LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
February 15/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.february15.18.htm
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2006
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Bible
Quotations
Who
live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit
desires. The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by
the Spirit is life and peace
Romans 08/01-17: Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are
in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who
gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law
was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending
his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he
condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the
law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but
according to the Spirit. Those who live according to the flesh have their
minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with
the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind
governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life
and peace. The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not
submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. Those who are in the realm of the
flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but
are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you.
And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to
Christ. But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to
death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if
the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who
raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies
because of his Spirit who lives in you. Therefore, brothers and sisters, we
have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For
if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you
put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led
by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does
not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you
received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba,
Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s
children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and
co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we
may also share in his glory."”
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on February 14-15/18
Hariri on February 14: We will run for elections with Future lists of
candidates from all confessions and refuse any alliance with Hezbollah/NNA/February
14/18
Iranian 'winter' coming to northern border, analyst warns/Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem
Post/February 14/18
Iran, Russia, and China's Central Role in the Venezuela Crisis/Joseph M.
Humire/Gatestone Institute/February 14/18
Palestinians: Abbas's Lies and Falling Mask/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute/February 14/18
Macron Vows to Reform Islam in France/"It is time to bring in a new
generation."/Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/February 14/18
The clash of American and Israeli priorities on Iran/Raghida Dergham/February
14/18
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on February 14-15/18
Hariri on February 14: We will run for elections with Future lists of
candidates from all confessions and refuse any alliance with Hezbollah
Hariri Says Keen on Dissociation Policy, Rejects 'Any Electoral Alliance
with Hizbullah'
Tillerson to Urge Neutrality in Lebanon, Propose Offshore Gas Settlement
Tillerson Says Hizbullah Part of Political Process in Lebanon
Farrell Says STL Trying Individuals Not Parties, Offers Help in Tueni,
Gemayel Cases
Head of Defense Office Francois Roux Leaving the STL
Report: STL to Issue Verdict in Hariri Trial in Spring 2019
ISF, State Security Officers Held for Aiding Drug Dealers
Harb: I prayed with Sfeir lest today's commemoration turns into tears on a
glorious page in the history of independent Lebanon
Mikati says he is working to form an integrated electoral list to include
Tripoli, Dinnieh, Minnieh
Haber: Hezbollah Seeking to Tighten Its Grip on Lebanese State
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February 14-15/18
17 dead in shooting at
Florida high school
Tillerson signs $6.4bn funding package with Jordan
Shooting outside U.S. Top Spy Headquarters
Netanyahu Rejects Calls to Resign after Police Seek Indictment
Key Israel Minister Criticizes Netanyahu, but Staying in Coalition
Tillerson Meets Syria Opposition in Amman
At Least 19 Migrants Killed in Libya Truck Crash
US school shooting leaves 20-50 hurt, assailant ‘still at large’
King Salman discusses Syrian situation in a call with Putin
Government pay P5,000 in cash gifts to repatriated Filipinos from Kuwait
Yemeni army kills 40 Houthis advancing near Midi front
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan carry out joint naval training
Abu Dhabi court to hear appeal in rape and murder of 11-year-old boy
Kuwait to give $2 billion in loans, investments for Iraq
Canada offers condolences following death of Mr. Seyed-Emami
Foreign Affairs Minister to address global security issues at Munich
Security Conference
Latest Lebanese Related News published
on February 14-15/18
Hariri on February 14:
We will run for elections with Future lists of candidates from all
confessions and refuse any alliance with Hezbollah
Wed 14 Feb 2018/NNA
In his delivered speech at the 13th
commemoration of Martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri's assassination held by
the Future Movement at "BIEL" this afternoon, Prime Minister Saad Hariri
said:
"Thirteen years, and you have been with me, for better and for worse. The
companion of the difficult days, and they were many on us, on the country
and the region.
Thirteen years, and every time I need you, you tell me: Continue Saad, our
cause is greater than words. And nothing on earth must let you retreat. We
devoted ourselves to serving our country. This our destiny. The stability of
Lebanon and its safety are the most important assets in our lives.
Thirteen years, and the region is boiling. Revolutions, wars, discords and
displacement. Syria was crushed by battles, and has become a test field for
armies and militias of all nationalities. Iraq is still a prisoner of
conflicts, and the destruction of Mosul has become equal to the destruction
of Basra. The Happy Yemen has become the saddest country in the world. Libya
was struck by the curse of terrorism, and the curse is moving from one
country to the other.
Despite everything, I want to reassure you, Lebanon is still in the safety
zone because the spirit of Rafic Hariri is still with us, and because the
young man, who was jeopardizing his life to obtain a ceasefire in Beirut,
would never accept to hand Beirut over to civil war again. And because he
who worked for the Taef Agreement, could never accept to break coexistence,
and he who helped 40,000 students graduate, would never accept to train
armed militias.
We worked upon your legacy, we chose to walk in your footsteps, so the
state, institutions and legitimacy in Lebanon would remain, and so all
people would know that we do not accept that the sacrifices of the martyrs
be lost in the collapse of the country. Those who say otherwise are waging
false wars. We pushed the Syrian fire away from our country, despite the
presence of more than one and a half million Syrian refugees. We expelled
Daesh, and terrorism could not find a favorable environment in our country.
We now have a strong army and security forces that we are proud of ... And
the Information branch that was established by your beloved Wissam stands on
the lookout, with all the security services, in the face of Mossad and
terrorism.
We have economic and social problems...true. We have political
differences...true. But we have a country, a state, institutions,
legitimacy, a government, an opposition, freedom and press...at a time when
countries, institutions, legalities, freedoms, armies and oppositions are
collapsing.
Thirteen years, and we are still insisting on justice. We will not despair,
we will not forget and we will not compromise. Some are seeing that heavenly
justice is being achieved somewhere. But the justice of the International
Tribunal is on the way...because it is the key to truth, and the key is the
trust of the March 14 Martyrs, for all of us, especially the Future
Movement.
Thirteen years, and I still dream every day of the day when I will see your
dream, the dream of Rafic Hariri, become reality in all of Lebanon.
Dear Brothers and Sisters, Representative of His Excellency the President,
Representative of the Speaker of the Parliament, Colleagues and Friends, My
beloved comrades in the Future Movement, may peace and mercy be upon you,
The first words were with Martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri and his fellow
martyrs. We gather today to remain faithful to their struggle in the face of
the worst periods of guardianship in the history of Lebanon.
I am honored to announce the commemoration of 14 February this year, as an
occasion to salute Al-Quds Al-Sharif...a salute to Jerusalem from the soul
of the martyr prime minister, a salute to Jerusalem from the Future
Movement, and all those who gather to honor the martyrs of freedom and
independence, March 14 martyrs. For the sake of Jerusalem, the eternal
capital of Palestine, I call on all of you to observe a minute of solidarity
for Jerusalem and the steadfastness of the Palestinian people.
Dear brothers and sisters,
We thank God Almighty,
That the loyal supporters of Prime Minister Rafic Hariri still meet in
Beirut, from all regions, to confirm that the Movement is in the first lines
to protect Lebanon. Your steadfastness, your moderation, your Arabism, your
patience, your rejection of discord, and your belief in coexistence were and
still are the best weapon to face challenges.
History will write that you are the army of moderation that protected
Lebanon from falling into the quagmire of discord and extremism, and that
protecting your country is nobler than any participation in the wars of
others.
This is our approach, this is our decision.
However, there are those who play daily the tune of outbidding on the Future
Movement. Therefore, let everyone know that I, Saad Rafic Hariri, refuse to
lead these noble loyal people to the abyss or any civil conflict. Let
everyone also know that I will not sell my Arab brothers fake Lebanese
political goods and stances for consumption in the media and sectarian
markets. We are not merchants of positions and slogans, we are honest about
our role towards our people and our brothers. I will defy with you all
challenges, and will not accept that Lebanon leaves its Arab environment,
nor enter the Holocaust of Arab wars.
The decision to disassociate Lebanon is an essential basis of the challenge,
and the stabilization of Lebanon in its natural position, a state that
maintains the best relations with the Arab states and rejects any offense
against them. The decision was not taken to remain mere words on paper;
whoever signs a decision taken by the state must respect this decision.
Dear friends, brothers and sisters, the intellectual creativity of some
outbidders has reached a point where they called for the handover of the
country to Hezbollah, to hold it responsible for the repercussions that will
ensue. Then they promoted the idea that the elections will lead to a
parliament that will legalize Hezbollah's weapons. This is an example of
opinions by people who were friends, but they lost the path of friendship,
in search for roles in the country and abroad, and writing stances and
reports against Saad Hariri and the Future Movement.
Those know very well that the real political and electoral confrontation is
between the Future Movement and Hezbollah, and they also know that
everything they are doing will not be able to get a tiny percentage of
Hezbollah's capital in the elections. But they are betting that they will
hunt the crumbs of the tables of the Future Movement, to turn these crumbs
into an electoral meal that benefits the candidates of Hezbollah and its
allies. I mean that the people who are outbidding on us and betting on the
feeling of anger, know that the maximum they can do is to divide us and
weaken our vote, in the interest of one party only: the interest of
Hezbollah. Those are the ones who are actually working for Hezbollah. They
denote sound phenomena that will lead to nowhere.
We are certain that the Future Movement, together with the supporters of
Prime Minister Rafic Hariri, are unbreakable. The Future Movement is
unbreakable! It is an essential pillar of the Lebanese formula and the
national balance, and it is impossible for it to form a bridge over which
illusions of overthrowing the formula, the Taif Accord and the Arabism of
Lebanon can pass. The Taif Agreement is a red line. It is not subject to
modification, alteration and interpretation. It is not a framework for any
agreements between two, three or four groups...
We, in the Future Movement, will not cover any policy working to violate the
national accord document and renew civil conflict in Lebanon. We have been,
and will remain, the protectors of the Republic and its democratic system,
the guardians of coexistence and the Arab identity of Lebanon and the
unsurmountable barrier to any external guardianship. The era of
guardianships has ended, and March 14, 2005 is a milestone that will not be
erased from the history of this country.
Brothers and sisters, young men and women of the Future Movement, we are a
few weeks away from the parliamentary elections, which we expect to be a
turning point in our parliamentary life, whether at the level of testing the
new law or renewing parliament. The Future Movement is preparing to run the
election in all of Lebanon. We will announce the names of candidates within
days and will enter the elections under the umbrella of Martyr Prime
Minister Rafic Hariri.
The electoral program of the Future Movement is to restore the prestige of
the Rafic Hariri era, free from the pressures of tutelage and from those who
climb on the shoulders of the state and the law.
On the national and political level, there are constants without which the
country cannot be stable or achieve progress, and which we cannot abandon
under any circumstances:
1- The Taef agreement and the requirements of national accord are red lines
2- The commitment to dialogue in approaching political disputes
3- The protection of Lebanon from the repercussions of the wars in the
region
4- The refusal of interventions in the affairs of the Arab countries
5- Consider the sentences that will be issued by the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon binding to the Lebanese authorities to prosecute and arrest the
accused
6- The emphasis on the monopoly of weapons by the state and its legitimate
institutions
7- The activation of the capacities of the army and the security forces to
enable them to spread their power, defend the sovereignty and fight
terrorism
8- Commit to the UN resolutions about Lebanon, particularly UNSCR 1701, and
emphasize the national solidarity requirements to confront the Israeli greed
in our national water
9- End the dossier of the return of Syrian refugees to their country and
refuse all forms of settlement in Lebanon
10- Protect the Islamic society from the infiltration of the terrorist
organizations and work to issue a general amnesty that includes the Islamic
detainees who have no blood on their hands
11- Expand the participation of young men and women in the political life.
