LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
January 13/2018
Compiled &
Prepared by: Elias Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
lccc Site
http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.january13.18.htm
News
Bulletin Achieves Since 2006
Click Here to enter the LCCC Arabic/English news bulletins Achieves since 2006
Bible Quotations
Saint Paul's Instructions for Christian Households
Ephesians 05/21-31/ "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. Wives,
submit yourselves to your own husbands as you do to the Lord. For the husband is
the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he
is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit
to their husbands in everything. Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved
the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the
washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant
church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
In this same way, husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies. He who
loves his wife loves himself. After all, no one ever hated their own body, but
they feed and care for their body, just as Christ does the church— for we are
members of his body. “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and
be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.” This is a profound
mystery—but I am talking about Christ and the church. However, each one of you
also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her
husband."Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. 2 “Honor
your father and mother”—which is the first commandment with a promise— 3 “so
that it may go well with you and that you may enjoy long life on the earth.”
Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training
and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and
fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ. 6 Obey them
not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but as slaves of Christ,
doing the will of God from your heart. Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were
serving the Lord, not people, 8 because you know that the Lord will reward each
one for whatever good they do, whether they are slave or free. And masters,
treat your slaves in the same way. Do not threaten them, since you know that he
who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no favoritism with
him".
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis &
editorials from miscellaneous sources published on January 12-13/18
Why U.S. policy toward Iran must focus on strategy/Walid
Phares/The Washington Times/January 12/18
Bannon’s revenge on the Trump family/Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/January 12/2018
Iran’s catastrophes loom large/Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/January 12/2018
Pakistan: The waste basket of US imperialism/Farouq Yousuf/Al Arabiya/January
12/2018
Khomeini regime and its American connections/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/January
12/2018
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on January 12-13/18
Case dropped against Lebanese-Canadian held over 1980
Paris bombing
Aoun: No protection for anyone concerning scourge of drugs
Mustaqbal Calls on Jumblat to 'Correct His Stance' on Saudi Arabia
Al-Rahi from Baabda: Seniority Decree Doesn't Need Finance Minister Signature
Khatib: Decentralization to Be Adopted in Implementation of Waste Plan
Berri Says Has Proof of Attempts to Foil Elections
Hariri Keen on Distancing Lebanon from Saudi-Iranian Rivalry, Hails Hizbullah
for De-escalating Rhetoric
Hariri's Envoy Khoury Visits Geagea as Part of Efforts to Heal Rift
Woman, Infant Found Dead on Roadside in Nabatieh
Govt. OKs Solid Waste Plan, Decides to Expand Costa Brava Landfill
Berri, interlocutors tackle overall situation
Bassil after visiting Audi: Legislative elections great deadline to mend
political system
Jreissati meets outgoing Turkish Ambassador
STL Registrar ends a working visit to Beirut
Shorter relays to Mashnouk UK support at Rome II conference
State Security apprehends in Tyre Syrian national over affiliation to Daesh
Khalil meets US ambassador, discusses with Kumar WB projects in Lebanon
Mustafa Houjeiri's trial adjourned
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For
Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on January 12-13/18
Trump Says ‘Probably’ Has ‘Very Good’ Relationship with
North Korean Leader
Senior US Soldier Warns ISIS: Surrender or Be Shot in the Face
Explosions Heard at Stricken Iranian Oil Tanker as it Drifts into Japanese
Waters
Reza Pahlavi: The Iranians message is clear, change the regime
Trump cancels UK visit, says will not unveil new US embassy
Trump denies derogatory comments about Haitians
Senior judges open rift with India’s chief justice
Pakistani father of slain girl blames police for slow action
In rut, Russian communists register surprise candidate to challenge Putin
History made as Saudi women to enter stadiums for first time to watch soccer
Latest Lebanese Related News published
on January 12-13/18
Case dropped against Lebanese-Canadian held over 1980 Paris
bombing
AFP, Paris/January 12/ 2018/A
Lebanese-Canadian academic accused over the deadly 1980 bombing of a Paris
synagogue is to be freed from custody after the case was dismissed for lack of
evidence, legal sources said Friday. In a decision seen by AFP the French
magistrates leading the investigation said the evidence against Hassan Diab, who
was extradited from Canada in 2014, was “not convincing enough” and ordered his
immediate release.
Aoun: No protection for anyone concerning scourge of drugs
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - President of
the Republic Michel Aoun on Friday underlined that "there is no protection for
anyone concerning the scourge of drugs," stressing that punishment shall entail
all perpetrators, whether drug dealers or their protectors. President Aoun was
speaking in front of a delegation of the "J.A.D- Youth against Drugs"
Association, led by Joseph Al-Hawat, who called on the President this morning at
the Baabda palace. The delegation briefed the President on the Association's
activities in terms of drug addiction treatment and rehabilitation as well as
related awareness campaigns and programs. Aoun noted that the number of the
victims of drug addiction exceeds that of the victims of war in the world,
pointing out that despite the expansion of drug trade, Lebanon now possesses the
latest equipment to control drug smuggling. The President hailed the efforts of
all the security forces, the army, ISF, and State Security, in combating in
drying up drug resources. On the other hand, Aoun held a series of political and
developmental meetings. In this regard, the President met respectively with a
delegation of Zahle City and Keserwan-Ftoh MP Dr. Youssef Khalil and his brother
Poet Elias Khalil, President of the "Waad" Party head, Joe Hobeika, and ISF
former chief Ibrahim Basbous.
