramifications on inflation in the US and beyond.
The US supply chain would become significantly more expensive in line with Chinese components. Europeans, especially German car companies, manufacture products for export to China in the US. BMW and Volkswagen would be particularly hard hit by an intensifying trade war between the US and China. German car manufacturers would be even harder hit if Trump makes good on his threat to impose tariffs on European cars.
The G20 is one of the few forums where Western leaders collectively engage with the Russian president. The US-China rift goes well beyond trade though. It is also about the two countries’ geopolitical presence on the world stage. Over the last two decades, China has advanced its global presence through economic policy combined with soft power. Africa is a case in point, as is Asia, where the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has increased China’s economic and geopolitical presence.
China’s presence is also intensely felt in Latin America, where Chinese companies have been behind at least 150 infrastructure projects since 2002. China keeps Venezuela’s economy afloat with loans, just about, and receives interest in the form of crude oil.
Xi and Argentina’s president will sign a contract for a nuclear power plant that will be built using Chinese technology. Latin America is the backyard of the US, and over the last 15 years China’s presence has crept up pretty much unnoticed.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel was sorely missed on the first day of the summit. She arrived late because her official plane had technical problems. Tensions between Ukraine and Russia are boiling over since their latest spat, which began when Russia’s navy rammed Ukrainian ships and took their sailors as prisoners. Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula in 2014 remains an issue that does not just worry Ukraine but also NATO. When the issue first erupted, Merkel’s leadership was instrumental in calming things down somewhat.
The G20 has been dubbed the “real OPEC” meeting by some analysts as Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Putin and Trump are in attendance. All of the above proves that trade, energy, the climate and stewardship of the global economy are far too important to be addressed solely by member states of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
The new big players, China and India, need to be included, as do the larger economies in Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Latin America. Saudi Arabia is the only Arab member of the G20, and one of only three Muslim-majority countries. In that sense, it is important that the Kingdom is represented at the highest level.
*Cornelia Meyer is a business consultant, macro-economist and energy expert. Twitter: @MeyerResources

Why Airbnb will no longer accommodate the occupied West Bank
Yossi Mekelberg/Arab News/December 01/18
Airbnb’s decision to cease advertising on its website all properties in Israeli settlements built on occupied Palestinian territory was more a commercial decision than a moral standpoint. The company tried to take the sting out of the tail of a damning report by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Israeli civil-society organization Kerem Navot.
The report demonstrated that Airbnb was contributing “to making settlements sustainable economically” and benefitting from the “serious rights abuses and entrenched discriminatory practices stemming from the settlements.”
According to HRW and Kerem Navot, which monitors and carries out research on Israeli land policy in the West Bank, international commercial interests that trade with illegal Jewish settlements are aiding and abetting the perpetuation of the occupation and thereby the abuse of Palestinians’ human rights. There was little surprise at the response to the report, and especially to Airbnb’s decision, from Israel’s government and the settler movement.
They understand that this was a meaningful victory for those who believe that public pressure can lead to economic interests withdrawing their businesses from settlements. If the price of adverse publicity is bigger than the economic benefit in continuing their ties with these illegal entities, businesses might well think twice about sustaining those ties.
Israel’s government is coming out with all guns blazing – metaphorically – to paint this objection to the occupation as an attack on the very existence of the Jewish state. This is how the Israeli prime minister and his coalition partners attempt to fend off all criticism. There is an obvious fear that what is now a trickle of businesses that are ceasing, officially or not, their operations in Jewish settlements, will become a flood.
Economically, the damage inflicted by Airbnb’s decision is minimal as it only has around 200 listings in West Bank settlements. However, symbolically it is significant and explains why Israel’s Tourism Minister Yariv Levin called the decision disgraceful and a miserable surrender, and ordered his office to “formulate immediate measures to limit the company’s activity throughout the country.”
Another Israeli minister appealed to US state governors to impose economic sanctions against Airbnb. A protest song has even been composed against the company. While this is all to be expected, the only surprise is that it has taken so long for such a high-profile corporation to withdraw its business in light of the great deal of damaging public criticism it has been receiving.
For decades the occupation, as much as the blockade of Gaza, has been almost cost-free for Israel. Countries have protested, UN resolutions have been passed and ignored, and reports by non-governmental organizations have described the intolerable conditions in which Palestinians live under occupation. But no steps have been taken to avert these conditions or make them costly for the occupier.
There is an obvious fear that what is now a trickle of businesses that are ceasing, officially or not, their operations in Jewish settlements, will become a flood.
As long as there was money to be made, companies were reluctant to make a principled stand and not do business with settlements. And both Airbnb and Booking.com have been rather economical with the truth by listing 76 properties in the occupied West Bank as being located in Israel. Even Israel does not formally claim these places to be part of the Jewish state.
There is a wider issue here of the human rights responsibilities that the business world must recognize and maintain. Israel claims that it is being singled out compared to other countries. This must be challenged. The same standards should be applied everywhere in the world.
While acknowledging that the nature of human rights violations can vary from place to place, there are still clear international criteria to enable the application of a consistent and persistent approach that would undermine any attempt by any country to deflect from its own abuses.
Yet it cannot be a legitimate argument for any government, including Israel’s, to claim that it can continue its misdeeds merely because other countries are not being held accountable. It is a disingenuous act of subterfuge. Economic pressure is a legitimate measure to persuade the Israeli government to stop the expansion of settlements and become less intransigent in reaching a peace agreement with the Palestinians.
There is a near-consensus among experts in international law that the occupation is illegal, and that the treatment of the Palestinians has been one long procession of human rights abuses. Those who enter into commercial relations with settlements are shirking their responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights and other international conventions.
Regarding Airbnb and Booking.com in the West Bank, there is a clear discriminatory practice. Israelis and foreigners may use these companies to rent properties in settlements, but “Palestinian ID holders are effectively barred — the only example in the world the organizations (HRW and Kerem Navot) found in which Airbnb hosts have no choice but to discriminate against guests based on national or ethnic origin,” the report said.
The onus is on the Israeli government to either prove that this is not the case or change its policies. Israel has long entrenched the occupation by expanding settlements and employing harsh practices against the Palestinian population. The international community, including the business sector, has done very little to try and change this.
The HRW and Kerem Navot report demonstrates that international advocacy can be very effective in influencing the behavior of businesses. If Israel will not change course, this mode of protest might accelerate, with severe consequences.
**Yossi Mekelberg is professor of international relations at Regent’s University London, where he is head of the International Relations and Social Sciences Program. He is also an associate fellow of the MENA Program at Chatham House. He is a regular contributor to the international written and electronic media. Twitter: @YMekelberg