First we are determined to continue fighting corruption and committed to
improve transparency in all state actions. But we do not and will not accept
the daily and systematic corruption accusations, lacking transparency, with
regards to any constructive or productive step we try to take. We are
working for the country and its future and all our work is concentrated on
young men and women who are the future of the country. The country was
disabled as a result of three years of presidential vacuum. The first thing
we did was to end this vacuum and the second step was to tackle the problems
that accumulated as a result of said vacuum.
In less than a year, we completed a new electoral law after years of
stagnation. We approved the salaries scale that was frozen for years. We
made appointments in the security, judicial and diplomatic corps that were
vacant for years and years. We completed the socio-economic council for the
first time since its formation in the Taef Accord. We approved the first
state budget in 12 years and endorsed tens of laws that were in the drawers
of Parliament for years and years, most importantly the partnership between
the public and private sectors, and the oil and gas contracts that were
signed two days ago, and we joined the international transparency agreement.
We also prepared a complete plan for electricity and waste problems, and
exerted great efforts that will give results soon in the most important
sector for the future, telecommunications and internet.
We prepared the first complete plan in six years to cope with the Syrian
displacement and we will present it in the Brussels conference in two
months.
In a month's time, we will go to Rome to mobilize the international support
for the Lebanese army and security forces, and in a month and a half we will
head to Paris to secure financing for 250 projects valued at $16 billion
over ten years. These projects include roads, transportation, sewage, waste,
electricity schools, hospitals, and communications. This will lead to the
revival of the infrastructure and the economy.
In fact all this work is for the young men and women in Lebanon. The job
opportunities created by these projects are for them, in Lebanon. By
strengthening the army and the security forces, we will be guaranteeing
security and safety for the young men and women in Lebanon. When we develop
the telecommunication sector and the internet becomes cheaper and faster, we
will be opening the new economy, the economy of knowledge for them. By
solving the problems of electricity and waste and improving the level of the
infrastructure and the essential services, we will be preparing the ground
for the country that should be worthy of all the young men and women in
Lebanon.
The real question to all the Lebanese in these elections is: Do you want
this program to continue? Or do you want it to stop? If you want it to
continue, you should go and vote. You should know that those who will not
vote, will actually be voting. The non-participation in the election is in
itself a vote, not necessarily for a specific list or candidate, but in fact
voting to stop this project, the project of advancing the country, the
economy and the citizen. We are candidates for work and achievement. We were
the cornerstone in the project of reconstructing the country in the nineties
and we are still the cornerstone to launch the biggest investment plan that
covers all Lebanon. We are going to the elections with the spirit of Rafic
Hariri. We want the country to be once again a work site and our
parliamentary team is responsible for achieving this program.
When the government was formed, I promised the Lebanese a new electoral law
and free elections. The new law was achieved and the elections will take
place on time. These elections are an opportunity to all of us to listen to
the Lebanese and to talk to them directly, frankly and transparently in
order to face together all the challenges with hope and determination. No
progress and advancement in the country can be achieved without your
support, opinion and ideas. It is necessary to hear your voice in any step
we take.
Some people do not want the elections, but they will be disappointed. Others
want to kidnap your voice through outbidding and the empty slogans to
present it as a gift to the project that is the opposite of yours, the
opposite of democracy, freedom, moderation and hope. But these will also be
disappointed.
We have been hearing theories in the country for the last few months. Some
say that the Future Movement is heading to a new 5-party alliance with the
Free Patriotic Movement, the Progressive Socialist Party, Amal and
Hezbollah. Others say that the Future Movement will ally with the Lebanese
Forces, the Kataeb, the National Liberal Party and the independent
candidates. Some say that the Future Movement will be the biggest and maybe
the only looser in the elections. When you ask them why? They say because
the Future Movement is bankrupt...does not have money. This is the biggest
insult to you, to the supporters of Rafic Hariri. It is a rude expression of
an idea that says that those who vote for the Future Movement and Rafic
Hariri can be bought. They don't vote according to their convictions, or by
their free democratic will, or because they adhere to the project of
Lebanon's hope, dignity, sovereignty, freedom and Arabism. They just vote
for the money. Okay, if this is the challenge, we accept it. I and all the
young men and women accept this challenge. Yes, we don't have money for the
elections, and we refuse any alliance with Hezbollah. We are a movement that
refuses to be put in a sectarian box. We are a movement that includes all
confessions and regions because we are the movement of moderation and hope
for all Lebanese and their ability to work, exert effort and be patient and
creative for the sake of Lebanon.
We will go to elections with Future lists that gather candidates from all
confessions. The supporters of the Future Movement and Rafic Hariri all over
Lebanon will prove that nobody can buy or sell their votes. All Lebanese
will show you who are the honest people, the patriots committed to Lebanon's
stability and always ready to protect Lebanon. They will continue today,
tomorrow and every day in order to achieve the project of Rafic Hariri, the
project of hope, advancement and stability for Lebanon.
We will meet on May 6th for the elections, and we will meet again on May 7th
with all the Lebanese and with Martyr Premier Rafic Hariri."
Before the commemoration ceremony, Hariri visited the grave of his father
Martyr Prime Minister Rafic Hariri in Beirut's Central District, where he
prayed for his soul and the souls of his martyr companions, in the presence
of the Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad
Othman, Mr Adnan Fakhani and dignitaries.
Earlier, Hariri planted seedlings of roses named after Martyr Prime Minister
Rafic Hariri in the main courtyard of the entrance of the Grand Serail, in
the presence of the Secretary General of the Council of Ministers Fouad
Fleifel.
Hariri Says Keen on
Dissociation Policy, Rejects 'Any Electoral Alliance with Hizbullah'
Naharnet/February 14/18/Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Wednesday underscored
his keenness on Lebanon's so-called policy of dissociation towards regional
conflicts, as he promised a “real” battle against Hizbullah in the upcoming
elections.
“Let everyone know that I will not sell my Arab brothers 'fake Lebanese
political goods'... We are not merchants of positions and slogans, we are
honest about our role towards our people and our brothers,” Hariri told a
BIEL rally marking the 13th anniversary of the assassination of his father –
ex-PM Rafik Hariri. “I will not accept that Lebanon leaves its Arab
environment or be plunged into the inferno of Arab wars,” he added. “The
dissociation decision is an essential decision... Lebanon's normal position
is to be a state that has the best relations with the Arab countries while
rejecting any harm against them. The decision was not taken to remain mere
words on paper; whoever signs a decision taken by the state must respect
this decision,” Hariri went on to say, referring to a government resolution
that reaffirmed Lebanon's commitment to distance itself from regional
conflicts.
The resolution was issued in the wake of Hariri's return to Lebanon
following his resignation ordeal in Saudi Arabia. “We have dedicated
ourselves to serving our country. This is our destiny and Lebanon's
stability and safety are our most important achievements,” Hariri said. He
boasted that despite the raging conflicts in the region, Lebanon is “still
in the safety zone.” “Rafik Hariri's spirit is still with us and the young
man (Rafik Hariri) who risked his life seeking a ceasefire in Beirut cannot
accept a new civil war in Beirut,” Hariri added. “Thirteen years have passed
and we are still determined to achieve justice. We will not despair, we will
not forget and we will not bargain. The justice of the Special Tribunal for
Lebanon is coming,” the premier said, referring to a U.N.-backed tribunal
that is trying in absentia four Hizbullah suspects accused of involvement in
his father's murder.
He stressed that the court's verdicts should be “binding for the Lebanese
authorities, which must pursue and arrest the accused.” Turning to the
upcoming parliamentary elections, the premier noted that “the real political
and electoral battle will be between al-Mustaqbal Movement and
Hizbullah.”“We do not have money for elections and we are a movement that
rejects any alliance with Hizbullah,” Hariri underlined, urging Mustaqbal's
popular base to play an effective role in the elections. Hitting out at
former allies-turned-rivals who “criticize al-Mustaqbal Movement on daily
basis,” the premier added: “Let everyone know that I, Saad Rafik Hariri,
will categorically reject to lead this loyal and noble popular base into the
abyss or into any civil strife.”“Let all people know that we will not accept
to waste the martyrs' sacrifices by allowing the country to collapse,”
Hariri stressed. Referring to former allies who accuse him of bowing to
Hizbullah, Hariri said: “They are fighting wars on paper.” “Some people were
friends but they strayed off the path of friendship by seeking roles inside
and outside the country and writing stances and reports against Saad Hariri
and al-Mustaqbal Movement,” he added, in reference to his resignation
crisis.
Tillerson to Urge Neutrality in Lebanon, Propose
Offshore Gas Settlement
Naharnet/February 14/18/U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will stress
during his Thursday visit to Lebanon the need for the country to abide by a
policy of neutrality towards regional conflicts in order to guarantee
continued support from the international community for its security and
sovereignty, a media report said. As for the latest territorial and maritime
border disputes between Lebanon and Israel, the top U.S. diplomat will call
on Lebanon to “exclusively resort to the United Nations to defend its
sovereignty,” al-Joumhouria newspaper quoted diplomatic sources in
Washington and Beirut as saying. Tillerson will say that Lebanon “should
maintain its traditional policy of seeking diplomatic action before
resorting to violence,” the sources said. He will also urge the Lebanese
state to “distance itself from Hizbullah because the international community
led by the U.S. is determined to continue imposing sanctions on the party
until it abides by the international and Lebanese legitimate authorities.”In
this regard, Tillerson will announce that Lebanon can continue to count on
the U.S. and the international community as long as it commits to the
relevant U.N. conventions and resolutions. Sources informed on the
negotiations over the territorial and maritime borders meanwhile told al-Joumhouria
that the Lebanese side “has prepared a unified stance that will be told to
Tillerson.”Lebanese officials will tell the U.S. visitor that Lebanon “will
not accept to negotiate on the offshore (gas and oil) blocks as per former
U.S. envoy Frederick Hoff's suggestion that Lebanon get 55% of the Exclusive
Economic Zone,” the sources said. “Tillerson will try to convince Lebanese
officials to accept 55% of Blocks 8, 9 and 10 according to the border line
demarcated with Cyprus which ends at Point (1),” the sources added, noting
that Lebanon “wants the demarcation line to end at Point (23) in line with
international maps and its maritime rights that are documented with the
U.N.”
Tillerson Says Hizbullah Part of Political Process in
Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/18/U.S. Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson on Wednesday conceded that Iran-backed Hizbullah is part of the
"political process" in Lebanon, appearing to soften Washington's tone ahead
of his Thursday visit to the country. "We support a free, democratic Lebanon
free of influence of others, and we know that Lebanese Hizbullah is
influenced by Iran. This is influence that we think is unhelpful in
Lebanon’s long-term future," Tillerson said at a press conference in Jordan.
"We also have to acknowledge the reality that they also are part of the
political process in Lebanon," he added. Tillerson also called on Iran,
Hizbullah's regional backer, to withdraw its forces and militias from Syria.