Mustaqbal Calls on Jumblat to 'Correct His
Stance' on Saudi Arabia
Naharnet/January 12/18/Al-Mustaqbal Movement on Friday voiced “regret” over MP
Walid Jumblat's latest remarks on Saudi Arabia, calling on him to “correct his
stance.”“Al-Mustaqbal Movement regrets the style and content of Mr. Walid
Jumblat's rhetoric towards the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia during his interview two
days ago on Future TV,” the movement said in a statement. “This approach is not
compatible with his history, the history of the Progressive Socialist Party and
his personal relation with a brotherly country that has always stood by Lebanon
and its causes,” Mustaqbal added.
And stressing the need for “all Lebanese forces to refrain from attacking or
insulting brotherly countries in a manner that might jeopardize Lebanon's vital
interests and the soundness of its ties with its Arab neighborhood,” the
movement said it “calls on Mr. Jumblat to correct his latest stance on KSA and
its leadership.”Slamming the Saudi-led war in Yemen as “absurd,” Jumblat warned
in his interview that “no one can win in Yemen,” describing the war-torn country
as “the Afghanistan of the Arab world.”“In my opinion, every war is absurd and
dialogue is much better than any war that consumes money and souls,” Jumblat
added. The PSP leader also criticized U.S. President Donald Trump's visit to
Saudi Arabia and said that he is “against the privatization” of the Aramco oil
firm. “It belongs to the Saudi people and Arabs,” Jumblat said.
Al-Rahi from Baabda: Seniority Decree Doesn't
Need Finance Minister Signature
Naharnet/January 12/18/Maronite Patriarch Beshara al-Rahi on Friday supported
President Michel Aoun's stance on a disputed decree that has sparked an
unprecedented spat with Speaker Nabih Berri. “The seniority decree is not
related to finance... whereas the promotions decree entails financial
obligations and requires the finance minister's signature,” said al-Rahi after
talks with Aoun in Baabda. “If there are good intentions, the problem can be
solved in one meeting. This is what we are hoping for, because people and the
country do not bear disputes and procrastination amid the pressing social and
economic situations,” the patriarch added. The Aoun-Berri spat broke out after
the president and the premier signed a decree granting one-year seniority to a
number of officers. Berri and Finance Minister Ali Hassan Khalil have insisted
that the decree should have also carried the finance minister's signature.
Aoun and his aides have argued that the decree did not require Khalil's
signature because it did not entail any “financial burden,” a point Berri and
officials close to him have argued against. Ain el-Tineh sources have meanwhile
warned that the decree would tip sectarian balance in favor of Christians in the
army's highest echelons. The officers in question were undergoing their first
year of officer training at the Military Academy when Syrian forces ousted
Aoun’s military government from Baabda in 1990. They were suspended by the
pro-Damascus authorities until 1993 before they resumed their officer training
course as second-year cadets.
Khatib: Decentralization to Be Adopted in
Implementation of Waste Plan
Naharnet/January 12/18/Minister of Environment Tarek al-Khatib said on Friday
that administrative decentralization will be adopted while implementing the
solid waste plan agreed during the Cabinet meeting on Thursday. “Administrative
decentralization will be adopted and local administrations will be responsible
for the treatment of waste,” said Khatib at a press conference. "The goal is to
keep waste out of the streets and to focus on the rehabilitation of the
Karantina and Amrusiya sorting plants,” he added. The minister stressed that the
government is “seeking to provide a sustainable solution in terms of solid waste
treatment.”"A detailed letter will be sent to the municipalities explaining the
mechanism of waste treatment. Besides, a joint committee between the public and
private sectors will be formed under the chairmanship of the Minister of
Environment,” he added. Khatib said he asked the Cabinet to publish a summary of
the waste plan executive policy in the Official Gazette so that citizens could
be more informed thereon. He stressed "the work of waste treatment companies is
subject to the supervision of the MoE," noting that "municipalities have the
right to choose the technology they want, and we will supervise that from an
environmental point of view.""Thermal disintegration is a technique adopted in
all countries around the world and it has its own conditions," he said. "We will
not adopt any technology before conducting the environmental impact study. We
will set a time limit for the municipalities to make their own choices regarding
the treatment of waste," the minister concluded. The Cabinet on Thursday
approved a plan to manage the household solid waste crisis, which involves the
expansion of once temporary Costa Brava landfill near Beirut. The landfill will
also accept waste from the Chouf and Aley regions. Under the new plan, a new
reprocessing plant will be established at Costa Brava and the sorting plants in
Amrusiya and Karantina will be improved. A call for tenders will also be
organized within six months to establish thermal disintegration plants in
several areas. Lebanon has been suffering from a waste management crisis since
July 2015 when the controversial Naameh landfill that received the trash of
Beirut and Mount Lebanon was closed by authorities. Experts have urged the
government to devise a comprehensive waste management solution that would
include more recycling and composting to reduce the amount of trash going into
landfills. The consecutive governments' failure to address the problem in recent
years led to the piling up of garbage on the streets and in random locations,
which raised health and environmental concerns and sparked unprecedented street
protests against the entire political class.