Hizbullah has sent thousands of fighters into Syria to bolster President
Bashar al-Assad's forces against an Islamist-led uprising. Hizbullah -- the
only faction to have retained a huge arsenal of weapons after Lebanon's
civil war -- is a member of the Lebanese government of Prime Minister Saad
Hariri. Despite being branded a "terrorist" organization by the United
States and targeted with economic sanctions, Hizbullah has risen to play a
decisive role in regional conflicts including Syria. The U.S. Justice
Department in January announced the creation of a special task force to
investigate what it called "narcoterrorism" by the powerful movement. The
United States levied sanctions in early February against six individuals and
seven business with alleged links to Hizbullah financier Adham Tabaja. The
group's influence was last year at the heart of a political crisis in
Lebanon that saw Hariri quit -- and then later rescind his resignation --
amid a tug-of-war between regional titans Iran and Saudi Arabia. In the wake
of the crisis Lebanon's political players -- including Hizbullah -- agreed
to stick to the country's official policy of "disassociation" to stay out of
regional conflicts. Tillerson is due to meet Lebanon's political leadership
Thursday as part of a tour of the Middle East.
Farrell Says STL Trying Individuals Not Parties, Offers Help in Tueni,
Gemayel Cases
Naharnet/February 14/18/The Prosecutor of the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal
for Lebanon, Norman Farrell, pointed out Wednesday that the tribunal is not
trying political parties, organizations or states but rather individuals.
Speaking during an STL-organized meeting with journalists in The Hague,
Farrell noted that the court does not have jurisdiction, so far, to look
into the assassinations of MP Gebran Tueni, industry minister Pierre Gemayel
and other figures who were murdered after Hariri's assassination. He,
however, added that the STL can establish jurisdiction over the cases should
it discover links to Hariri's case. The Prosecutor also announced that the
court is willing to help Lebanese authorities in the investigations. As for
the new indictment that he filed with the Pre-Trial Judge in July 2017,
Farrell told journalists that he cannot unveil its content before its
confirmation by the judge. Noting that he is convinced of the evidence he
cited in his case, the Prosecutor revealed that he has managed to verify the
involvement of three phone lines in activities linked to monitoring Hariri's
movement prior to the bomb attack. Farrell also noted that Hizbullah's
declaration that its former military commander Mustafa Badreddine had been
killed in combat in Syria verifies that he had a strong military experience,
which would strengthen the Prosecution's argument rather than weaken it. The
STL had on February 7 announced that the Prosecutor had completed the
presentation of evidence, marking the conclusion of the prosecution case.
Since the start of the Prosecution case, the Prosecution has presented
evidence from over 260 individual witnesses and about 2,470 exhibits in
documentary form, the STL said. “On 20 and 21 February, the Trial Chamber
will hear the Rule 167 submissions of the Defense, any response from the
Prosecution and any reply from the Defense. A judgment of acquittal or a
decision dismissing the application will be delivered in court as soon as
practicable thereafter,” the court added. The Ayyash et al. case relates to
the February 14, 2005 attack which killed 22 individuals, including former
Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and injured 226 others. The Accused Salim Jamil
Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and Assad Hassan Sabra
remain at large. The proceedings against them are being held in absentia. On
July 11, 2016, the Appeals Chamber ordered the termination of the
proceedings against slain Hizbullah commander Mustafa Badreddine. The trial
is making it possible for the Lebanese people to see evidence being
presented and challenged, as well as witnesses testifying and being
cross-examined in public. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has
dismissed the court as a U.S.-Israeli scheme and vowed that the accused will
never be found.
Head of Defense Office Francois Roux Leaving the STL
Naharnet/February 14/18/The Head of the Defense Office of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon, François Roux, is leaving the Tribunal on March 1,
2018, the STL said on Wednesday. “Mr. Roux has not been reappointed due to
the fact that he has passed the retirement age set at 65 by the STL Staff
Rules and Regulations,” the tribunal explained in a statement. Roux joined
the STL on March 9, 2009, after 38 years of “distinguished legal practice
before national and international courts and tribunals,” the STL said. The
STL is the first international tribunal to have a Defense Office as an organ
that is equal in standing to the other three – Chambers, the Office of the
Prosecutor and the Registry. The purpose of the establishment of the Defense
Office was to “strengthen the protection of the rights of the defense and to
provide support and assistance to defense counsel,” the STL said in its
Wednesday statement. “During Mr. Roux’s tenure, the STL Defense Office
developed into a strong and fully functioning organ, unique in the
international legal landscape,” the STL added. The Tribunal’s President
Judge Ivana Hrdličková lauded Roux’s contribution saying: “Francois Roux
went to an enormous effort to make the Defense Office at the STL – a novelty
amongst international criminal tribunals upon its creation – a fully
independent, highly professional organ, dedicated to promoting the equality
of arms in judicial proceedings and to ensure that it became a landmark
institution for international criminal justice.” The Tribunal’s Prosecutor
Norman Farrell commended Roux for his contribution to STL's work, wishing
him “best of luck for his future projects.”The Tribunal’s Registrar Daryl
Mundis joined the STL President and the Prosecutor in commending Roux and
added the following: “The Defense Office under the leadership and guidance
of Mr. Roux has contributed to the work of the tribunal by providing solid
support to the defense teams as they contribute to the critical fact-finding
role undertaken by the judges. The values which Mr. Roux fought tirelessly
for over many years and around the world will be carried forward by
countless advocates who learned from him and who form an important part of
his legacy.”Following Roux’s departure and in accordance with Article 13 of
the STL Statute, the United Nations Secretary-General, in consultation with
the President of the Special Tribunal, will appoint the new Head of the
Defense Office.
Report: STL to Issue Verdict in Hariri Trial in Spring
2019
Naharnet/February 14/18/The verdict in ex-PM Rafik Hariri's assassination
trial is expected to be issued in the spring of 2019, Special Tribunal for
Lebanon sources told LBCI TV on Wednesday. Defense lawyers for the accused
Salim Ayyash and Hassan Merhi meanwhile announced that they have exhibits to
refute the telecom data evidence that the Prosecution used to build its
case, noting that the evidence they have could divert the accusations to
parties other than Hizbullah. LBCI said the lawyers were speaking during an
STL forum for journalists in The Hague.The director of the office of the STL
President meanwhile noted that the proceedings and trial have been running
for several years now because the gathering and analysis of telecom data
evidence consumes a long time. He also pointed out that telecom data
evidence has rarely been used in international courts. MTV meanwhile
reported that a journalist “surprised everyone by announcing that he has
received an email from one of the accused during a media meeting with STL
Defense teams.” “There is ambiguity and conflicting accounts in the evidence
submitted by the Prosecution and we have our own pieces of evidence. We will
defend the accused who are innocent until proven guilty,” MTV quoted the
lawyers as saying. The STL had on February 7 announced that the Prosecutor
had completed the presentation of evidence, marking the conclusion of the
prosecution case. Since the start of the Prosecution case, the Prosecution
has presented evidence from over 260 individual witnesses and about 2,470
exhibits in documentary form, the STL said. “On 20 and 21 February, the
Trial Chamber will hear the Rule 167 submissions of the Defense, any
response from the Prosecution and any reply from the Defense. A judgment of
acquittal or a decision dismissing the application will be delivered in
court as soon as practicable thereafter,” the court added. The Ayyash et al.
case relates to the February 14, 2005 attack which killed 22 individuals,
including former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, and injured 226 others. The
Accused Salim Jamil Ayyash, Hassan Habib Merhi, Hussein Hassan Oneissi and
Assad Hassan Sabra remain at large. The proceedings against them are being
held in absentia. On July 11, 2016, the Appeals Chamber ordered the
termination of the proceedings against slain Hizbullah commander Mustafa
Badreddine. The trial is making it possible for the Lebanese people to see
evidence being presented and challenged, as well as witnesses testifying and
being cross-examined in public. Hizbullah chief Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah has
dismissed the court as a U.S.-Israeli scheme and vowed that the accused will
never be found.
ISF, State Security Officers Held for Aiding Drug
Dealers
Naharnet/February 14/18/Three officers and a non-commissioned officer from
the Internal Security Forces and a State Security officer have been detained
on charges of offering services to some drug dealers, media reports said.
Al-Akhbar newspaper said the officers are accused of “transporting in their
military vehicles a number of fugitives wanted on drug dealing charges in
order to facilitate their crossing of security checkpoints.” “They were
being paid hefty sums of money in return for their transportation services,”
the daily added. “Some of them have confessed to accepting bribes to cover
up for the fugitives, while one of the officers has insisted that he had not
accepted any amount of money,” al-Akhbar said. It identified the officers as
First Lieutenant Toufic A., First Lieutenant Mohammed M., First Lieutenant
Fadl A. and Major George B., saying they have all confessed to offering
services to a number of drug dealers.
Harb: I prayed with Sfeir lest today's commemoration
turns into tears on a glorious page in the history of independent Lebanon
Wed 14 Feb 2018/NNA - In a statement issued Wednesday by MP Boutros Harb
marking the 13th commemoration of Martyr PM Rafic Hariri's assassination, he
said, "I visited Lebanon's great Patriarch, Nasrallah Butros Sfeir, to check
on his health and prayed with him that the spirit of the Cedar Revolution
and its principles, embodied on February 14 and consolidated through the
movement of March 14 that liberated Lebanon, would never wither and
die...and so that today's commemoration would not turn into mourning and
tears on a glorious page in the history of a free and independent
Lebanon...after the lovers of freedom got dispersed in search of political,
partisan and sectarian interests, and after it failed to achieve its goals
of building a state of law and right, and after personal interests took the
place of principles...""On the commemoration of Martyr PM Rafic Hariri's
assassination, I did not find any better way to express my feelings of
returning to the source of the Cedar Revolution and the patron of the Qornet
Shehwan Gathering, which triggered the spark of liberation and restored
sovereignty to the country away from Syrian hegemony," Harb added.
"God's mercy be upon the soul of Rafic Hariri," he concluded.
Mikati says he is working to form an integrated
electoral list to include Tripoli, Dinnieh, Minnieh
Wed 14 Feb 2018/NNA - Former Prime Minister Najib Mikati reiterated
Wednesday his determination to run in the upcoming parliamentary elections
with a comprehensive, integrated electoral list of candidates from Tripoli,
Dinnieh and Minnieh, a ballot list that "reflects the true fabric of the
region and expresses the concerns of citizens."Speaking in a cultural event
held in Tripoli, Mikati called on all Lebanese to carry out their respective
roles in the upcoming parliamentary elections, urging citizens to give their
preferential vote to the candidate they deem most suitable and with a proven
history of social and national service.
On the other hand and marking the 13th commemoration of Martyr Rafic
Hariri's assassination, Mikati paid tribute to the memory of the late Prime
Minister, saying, "We cannot but recall this remarkable man, whose image and
fingerprints are still vivid and alive in every region of Lebanon."
"We emphasize that the path he (late Martyr) had taken was the right path,
especially at the developmental level, which has contributed to the building
of a modern state in Lebanon," Mikati added. "We are entrusted with Lebanon,
our eternal homeland, a nation of coexistence, in which we must accept one
another and live together side by side," Mikati underscored.
Haber: Hezbollah Seeking to Tighten Its Grip on
Lebanese State
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 14th February 2018, 01:38 (EET) Haber: Hezbollah
Seeking to Kataeb MP Fadi Haber on Wednesday sounded the alarm over
Hezbollah's scheme to tighten its grip on the Lebanese state, warning that
said group is trying to impose whatever it wants on the state institutions.
"That is something that we cannot tolerate under any circumstances. This
party is running its own state at the expense of the Lebanese state," Haber
said. The lawmaker blasted the installation of a telecoms network belonging
to Hezbollah in the Chouf town of Al-Rmeileh as well as the repeated
violations of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 in south Lebanon.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on February 14-15/18
17 dead in shooting at
Florida high school
Dylan Stableford/yahoo/February 14/18/A gunman opened fire at Marjory
Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Fla., on Wednesday, killing 17
people and injuring at least a dozen others, the Broward County Sheriff’s
Office said. The shooting suspect, a former student identified by police as
Nikolas Cruz, was taken into custody in nearby Coral Springs. Sen. Bill
Nelson, D-Fla., said Cruz wore a gas mask, had smoke grenades and set off
the school’s fire alarm before opening fire.
Tillerson signs $6.4bn funding package with Jordan
REUTERS/Wednesday 14
February 2018
AMMAN: The US’ work on a new Middle East peace plan is “fairly well
advanced,” Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said on Wednesday during a visit
to Jordan to sign a five-year $6.4 billion aid package. Tillerson said
President Donald Trump would decide when to announce the peace plan. But he
provided no details on the initiative, which comes amid deep Palestinian
skepticism about US intentions. The US infuriated even its Arab allies in
December when Trump recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and
initiated the move of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv. Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas said he would not cooperate with the US in its efforts as a
mediator. “I have seen the (administration’s peace) plan... It’s been under
development for a number of months. I have consulted with them on the plan,
identified areas that we feel need further work. I will say it’s fairly well
advanced...” Tillerson said.
There has been little detail on the plan so far. Officials told Reuters in
December it would deal with all major issues, including Jerusalem, borders,
security, the future of Jewish settlements on occupied land and the fate of
Palestinian refugees, and would also urge Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states
to provide significant financial support to the Palestinians.
The plan is being crafted by a team led by Jared Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law
and senior adviser, and US Middle East envoy Jason Greenblatt, both of whom
have traveled to key regional capitals since the Trump administration came
to office. Palestinians have grown increasingly concerned that any plan
Trump unveils will shortchange them, a fear exacerbated by his move on
Jerusalem, which upended decades of US policy that the status of the ancient
city must be decided in negotiations. Jerusalem is home to sites holy to
Muslims, Jews and Christians. Jordanian King Abdullah’s Hashemite dynasty is
the custodian of the Muslim holy sites, making Amman particularly sensitive
to any changes of status there. The king has warned that Trump’s
decision could undermine stability and fuel radicalism. Jordanian Foreign
Minister Ayman Al-Safadi reiterated on Wednesday that a two-state solution
to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was the “only solution we believe can
work.” The Trump administration has said it would back a two-state solution
if the parties agreed to it. Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid
to countries that backed a UN resolution calling for Washington to reverse
its Jerusalem decision. Jordan backed the resolution.
But the Trump administration has courted King Abdullah, a moderate
pro-Western Arab leader whose kingdom has long upheld US interests in the
region.
On Tuesday, Tillerson met the king at his residence where the two emphasized
strong US-Jordanian ties. Commenting on the memorandum of understanding
signed for $6.375 billion in aid, the US State Department said: “(It)
highlights the pivotal role Jordan plays in helping foster and safeguard
regional stability and supports US objectives such as the global campaign to
defeat ISIS (Daesh), counter-terrorism cooperation, and economic
development.”Conflicts in neighboring Syria and Iraq have damaged Jordan’s
economy, forcing it to borrow heavily from external and domestic sources.
Jordan has been an important part of the US-led coalition battling Daesh in
Iraq and Syria. Tillerson is also expected this week to visit Turkey, with
which US ties have become badly strained over Washington’s support for the
Kurdish YPG militia in Syria, regarded by Ankara as a terrorist group.
Tillerson said Washington had to “find a way to continue to work in the same
direction.”He also expressed concern over Saturday’s confrontation between
Israel and “Iranian assets” in Syria. Syrian air defenses shot down an
Israeli F-16 jet after it bombed a site used by Iran-backed forces in Syria.
Tillerson said Iran should withdraw its forces and militias from Syria,
where Tehran backs President Bashar Assad. Responding to the comments, a
senior Iranian official, Ali Akbar Velayati, said Iran’s military presence
in Syria was legitimate and based on an invitation from Damascus. He called
on US forces to leave Syria.
Shooting outside U.S. Top Spy Headquarters
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/18/A shooting erupted Wednesday
outside the headquarters of the National Security Agency, a secretive
intelligence organization responsible for global U.S. electronic
eavesdropping in the suburbs of Washington, the White House confirmed. NBC
News aired aerial images of what appeared to be police surrounding a man on
the ground in handcuffs outside the NSA facility in Fort Meade, Maryland.
The local ABC affiliate reported that three people were injured and a
suspect was arrested. A black SUV appeared to have crashed into a concrete
barrier surrounding the site, and bullet holes were visible in the vehicle's
front windows. The NSA said the situation was under control. "The president
has been briefed on the shooting at Ft. Meade," the White House said in a
statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone that has been
affected."
Netanyahu Rejects Calls to Resign after Police Seek
Indictment
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/18/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu rejected calls to step down Wednesday after police recommended his
indictment for corruption, the biggest challenge yet to the right-wing
premier's long tenure in power. Netanyahu again came out swinging on
Wednesday morning, harshly criticizing the police investigation against him
while making clear he has no intention of resigning. His governing
coalition, seen as the most right-wing in Israeli history, appears firm for
now, but reactions from key members in the coming days will be watched
closely for signs of fissures. "I can reassure you that the coalition is
stable," Netanyahu said at an event in Tel Aviv. "Neither me nor anyone else
has plans for elections. We're going to continue to work together for the
good of Israeli citizens until the end of the term." Netanyahu, prime
minister for a total of nearly 12 years, also harshly denounced the police
recommendations against him as "full of holes, like Swiss cheese."He said
the police report "misleads" and is "contrary to the truth and logic."Police
recommended on Tuesday that he be indicted for bribery, fraud and breach of
public trust after a long-running investigation. The attorney general must
now decide how to move forward with the case, a process that could take
months. A prime minister facing such police recommendations or who has been
formally charged is not obliged to resign. As it became clear police were to
issue the recommendations on Tuesday night, Netanyahu gave a televised
address to the nation, proclaiming his innocence and criticizing the police.
Ministers close to him also defended Netanyahu.
'Undermine the police'
Avi Gabbay, leader of the opposition Labor party, said the "Netanyahu era is
over" and called on him to step down. "He is unworthy to continue to be
prime minister of Israel. It's very simple," Gabbay said in a video
interview with the Ynet news site. Tzipi Livni, part of the main opposition
Zionist Union alliance that also includes Labor, criticised what she called
a campaign to undermine the police. But at the same time, a key coalition
minister made clear on Wednesday he was remaining in the government, though
he also criticized Netanyahu's behavior. "A prime minister is not meant to
be perfect or live an over-modest lifestyle, but he needs to be someone
people look at and say: 'This is how one should act'," Education Minister
Naftali Bennett said in a speech in Tel Aviv. "Taking gifts in large sums
over a long period of time is not living up to this standard," he added,
while stressing Netanyahu was innocent until proven guilty and that he would
wait for the attorney general's decision. Bennett, who has ambitions to be
prime minister, heads the far-right party Jewish Home, which holds eight
seats in parliament.
Netanyahu's coalition controls 66 out of 120 seats in total.
Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, whose center-right Kulanu party controls 10
seats, will also be among those facing tough questions over whether he will
stick with Netanyahu. Police have been investigating Netanyahu over
suspicions that he and his family received expensive gifts from Hollywood
producer Arnon Milchan and Australian billionaire James Packer.The gifts
allegedly included pricey cigars, jewelery and champagne. The total value of
the gifts received between 2007 and 2016 is estimated at around one million
shekels (229,000 euros, $283,000), according to police.
They have also been probing allegations Netanyahu sought a secret deal for
favorable coverage with the publisher of top-selling newspaper Yediot
Aharonot. Police recommended indicting Milchan and the publisher, Arnon
Moses, with bribery as well.
Quid pro quo?
The 68-year-old premier has been questioned
seven times by police over the allegations and has called the investigation
an attempt by political opponents to force him from office. Police said
Netanyahu had been suspected of trying to help Milchan receive tax benefits
in Israel, of assisting him in receiving a visa in the United States and of
promoting his business interests. Milchan, who is Israeli, has produced many
films, including the blockbuster "Pretty Woman."While an indictment alone
would not legally oblige Netanyahu to resign, he would likely face mounting
pressure to do so. He would be legally forced to step down if he were
convicted and all appeals were exhausted. He has already faced a series of
large protests in Tel Aviv over the corruption cases. Netanyahu's time as
premier is fast approaching Israel's revered founding father David
Ben-Gurion's 13 years. He first held the office from 1996-1999 before
returning to power in 2009.
Key Israel Minister Criticizes Netanyahu, but Staying
in Coalition
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/18/A key member of Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition criticized the premier's behavior on
Wednesday after police recommended his indictment for corruption but said he
would remain in the government. "A prime minister is not meant to be perfect
or live an over-modest lifestyle, but he needs to be someone people look at
and say: 'This is how one should act'," Education Minister Naftali Bennett
said in a speech in Tel Aviv. "Taking gifts in large sums over a long period
of time is not living up to this standard," he added, while stressing
Netanyahu was innocent until proven guilty. Bennett heads the far-right
party Jewish Home, which holds eight seats in parliament. Netanyahu's
coalition controls 66 out of 120 seats in total. The education minister has
ambitions to be prime minister, but he made clear he was remaining in
Netanyahu's coalition for now and would wait for the attorney general to
decide how to move forward with the case. "Some claim the prime minister
cannot manage the country under the stress of investigations, but I do not
see this," he said. "We have a good government, dealing with security,
economy and everything else. Replacing it should be done at the voting
station."
Tillerson Meets Syria Opposition in Amman
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/18/U.S. Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson met Syrian opposition negotiators in Jordan Wednesday for
closed-door talks in the wake of a January peace summit hosted by regime
backer Russia. The opposition and Kurdish groups had boycotted the congress,
held just days after a ninth round of United Nations-led talks in Vienna
failed to yield progress towards ending Syria's devastating conflict. The
West views Russia's Syria peace efforts with suspicion, concerned that
Moscow is seeking to sideline the U.N. process.
But the U.S. acting assistant secretary of state, David Satterfield, said
Wednesday that the fallout had been limited. "We got in the end a communique
which validated the U.N. role," Satterfield said before Tillerson's meeting
in Amman. "So this game, this theater that was Sochi... finally came out in
a way that did no damage." Despite Moscow insisting Syrian society would be
fully represented at Sochi, almost all of the 1,400 delegates were
pro-regime. They agreed to set up a commission to re-write the country's
post-war constitution. About 150 Syrian civil society groups accused the
U.N. of rewarding Russia by dispatching its special envoy Staffan de Mistura
to the congress. Syria's war has killed more than 340,000 people and
displaced millions since it began in March 2011 with the brutal repression
of anti-government protests.
At Least 19 Migrants Killed in Libya Truck Crash
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/February 14/18/At least 19 migrants were
killed on Wednesday and more than 100 injured when the truck transporting
them crashed in Libya, a hospital said. More than 300 migrants, mostly
Eritrean and Somali nationals, were on board the vehicle which overturned
near the town of Bani Walid. A child was among at least 19 migrants killed
in the accident, the head of the town's hospital, Salah al-Mabrouk, told AFP.
The hospital, which had earlier given a toll of 23 dead, said at least 124
migrants were injured and it was struggling to cope.
"Several victims are even being treated on the ground," said spokesman Salah
al-Twijer. Since the 2011 overthrow and killing of longtime dictator Moammar
Gadhafi, chaos-wracked Libya has become a key gateway for migrants trying to
reach Europe, often on unseaworthy vessels. Bani Walid, on the edge of the
desert 170 kilometers (110 miles) southeast of the capital Tripoli, is a
transit point for migrants heading to the Mediterranean coast.
US school shooting leaves 20-50 hurt, assailant ‘still
at large’
AFP/Wednesday 14 February 2018
MIAMI: Police launched a manhunt on Wednesday for a shooter who opened fire
at a high school in Florida, reportedly leaving between 20 and 50 people
injured, officials said.The shooting took place at Marjory Stoneman Douglas
High School in Parkland, a city in the southern part of the state between
Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale. The Margate Fire Department told CBS Miami
there were between 20 and 50 victims. The extent of the injuries was
unclear. “AVOID THE AREA,” the Broward County sheriff’s office said on
Twitter. “There are reports of victims,” the sheriff’s office said. “Shooter
still at large.” Television images showed students being led out of the
school by heavily armed police officers and an armored vehicle filled with a
SWAT team arriving at the scene. One injured victim was seen being placed
into an ambulance on a stretcher. Police officers in helmets, bulletproof
vests and armed with automatic weapons could be seen stationed at several
points around the school. “What happened was that the fire bell rang and we
all thought it was a drill because we had already had a fire drill,” an
unidentified student told WSVN 7 News. “We thought it’s another drill so we
didn’t take it seriously and then we heard pops from the other side of the
school,” the student said. Police from neighboring Coral Springs advised
teachers and students in the building to “remain barricaded inside until
police reach you. A local television reporter he had been in touch via text
message with one female student who told him she had taken refuge in a
closet with a number of classmates. The teen told the reporter that she had
heard a noise that “sounded like a bomb,” and a drama teacher had then told
the pupils to huddle inside the closet. “Everyone inside is very scared,
it’s very warm,” the student was quoted as saying. “My prayers and
condolences to the families of the victims of the terrible Florida
shooting,” President Donald Trump said on Twitter. “No child, teacher or
anyone else should ever feel unsafe in an American school.” Marjory Stoneman
Douglas High School, part of the Broward County public school district, has
nearly 3,000 students, according to 2014 figures. The shooting, one of
several since the start of the year, will once again throw the spotlight on
America’s epidemic of gun violence and the ready accessibility of weapons,
with 33,000 gun-related deaths annually. Since January 2013, “there have
been at least 283 school shootings across the country — which averages out
to one school shooting a week,” according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a
non-profit group that advocates for gun control. Since the 2012 massacre at
the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, where 20 children
and six adults were shot dead, warning procedures and emergency drills have
multiplied at US schools. The goal is to teach school children how to react
to a shooter who opens fire at random.
King Salman discusses
Syrian situation in a call with Putin
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 14 February 2018 /The Kremlin
said on Wednesday that Saudi king Salman and Russian president Putin
discussed the situation in Syria over a phone call.
King Salman and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed as well
the means to further expand fruitful cooperation in global oil markets, the
Kremlin said. The statement did not offer any
details on what that expanded coordination could entail. Russia and Saudi
Arabia are major players in a global pact on cutting oil output. The two
leaders also discussed Syria and defense sales, the statement said. It said
the Saudi king had expressed his condolences to Putin regarding a plane
crash at the weekend near Moscow that killed all 71 passengers and crew.
(With Reuters)
Government pay P5,000 in cash gifts to repatriated
Filipinos from Kuwait
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 14 February 2018/The Philippines
has said that repatriated overseas Filipino workers from Kuwait will receive
he will receive $95 (P5,000) in financial assistance and an additional $383
(P20,000) in alternative aid. The financial assistance was announced by
Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque Jr. and that the Philippines
government is exhausting efforts to attend to the needs of repatriated
Filipino migrant workers. “The missions all over the Middle East in
particular have been instructed to sign alternative employment for our
kababayans who have opted for voluntary repatriation from Kuwait,” Roque was
quoted by Filipino daily Sun Star Manila. The Philippines Monday expanded a
ban on its citizens working in Kuwait after President Rodrigo Duterte
angrily lashed out at the Gulf state over reports of Filipino workers
suffering abuse and exploitation. Filipino workers who were repatriated from
Kuwait take part in a dialogue with a Department of Labour official in
Paranaque. (Reuters) Authorities say 252,000
Filipinos work in Kuwait, many as maids. They are among over two million
employed in the region, whose remittances are a lifeline to the Philippine
economy.
The fresh move came after Duterte last month barred Filipinos from seeking
work in Kuwait, although the ban exempted those who had already secured
permission. Last Friday Duterte hit out at Kuwait as he brandished photos
reportedly of a Filipina maid found in a freezer, saying she had been
“roasted like a pig”.
Yemeni army kills 40 Houthis advancing near Midi front
Hani al-Sufayan, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 14 February 2018/Dozens of
Houthi militants were killed on Wednesday after fierce clashes with Yemen's
national army supported by coalition fighters in the district of Midi west
of Hajjah. Al Arabiya correspondent in Yemen said that 40 elements of the
Houthis were killed in raids by the coalition fighters in Midi Front, to
support the movement of the National Army forces.
A military source confirmed that a number of sites and machinery belonging
to the Houthis were accurately hit, especially in the western neighborhoods
where the militias are still stationed.
The Yemeni army forces on Tuesday liberated several new strategic locations
north of the southern province of Lahj, after clashes with the Houthi
militia. The Yemeni army tightened its control of
the strategic mountain of Shivan in the Karash district of Qubaytah
governorate north of Lahj province. It will continue to advance towards the
Al-Shuraijah area south towards Taiz governorate, amid huge losses among
Houthi militants.
Saudi Arabia and Pakistan carry out joint naval
training
SPA, RiyadhTuesday, 13 February 2018/A joint naval training of the Royal
Saudi Navy and the Pakistan Navy, ‘Sea Breeze-11’ and ‘Coastal Shield-4’,
was underway in the Arabian Gulf waters at the King Abdulaziz naval base.
The director of training, Brigadier General Sajir bin Raffid al-Enezi, said
that during the training, many joint operations are carried out between
Saudi Arabian and Pakistani naval vessels.These include submarine training
and handling, landing operations on ships, vertical flights, refueling
operations and rocket firing at fixed and mobile targets.
Abu Dhabi court to hear appeal in rape and murder of
11-year-old boy
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 14 February 2018/ The Abu Dhabi
Court of Appeal will reconvene for the second time to consider the appeal of
the death penalty verdict issued last year to a 33-year-old Pakistani man.
The man found guilty of raping and killing his nephew in 2017 was sentenced
to death. The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court found the man guilty of raping and
murdering 11-year-old Azan Majid Janjua, whose body was found on the rooftop
of the building in the UAE capital where his family lived.
The court also sentenced the man to pay blood money to the boy’s
relatives. The killer had lured the boy to the
rooftop while dressed in a burka, CCTV images from the building revealed.2
Kuwait to give $2 billion in loans, investments for
Iraq
Reuters/Wednesday, 14 February 2018/Kuwait’s Emir said it would lend $1
billion and commit a further $1 billion of investments to Iraq, joining a
group of international backers that have this week pledged funds to bolster
the country’s recovery. Donors and investors have gathered in Kuwait to
discuss efforts to rebuild Iraq’s economy and infrastructure as it emerges
from a devastating conflict with ISIS militants who seized almost a third of
the country. “Kuwait will earmark $1 billion in
loans to Iraq and will commit to another $1 billion as investments,” Emir
Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah told an international conference on
Wednesday. Minutes later, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Federica
Mogherini said the bloc would invest 400 million euros, in addition to
individual contributions from member states. The
United States said on Tuesday it was extending a $3 billion credit line but
has not provided any direct government assistance. International NGOs have
so far pledged $330 million in humanitarian assistance.
Those sums are dwarfed by the more than $88 billion that Iraqi
officials have said it will cost to rebuild the country after three years of
war, with housing a particular priority. Iraq, which still owes Kuwait
reparations from the Gulf War, declared victory over ISIS in December,
having taken back all the territory the militant group captured in 2014 and
2015. Its fighters have also been largely defeated in neighboring Syria.
On Wednesday, the United Nations launched a two-year Recovery and
Resilience program designed to help Iraq’s government fast-track the social
dimensions of reconstruction. “It will revitalize areas that are at risk of
violence, and support broad political participation and inclusive social
development,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said. “The ...program
will help those who have suffered most.” The reconstruction conference is
taking place two weeks before Kuwait celebrates its Liberation Day from
Iraq. Iraq invaded in 1990, leading to defeat by a US-led coalition and more
than a decade of sanctions. Iraq’s reparations payments were suspended in
2014 after the ISIS takeover but have resumed, and Baghdad is set to hand
over 0.5 percent of its oil proceeds in 2018 and escalate annually until the
end of 2021 in order to pay off a remaining $4.6 billion owed to Kuwait.
Canada offers
condolences following death of Mr. Seyed-Emami
February 14, 2018 – Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued
the following statement:
“We offer our deepest condolences to the loved ones of Mr. Seyed-Emami. We
are seriously concerned by the situation surrounding the detention and death
of Mr. Seyed-Emami.
“We have expressed our concerns to the Government of Iran and will continue
to do so.
“A Canadian has died. We expect the Government of Iran to provide
information and answers into the circumstances surrounding this tragedy. I
have asked to speak with my counterpart to seek information on what has
transpired. We will continue to use every means at Canada’s disposal to seek
further information.”
Foreign Affairs Minister to address global security
issues at Munich Security Conference
February 14, 2018 - Ottawa, Canada - Global Affairs Canada
The Government of Canada strongly believes that diplomacy and multilateral
engagement are key to finding durable solutions to major international
challenges.
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today
announced that she will attend the 54th Munich Security Conference, from
February 16 to 17, 2018, in Munich, Germany.
At the conference, the Minister will engage with partners and allies to
explore lasting diplomatic solutions to large-scale global security
challenges, such as the North Korea crisis, the deteriorating situation in
Venezuela and Russia’s illegal annexation of Crimea and destabilizing
activities in Ukraine.
The Minister will deliver remarks on Canada’s unwavering commitment to
supporting and strengthening an international rules-based order.
The Minister will also participate in a discussion on women and Africa,
during which leaders will explore ways of further collaboration with women,
peace and security partners. Putting women at the core of foreign policy
decisions empowers them to become agents of change that build and sustain
peaceful, secure and resilient communities.
Quotes
“The current international security environment is more complex and
challenging than ever before, transcending borders and affecting us all.
Canada will continue to work with its international partners and allies to
find durable solutions to major international crises, in keeping with
Canada’s core values of respect for human rights, gender equality, the rule
of law and protection of minorities.”
- Hon. Chrystia Freeland, P.C., M.P., Minister of Foreign Affairs
Quick facts
Since its founding in 1963, the Munich Security Conference in Germany has
become a premier event for international security policy dialogue.
Each year, the Munich Security Conference brings together world leaders,
ministers, parliamentarians, government officials, senior military officers,
academics, journalists and other leaders to discuss current and future
security challenges. This is Minister Freeland’s second time attending the
Munich Security Conference.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published
on February 14-15/18
Iranian 'winter' coming to northern border,
analyst warns
جيروزالم بوست/مصنع صواريخ إيراني في الهرمل وآخر بين صيدا وصور
Anna Ahronheim/Jerusalem Post/February 14/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/62587
Iran has created a foothold in Syria that only stands to grow stronger, warns
Orit Perlov, an analyst at the Institute for National Security Studies.
Three days after Israel’s first direct confrontation with Iran on its northern
border, concern remains over the growing danger posed by the Islamic Republic's
growing foothold in the neighborhood.
“Winter is coming from the north where we have a concrete threat,” Orit Perlov,
a social media analyst for the Institute for National Security Studies, told The
Jerusalem Post in an interview just days before an Israeli F16I was downed over
the country by Syrian air defenses.
“We have a factory for advanced weapons in the north of Lebanon, in Sunni
areas,” she said referring to an Iranian-built factory near the town of Hermel
in the eastern Bekaa Valley in northern Lebanon.
It can produce the fairly accurate Fateh-110 missile with a range of close to
300 km. with a half-ton warhead.
“In the south, it would be a different story, we could very easily bomb it,” she
said, adding that bombing a Shi’ite area would be viewed differently by
pragmatic Sunni Gulf states, which behind closed doors, are growing closer to
the Jewish state.
According to a report by French online magazine Intelligence Online, another
factory is located between the towns of Sidon and Tyre in southern Lebanon,
which is capable of producing surface-toair and anti-tank missiles as well as
unmanned aerial vehicles able to carry explosives.
Officials have repeatedly voiced concerns over the smuggling of sophisticated
weaponry to Hezbollah and the growing Iranian presence on its borders with
Syria, stressing that both are redlines for the Jewish state.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman has made it clear that while Israel does not
want to start a third Lebanon war, the Jewish state is determined to prevent
Iran from using Lebanon to produce precision missiles for Hezbollah that will
hit deep inside the Israeli home front.
According to IDF assessments, Hezbollah has at least 100,000 short-range rockets
and several thousand more missiles that can reach the center of the country.
Hezbollah is able to mobilize close to 30,000 fighters and has flaunted its
tunnel system, complete with ventilation, electricity and rocket launchers.
Israel rarely comments on foreign reports of military activity but it has
admitted to carrying out thousands of missions, including 100 air strikes in
Syria to prevent Hezbollah from obtaining sophisticated weaponry such as
precision missiles or technology and know-how from Iran.
It is believed that these strikes are behind Iran’s reasoning to build
indigenous underground weapons factories in Lebanon.
While Liberman stated that “the last thing I want is for a third Lebanon war,”
Israel is “determined to prevent Lebanon from becoming one large factory for the
production of precision missiles.”
And if Israel does try to prevent that, Hezbollah is expected to respond by
firing tens of thousands of missiles at the country.
In the case of another war in the north, the IDF believes that it will not be
contained to one front but along the entire northern border with both Syria and
Lebanon involved.
Senior officials from Israel’s defense establishment have repeatedly stated that
while the chance for escalation on the border is small, the smallest incident or
a miscalculation by either side may lead to a large-scale and devastating war.
According to Perlov, it’s a dangerous scenario that Israel cannot afford to
have.
“We bombed the facility in Deir al-Zor and we didn’t have a war,” she said. “We
prefer to do something and only have a minor price to pay. We don’t want another
round because we have no end game. With the US giving us the green light we can
find ourselves in Beirut, in Ankara – nobody will tell us to stop.”
Iran, Russia, and China's Central Role in the Venezuela
Crisis
Joseph M. Humire/Gatestone Institute/February 14/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11888/venezuela-iran-russia-china
Prior to any discussion on what to do about Venezuela, a consensus about what
led to this crisis needs to be reached. The role of Iran is critical in such a
conversation.
As in the Syria conflict, Iran's primary role is preparing the Venezuelan
battlefield through a range of operations in irregular warfare, using non-state
actors and surrogates to gain influence over the population.
Strong evidence suggest that Venezuela used its immigration agency to provide
Venezuelan identities and documents to several hundred, if not thousands, of
Middle Easterners. Without proper vetting and verification measures in place,
and a high degree of counterintelligence support, our regional allies will not
know if Venezuelan refugees spilling across borders are legitimate refugees or
members of a transregional clandestine network between Latin America and the
Middle East.
Any intervention in Venezuela -- military, humanitarian or otherwise -- will not
work unless it is aimed at removing the external influences, especially Iran,
Russia and China, that have turned Venezuela into the Syria of the Western
Hemisphere.
U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson just completed, by most accounts, a
successful visit to Latin America. He began his five-nation tour by invoking the
Monroe Doctrine and suggesting the Venezuelan military could manage a "peaceful
transition" from the authoritarian leader Nicolás Maduro. This reminded several
regional observers of President Trump's suggestion last year of a possible
"military option" for Venezuela, hinting at possible U.S. or multilateral
intervention to stop the country's collapse.
An armed action or military intervention in Venezuela by any nation in the
Western Hemisphere, including Venezuela's own military, must take into account
the role of Iran, Russia and China in the crisis. Russia and China were
prominently mentioned by Tillerson during his visit to the region; Iran,
however, was notably absent from his remarks.
Prior to any discussion on what to do about Venezuela, a consensus about what
led to this crisis needs be reached. The role of Iran is critical in such a
conversation.
Most regional analysts will likely agree that Venezuela has become a
Cuban-occupied country. With more than 30,000 Cubans embedded in Venezuela, many
of whom are part of the intelligence and security apparatus, it's clear that the
Castro brothers had an integral role in the country's collapse. The Cuba
narrative, however, misses two key points. First, it fails to identify precisely
Cuba's role in Venezuela, and secondly, it ignores the presence and influence of
other key extra-regional actors.
Of these, Russia and China are perhaps the two most visible. As in Syria, and
historically in Central America, Russia is the primary supplier of lethal
military aid, along with financial and technical support to the Venezuelan armed
forces. Totaling more than $11 billion in military goods thanks to Russian arms
sales, Venezuela represents 75% of Russia's total foreign military sales in the
region. Additionally, the Russian state-owned energy firm, Rosneft, has provided
Venezuela with an estimated $17 billion in financing since 2006. Moscow has
leveraged its collateral deals to acquire expanded stakes in Venezuela's
oilfields, namely the heavy-crude Orinoco belt, which gives Russia more control
of Venezuela's strategic energy assets.
Russia is not alone in leveraging debt for greater control of strategic assets
in Venezuela. According to the International Institute of Finance, China holds
more than $23 billion in Venezuela's foreign debt, making it the country's
largest creditor. Through these credits and loans, Beijing is the primary
benefactor and principal banker to the South American nation, and China has
enormous leverage over outcomes in Venezuela.
Chinese energy companies are also gaining an increasing share of Venezuela's
most lucrative oil field, the Faja Del Orinoco (FDO). With a 25-year land grant
to the FDO, China has secured access to strategic territory in Venezuela; and in
exchange, China has used its checkbook to fund many of the Bolivarian Republic's
social programs, such as subsidized housing and free medical clinics.
External support from China, Russia, and Cuba has contributed significantly to
propping up the Venezuelan government during the last decade. Both Russia and
China continue to leverage their financial, military, and energy support to the
Maduro regime through Cuba's robust counterintelligence and human intelligence
networks, which permeate Venezuela's highest political and military levels. Cuba
is indispensable to China and Russia for its operational knowledge of
Russian-supplied equipment, along with its longstanding ties to communist
clandestine networks.
In this context, it is hard to imagine a scenario that removes Havana's presence
from Venezuela without first passing through Moscow or Beijing. Iran, on the
other hand, can operate independently in Venezuela because it taps into a
separate, more robust clandestine network that has been developing in Latin
America for more than half a century.
Approximately 60% of the population of the city of As-Suwayda in southwestern
Syria (pop. 139,000, according to the 2004 census) are Venezuelan-born dual
citizens. Many more have arrived since 2009. The district of As-Suwayda (same
name as the city) has been dubbed "Little Venezuela." Estimates indicate that
upwards of 300,000 Syrians from the As-Suwayda Governorate currently live
halfway around the world in Venezuela. According to the late Venezuelan
President Hugo Chávez, more than a million Syrians reside there. This
Syria-Venezuela connection could represent a clandestine network managed by Iran
and critical to the advancement of Chavez's "Bolivarian revolution."
As in the Syria conflict, Iran's primarily role is preparing the Venezuelan
battlefield through a range of operations in irregular warfare, using non-state
actors and surrogates to gain influence over the population. Its influence is
often not visible on the ground, but is felt through the repression anti-regime
of protestors in 2017 and earlier. During anti-Maduro demonstrations, the
motorcycle-riding members of the Venezuelan civilian militias known as
Collectivos were remarkable for being modeled and trained by Iran's paramilitary
Basij militia. The role of the Basij in crushing Iran's Green Revolution in 2009
provided lesson for dealing with anti-regime protestors half a decade later in
Venezuela.
The extent of Iran's influence in Venezuela has long been a source of debate for
the U.S. and regional security analysts. The Iranian regime's roots as a
revolutionary movement with anti-imperialist rhetoric and expanding dominance
throughout the Middle East has brought Russia and China, two historic cold war
adversaries, closer together. In many ways, Iran has positioned itself in
Venezuela to capitalize on China's economic clout and Russia's military
footprint. For instance, Iran's Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics (MODAFL)
used a variety of joint projects with Venezuela's military industry (CAVIM) as
well as Russian and Chinese oil contracts with PDVSA to shield its evasion of
international sanctions.
Iran's comparative advantage, however, is in the development of clandestine
structures through surrogate forces and proxy networks. Its most prominent proxy
force, Lebanese Hezbollah, is known to deploy to global hotspots on behalf of
Iran. Meanwhile, the Qods Force (the extra-territorial arm of Iran's Islamic
Revolutionary Guards Corps - IRGC) works with Hezbollah to increase social
pressure in these hotspots to exacerbate conflicts. The Hezbollah and IRGC-QF
cooperation is an important component of the Syrian civil war.
Pictured: Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro visits Iran's Supreme Leader,
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in Iran on October 22, 2016. (Image source: Office of
the Supreme Leader of Iran)
In Venezuela, long-standing clandestine networks from Syria, Lebanon and the
Middle East are playing a similar role behind the scenes in shaping the
narrative and ultimately directing the actions of the country's key players.
These networks have provided the Venezuelan regime with the know-how
systematically to control the population and dominate the narrative. Their rise
to prominence can be seen not only in the abundance of Arabs in the Venezuelan
government, but also in the way the Venezuelan crisis has unfolded, following
the same pattern of economic and social grievances to violent uprisings with
external support. The humanitarian crisis in Venezuela began with severe
shortages of food and medicine prompting a legitimate grievance among the
population, which lead to an uprising last year. Many forget that prior to the
its civil war, Syria faced a severe drought that was a factor in other violent
uprisings that began in 2011. As in Syria, Venezuela has become a humanitarian
crisis that exacerbates refugee outflows with serious counterterrorism concerns
and a strong Russian and Iranian presence. Unlike Syria, however, this crisis
rests much closer to U.S. shores.
Strong evidence suggests that Venezuela used its immigration agency (SAIME) to
provide Venezuelan identities and documents to several hundred, if not
thousands, of Middle Easterners. Without proper vetting and verification
measures in place, and a high degree of counterintelligence support, our
regional allies will not know if Venezuelan refugees spilling across borders are
legitimate refugees or members of a transregional clandestine network between
Latin America and the Middle East.
As Secretary Tillerson calls upon regional allies to increase support to resolve
Venezuela's humanitarian crisis and apply more pressure to the Maduro regime, it
would make sense for the Trump administration also to help U.S. allies by
enhancing their counterintelligence and counterterrorism capabilities against
Iran and Hezbollah in the Western Hemisphere. It appears that some of this
cooperation is already beginning to take place, as evidenced by a new agreement
between the U.S. and Argentina to tackle Hezbollah's illicit financing in the
Southern Cone.
Dealing with the tragedy that has transpired in Venezuela over more than two
decades will require a better public understanding of the central role of
extra-regional actors, particularly Iran, in the country's crisis.
Any intervention in Venezuela -- military, humanitarian or otherwise -- will not
work unless it is aimed at removing the external influences, especially Iran,
Russia and China, that have turned Venezuela into the Syria of the Western
Hemisphere.
*Joseph M. Humire is the executive director of the Center for a Secure Free
Society (SFS) and a fellow at the Middle East Forum. This article has taken
excerpts from a forthcoming special report by Mr. Humire on "Venezuela's Crisis:
A New Global Paradigm." You can follow him on Twitter @jmhumire
© 2018 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Palestinians: Abbas's Lies and Falling Mask
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/February 14/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11898/palestinians-abbas-lies
For the past two decades, the anti-Israel rhetoric of Mahmoud Abbas and the
Palestinian leadership has radicalized many Palestinians, to a point where they
are no longer willing to accept any form of compromise or peace with Israel.
By accusing the Trump administration of hostility to the Palestinians, the
Palestinian leadership has delegitimized the US to a degree where many
Palestinians now feel that Americans are legitimate targets for violence and
terror attacks.
How, exactly, do these condemnations conform with Abbas's other claims that he
seeks to resume peace talks with Israel? The mask on Abbas's face has fallen
once again. That mask has, in fact, been falling for many years. Perhaps one day
the world will even see that.
Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas continues to say one thing to
his people, and an entirely different thing to the international community.
To Arab audiences, Abbas describes Israel and the US administration as not far
short of Satan incarnate.
When the PA president sends a message to the international community, however,
he shows a different face.
Ever since US President Donald Trump's December announcement recognizing
Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Abbas and his top aides in Ramallah have
been consistently signaling to the Palestinians that the peace process with
Israel is "over."
The Palestinians have also been assured by Abbas that Israel and the US will pay
dearly for the recognition.
Abbas has promised, among other things, to revoke the PLO recognition of Israel,
halt security coordination in the West Bank, and abrogate previous agreements
signed between the Palestinians and Israel, beginning with the Oslo Accords.
Two key decision-making bodies, the Fatah Central Council and the PLO Executive
Committee, have recommended in recent weeks that the Palestinian leadership
endorse these measures. Notably, Abbas chaired the meetings of the two bodies in
Ramallah.
The message emerging from the meetings of the Palestinian leaders in Ramallah is
that the Palestinians will not "return" to the negotiating table with Israel and
that the US administration is an enemy of all Palestinians.
In addition, since Trump's announcement, Abbas and the Palestinian leadership
have been waging a massive campaign against the US administration by denouncing
it as one of the "most hostile" American governments against the Palestinians in
modern history.
One of Abbas's spokesmen, Nabil Abu Rudaineh, has repeatedly accused the Trump
administration of "ignorance " and "incitement."
These words come from the mouth of the very Palestinian Authority that has made
anti-Israel incitement into its reason for being -- the heart and soul of its
propaganda machine. Abbas and his cohorts are among the world's experts in the
art of incitement and indoctrination.
For the past two decades, their anti-Israel rhetoric has radicalized many
Palestinians to a point where they are no longer willing to accept any form of
compromise or peace with Israel.
Now, Abbas and the Palestinian leadership are doing exactly the same to the US
and its president.
Recurring Palestinian attacks on Trump's Middle East envoys, David Friedman and
Jason Greenblatt, have placed the Americans squarely alongside the Israelis as
the mortal enemies of the Palestinians.
It is no wonder, then, that Palestinian thugs attacked US consular officials who
came to Bethlehem to discuss ways of helping the Palestinians in various fields.
The assault, which took place in late January, is just one sign of growing
anti-American sentiments on the Palestinian street.
This hatred is fueled by the ongoing incitement against the US administration
being waged by Abbas and many top Palestinian officials. It was only by chance
that no one was hurt in the attack in the offices of the Bethlehem Chamber of
Commerce.
The Bethlehem incident is an indication of what awaits any US administration
official who sets foot in Ramallah or any Palestinian city. If and when
Greenblatt ever returns to Ramallah, he will be met with protests,
demonstrators, shoes eggs, and possibly more.
By accusing the Trump administration of hostility to the Palestinians, the
Palestinian leadership has delegitimized the US to a degree where many
Palestinians now feel that Americans are legitimate targets for violence and
terror attacks.
The Palestinian media, which is largely controlled by Abbas loyalists, is full
of daily attacks (and abuse) against Trump and his administration officials.
Here is how Palestinian tactics work: the same Palestinian Authority whose
vicious anti-US rhetoric encourages violence and terrorism also "denounced" the
assault on the consular mission in Bethlehem. Additionally, Abbas ordered his
security forces briefly to detain the perpetrators, some of whom belong to his
ruling Fatah faction. Not surprisingly, their detention drew sharp criticism
from many Palestinians.
The Bethlehem incident highlights the precise mechanism of Abbas's bloody
propaganda machine, the same one that has for so long trained the minds of
Palestinians to commit terrorist acts against Israel.
Abbas's daily condemnations of Israel -- including false allegations that Jews
are plotting to defile and destroy Islamic holy sites -- triggered a wave of
stabbings and car ramming attacks against Israelis during the past two years --
a tactic copied by terrorists in Europe.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.
When Abbas faces the international community, however, he shows a different
face. Suddenly, the same Abbas who has been telling his people that he will not
"return" to the negotiating table and that he is even mulling revoking
recognition of Israel sounds like a different person.
During a joint press conference with visiting Indian Prime Minister Narendra
Modi last week, Abbas contradicted himself, saying he had never refused to
resume the peace process with Israel. "We are committed to the political process
and negotiations," he announced. Abbas also declared that the Palestinians were
committed to the "war on terrorism" -- depending, of course, on how one defines
"terrorism."
A reminder: This is the same Abbas who has been telling his people in the past
few weeks that the peace process is finished. This is the same Abbas whose
incendiary rhetoric against Israel and the US has driven Palestinians to
violence and terrorism.
Abbas is now telling the world that the US administration is no longer qualified
to play the role of "honest broker" in any peace process between the
Palestinians and Israel. He is also stating day and night that the time has come
to replace the US role with an "international multilateral mechanism." Abbas
presumably still hopes to be handed a Palestinian state. Former Secretary of
State John Kerry recently advised Abbas to "hold on and be strong... stay strong
in his spirit and play for time... and... not yield to President Trump's
demands."
While Abbas is seeking to eliminate any US role in the peace process, his envoy
to Moscow, Abdel Hafiz Nofal, announced earlier this week that the Americans
could still be part of an effort to solve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. In
other words, the Palestinians are willing to do the Americans a "favor" by
"permitting" them to participate in efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.
It seems as if President Trump's threat to cut funding unless the Palestinians
came to the peace table, had some effect.
Even veteran Palestinian affairs experts admit that Abbas has managed to confuse
everyone with his contradictory statements.
Abbas mouths the word "peace," yet his Ministry of Information in Ramallah was
the first to condemn a visit by Arab journalists to Israel.
The nine journalists from Morocco, Lebanon, Iraq, Syria and Yemen were invited
by the Israeli Foreign Ministry. But Abbas's ministry denounced the visit and
called for blacklisting and punishing the Arab journalists for promoting
"normalization" with Israel.
How, exactly, do these condemnations conform with Abbas's other claims that he
seeks to resume peace talks with Israel?
The mask on Abbas's face has fallen once again. That mask has, in fact, been
falling for many years. Perhaps one day the world will even see that.
**Bassam Tawil is a Muslim Arab based in the Middle East.
© 2018 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Macron Vows to Reform Islam in France/"It is time to bring in a new generation."
Soeren Kern/Gatestone Institute/February 14/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/11893/france-islam-reform
The overall objective of President Macron's plan is to ensure that French law
takes precedence over Islamic law for Muslims living in the country.
The plan, as currently conceived, is vague and short on details, but appears to
involve three broad pillars: determining who will represent Muslims in France;
delineating how Islam in France will be financed; and defining how imams in
France will be trained.
"It is time to bring in a new generation. We have seen fifteen years of debate
to defend the interests of foreign states." — Hakim el-Karoui, a French-Tunisian
expert on Islam who is advising Macron on the reforms.
French President Emmanuel Macron, in a declared effort to "fight fundamentalism"
and "preserve national cohesion," has promised to "lay the groundwork for the
entire reorganization of Islam in France."
According to Macron, the plan, similar in ambition to Austria's Islam Law, is
aimed at seeking to "better integrate" Islam in France in order to "place it in
a more peaceful relationship with the state."
A key priority is to reduce outside interference by restricting foreign funding
for mosques, imams and Muslim organizations in France. The plan's overall
objective is to ensure that French law takes precedence over Islamic law for
Muslims living in the country.
In a February 11 interview with the Journal du Dimanche, Macron said that the
plan, which is being coordinated by the Interior Ministry, will be announced
within the next six months: "We are working on the structuring of Islam in
France and also on how to explain it," Macron said. "My goal is to rediscover
what lies at the heart of secularism—the possibility of being able to believe as
well as not to believe—in order to preserve national cohesion and the
possibility of having free religious conscience."
Macron also said that he was consulting a broad array of experts and religious
leaders for their input into the reform plan: "I see intellectuals and
academics, such as [French Islam expert] Gilles Kepel, and representatives of
all religions, because I think we need to draw heavily on our history, the
history of Catholics and Protestants." He added:
"I will never ask any French citizen to be moderate in his religion or to
believe moderately in his God. That would not make much sense. But I will ask
everyone, constantly, to absolutely respect all the rules of the Republic."
Macron's plan, as currently conceived, is vague and short on details, but
appears to involve three broad pillars: determining who will represent Muslims
in France; delineating how Islam in France will be financed; and defining how
imams in France will be trained.
Representation of Muslims in France
A key aspect of Macron's plan is to reform the French Council of the Muslim
Faith (Conseil français du culte musulman, CFCM), the official interlocutor
between Muslims and the state in the regulation of Islam in France. The
organization, which represents approximately 2,500 mosques in France, was
established in 2003 by then Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy.
The CFCM has long faced criticism for being ineffective and contentious, largely
because the rotating presidency has allowed interference by foreign
countries—mainly Algeria, Morocco and Turkey—seemingly to prevent Muslims from
integrating into French society. Macron said the objective was to end what he
called "consular Islam" and to open the CFCM to "the most integrated" Muslims.
"It is time to bring in a new generation," said Hakim el-Karoui, a
French-Tunisian expert on Islam who is advising Macron on the reforms. "We have
seen fifteen years of debate to defend the interests of foreign states."
The Interior Ministry intends to have its reforms in place by 2019, when the
CFCM will hold elections to renew its leadership. "The moment is propitious for
advancing the necessary reforms," said Anouar Kbibech, former president of the
CFCM.
Macron's plan also reportedly involves establishing a "Grand Imam of France,"
modeled on the position of Chief Rabbi. The individual would have the "moral
authority" to represent Islam in front of the state. It remains unclear how such
an individual would reconcile the competing strains of Islam to be able to
represent them all.
Financing Islam in France
Macron's second priority is to "reduce the influence of Arab countries," which,
he argues, "prevent French Islam from returning to modernity." His plan would
restrict foreign governments or entities from funding Muslim places of worship
and training imams in France. Hundreds of French mosques are being financed by
countries in the North African Maghreb and Persian Gulf.
The new plan would also attempt to illuminate the financial dealings of mosques
by bringing them under the jurisdiction of a French law that regulates cultural
associations. French mosques currently adhere to a law that regulates non-profit
associations, which allows for more opaque bookkeeping.
Macron raised the possibility of revising the 1905 "Law on the Separation of the
Churches and State," which established state secularism in France. The 1905 law,
among other provisions, banned government funding of religious groups in France.
Addressing the prospect that French taxpayers might soon be asked to pay for
Muslims to worship in France, Macron said: "The 1905 law is part of a treasure
that is ours, but it did not consider the religious fact of Islam because it was
not present in our society, as it is today."
Macron's plan reportedly also envisages establishing a so-called Halal Tax, a
sales tax on halal products to finance Islam in France. The proposal faces
fierce resistance from French Muslims, 70% of whom are opposed to establishing
the tax, according to an Ifop poll for JDD.
Training Imams in France
Several hundred imams in France are civil servants whose salaries are paid by
foreign governments. Interior Minister Gérard Collomb said the French government
"should intervene" in the training of imams so that they are "imams of the
French Republic," not "imams of foreign countries."
In an interview with Radio France Inter, Collomb said: "We can see that today we
have a number of difficulties simply because nowadays everyone can proclaim
himself to be an imam."
Macron's plan has been received with a mix of optimism, skepticism and derision.
Ghaleb Bencheikh, a French-Algerian Islamic reformist and a former president of
the Great Mosque of Paris, said that Macron's approach was "legitimate" and
"interesting." In an interview with Radio France, Bencheikh said:
"There is a terrible paradox that you have to know how to break. We are in a
secular state and this sacrosanct principle of secularism stipulates that
political authority should not interfere in the structure of a cult, whatever it
may be. At the same time, there must be structure and privileged interlocutors
of political power. The Muslim leaders are cautious, pusillanimous, they have
not managed this structure. As a result, it is legitimate for both the President
of the Republic and Interior Minister Gérard Collomb to insist on a healthy
structure."
Le Figaro noted with skepticism that previous French presidents have made
similar pledges which ended in failure:
"Will Emmanuel Macron succeed where his predecessors have failed? The urgency,
in any event, is very real. Last December, a Muslim leader from Bouches-du-Rhône
declared: 'The Salafists have taken control of the ground in France. There is a
void, notably with the problem of imams who do not speak French.'"
In an interview with Les Echos, National Front Leader Marine Le Pen said she was
worried about a possible challenge to the law separating churches and state:
"There are a whole series of tracks, some of which are unbearable, unacceptable:
for example, the idea of a Concordat, the idea of touching the law of 1905."
She called for France to take hard line on foreign financing of Islam: "I
suggest stopping foreign financing of mosques and closing Salafist mosques. Any
foreign imam who makes a speech contrary to the values of the Republic must be
expelled."
Florian Philippot, former vice president of the National Front and a Member of
the European Parliament, said that Macron's plan was not aimed at returning to a
"secular Republic" but to "protect Muslims."
In early January, during a meeting at the Elysée Palace with representatives of
the six main religions in France (Catholic, Protestant, Orthodox, Muslim, Jewish
and Buddhist), Macron announced that he would deliver a "major" but
"dispassionate" speech on secularism during his presidency: "My wish for 2018 is
that France become, with you, a model of secularism, knowing how to listen to
the country's voices in their diversity, capable of building on this diversity a
great nation reconciled and open to the future."
Less than a week later, however, Macron abruptly backtracked. The speech
apparently was "removed from the agenda" because talking about secularism "in
the context only of Islam" would be a "fatal mistake."
Columnist Hélène Jouan accused Macron of trying to play both sides against the
middle:
"Emmanuel Macron is credited with holding a subtle balance between unfailing
attachment to Republican principles, and absolute firmness vis-à-vis radical
Islam.
"The president prefers to evade. I'm not sure that this will last. A tragic
event in France would push him, of course, to reveal himself, at the risk, then,
of alienating those who would judge, from the right or left, that he does too
much or not enough, to lose his position of 'centrality' which he thinks he
holds on the question. In the meantime, however, he buys time."
**Soeren Kern is a Senior Fellow at the New York-based Gatestone Institute.
© 2018 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
The clash of American and Israeli priorities on Iran
Raghida Dergham/February 14, 2018/
Russia has a special opportunity to lead efforts for de-escalation and
awareness-raising among the regional parties clashing in Syria, which would help
move relations with the United States away from tension towards accord. But this
will require Vladimir Putin to act like a true statesman, rather than a
maneuverer-in-chief. Indeed, the nature of Russia’s relations with Iran, Israel,
and Turkey means Moscow wields influence that is not available to the US. The US
is an organic alliance with Israel, has a volatile relationship with Turkey, and
is in a state of animus with Iran; while Russia is in an alliance with Iran in
Syria, and fraternizes with Israel and Turkey as needed. Nothing indicates that
Iran and Israel have decided to go into a direct confrontation or cross any red
lines, although the risk of inadvertently going to war always stands. There is a
lot to indicate the US continues to accommodate Russian interests in Syria,
while having strong reservations regarding Iran’s footholds in Syria, and wants
to rein in Iran’s Persian Crescent project from Tehran to Beirut via Syria and
Hezbollah. It is unlikely that the Kremlin would decide to disengage from Iran,
the ally on the ground who has helped protect Russian interests in Syria and the
contingency partner in threatening US interests. However, Russia’s diplomacy
could alert Iran to the dangers of assuming that the Trump administration is a
paper tiger, or that it would back down in the face of Iranian assertiveness.
Some in Tehran are wagering on implicit understandings with Israel to dampen
down the thrust of the Trump administration and contain its enthusiasm to
overturn a strategic American decision that had once backed an Iranian-Israeli
truce under George W. Bush and Barack Obama. In some Gulf and Western capitals,
some observers say the new US strategic decision is to move away from backing
such a truce, and the events of the past few days, which saw the downing of an
Israeli fighter jet using a Russian-made Syrian missile, and Israeli airstrikes
on Iranian positions in Syria, deserve a realistic assessment both in terms of
the status quo and the possible scenarios.
Russia, according to Russian experts, is considering a new initiative that would
include forcing painful concessions by both Iran and Israel, to avoid a
confrontation between them in Syria or Lebanon. Israel does not assign great
importance to Iran’s priority in Syria, namely, to keep Assad and his regime in
power to safeguard Tehran’s interests. Practically speaking, Israel does not
mind the survival of Assad and his regime, because he poses no threat to Tel
Aviv.
Israel does not mind Iran’s presence in Syria either, as this suits its long
term goals. Indeed, in the past, the neocons in the Bush era used to promote the
expansion of a Shia Crescent from Iran to Israel’s borders, considering the two
powers ‘natural partners’ against Sunni extremism. Bush’s war in Iraq gave Iran
a precious strategic gift, eliminating Saddam Hussein, Iran’s arch-nemesis,
while Bush’s war in Afghanistan eliminated the Taliban, another foe of Iran.
Israel was in full agreement with the American plan, which gave Tehran regional
ascendancy, and did not seriously object to Obama’s passionate engagement with
Iran that culminated with the nuclear deal with Tehran.
After the war of 2006 in Lebanon, an agreement was reached on UN Security
Council resolution 1701, which governs the permanent truce between Hezbollah and
Israel, including pacifying Hezbollah’s rocket arsenal from being used against
Israel. Israel remained silent vis-à-vis Iran and Hezbollah’s intervention in
Syria, and reached accords with Russia regarding the boundaries and geography of
the battles fought by the Iranian Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah in Syria,
obtaining guarantees especially concerning the Golan Heights it occupies.
In other words, Israel was reassured that the Iranian expansion in Syria was not
aimed against it. For its part, Iran was reassured that Israel would not
obstruct its actions in Syria, and would commit to a truce with Hezbollah in
Lebanon.
The shift is taking place as a result of the strategic new decision made by the
Trump administration towards Iran, which seeks to shuffle the deck of alliances
and priorities in the Gulf region and the Middle East.
The leading men of the Trump administration all come from the military
establishment, which thinks in terms of near- and long-term US national,
economic, and strategic interests. And while Israel is very important for any US
administration and has become a domestic American political issue, this does not
mean that the US is fully bound to Israel’s priorities. Thus, the Trump
administration has judged that US interests are served by containing Iran’s
regional ambitions including by curbing its incursions in Iraq, Yemen, and
Syria, as well as Hezbollah’s regional and international activities.
This is the point where US and Israeli priorities could clash. One of the most
important questions being raised here is whether Israel is willing to break off
from the US strategic decision on Iran and its proxies, or whether it judges its
own interests are better served by a deal that contains Iran’s missiles but
averts a direct confrontation with Iran.
The friction between Israel and Iran in Syria have remained under control. Both
sides have realized they do not want to clash with a foe who can inflict serious
harm. They tested each other either to learn more about the extent of their
mutual response or to dispel any impressions they are partners in the equation
in Syria. But what if the US is firmly resolved to end Iran’s presence in Syria?
What if Israel has concluded following the recent skirmishes that the threat
from Iran’s bases in Syria is real, and that there can be no coexistence with
Iranian missiles in Syria or Lebanon?
Likewise, what if Iran has concluded that Russia will protect its back in Syria
no matter what happens, and will therefore continue to support Hezbollah’s bid
to store rockets and heavy weaponry in Lebanon, while developing its own
missiles?
These are serious questions that all sides must take the time to answer,
especially Russia, the enabler of Iran’s over-confident behavior in Syria.
Russia’s interests require for Iran not to behave haughtily or heavy-handedly in
Syria, if for anything then to avoid prompting Washington to take military
action, possibly together with Israel even if against its will or through the
international coalition.
Moscow can be firm with its Iranian ally, Turkish partner, and Israeli friend
and reap the rewards though an improved relationship with the US. The first test
of any such bid would be a Russian decision on Iran’s ambitions in Syria and the
region, because this is the litmus test for the bilateral relationship with
America. The most important deterrence for all sides, to avoid falling into
runaway wars, is ultimately to acknowledge the impossibility of victory.