Berri Says Has Proof of Attempts to Foil Elections
Naharnet/January 12/18/Speaker Nabih Berri said on Friday that proposals to
introduce amendments to the new electoral law after its approval could impact
the elections, and revealed he had proof of attempts to foil the long-awaited
parliamentary elections, al-Akhbar daily reported on Friday.The daily said the
Speaker insists on having the elections staged on time, noting “discussions to
introduce any amendments or reforms to the law could foil the whole elections. I
have info that some, internally and abroad, do not want the elections be held,”
the daily quoted Berri as saying without giving further details. Lebanon's
elections are scheduled on May 6, 2018. Even though the new complex electoral
law was approved in July 2017, suggestions to introduce reforms surfaced lately
four month before the polls date. A ministerial panel tasked with studying the
implementation of law on Tuesday failed to reach an agreement on so-called
polling megacenters where voters can cast ballots away from their hometowns.
Moreover, Ain el-Tineh sources stressed that Berri “is keen on good relations
with President Michel Aoun and PM Saad Hariri,” after the latest spat over a
decree granting one-year seniority to several officers. “All we want is respect
for the Constitution and preserving the jurisdictions entitled to each in the
Constitution. Everyone has expressed commitment to the Taef Accord but this must
be translated through their commitment to the Constitution,” added the sources.
Hariri Keen on Distancing Lebanon from
Saudi-Iranian Rivalry, Hails Hizbullah for De-escalating Rhetoric
Naharnet/January 12/18/Prime Minister Saad Hariri, in an interview with The Wall
Street Journal, called for Lebanon to be distanced from the Iranian-Saudi
conflict and hailed Hizbullah for de-escalating political rhetoric and
propaganda against Saudi Arabia and other Gulf countries. “Media attacks on the
Arab world, especially the Gulf, were extremely high, and today it’s extremely
low, which is something positive,” Hariri told WSJ on Thursday referring to
Hizbullah. Hariri highlighted Hizbullah's willingness to comply with the
country's policy of “dissociation” from the Saudi-Iranian conflict. “Hizbullah
has been a member of this government. This is an inclusive government that has
all the big political parties, and that brings political stability to the
country,” he said. “My main goal is to preserve this political stability for the
unity of the country.”The PM stressed that interference in Lebanon's politics
and internal affairs will not be accepted, “we cannot accept interference from
anyone in Lebanese politics,” he said. “Our relationship with Iran—or with the
Gulf—has to be the best relationship, but one that serves the national interests
of Lebanon,” he noted. On Hizbullah's involvement in regional wars, mainly in
Syria, Hariri said the party is likely to reduce its presence in Yemen and Iraq
but its withdrawal from Syria is more complex.
Hariri's Envoy Khoury Visits Geagea as Part of
Efforts to Heal Rift
Naharnet/January 12/18/Dispatched by Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Culture
Minister Ghattas Khoury held talks Thursday in Maarab with Lebanese Forces
leader Samir Geagea as part of ongoing efforts to heal the rift between al-Mustaqbal
Movement and the LF. The meeting was held in the presence of Information
Minister Melhem Riachi of the LF. “The visit is aimed at restoring the main
channel of communication with Dr. Geagea after a period of interruption that
followed the latest crisis in Lebanon,” Khoury said after the talks. “The visit
is also aimed at eliminating all the remnants of the previous period in order to
restore the previous status of the Mustaqbal-LF relation,” the minister added,
noting that “all issues were discussed, including the government's work and the
parliamentary elections.”
Asked what could bring the LF and al-Mustaqbal together at the moment, Khoury
said: “I believe that we have agreements at the strategic level as well as in
terms of our vision for Lebanon, the state and its policies and the need for
dissociating Lebanon from the Middle East crises that are surrounding us.”
Asked whether the two parties will be allied in the upcoming parliamentary
elections, the minister noted that “no political force in Lebanon has reached
final conclusions regarding its electoral alliances seeing as this new law
requires extensive interpretation.”He however added that “there is no five- or
six-party alliance and therefore no party will be isolated, especially the
LF.”Khoury also noted that his visit to Maarab is in itself “a message from PM
Hariri to the LF leader.”Relations between the two long-time allies were
strained after some Mustaqbal officials accused the LF of inciting Saudi leaders
to press Hariri to resign in November. The premier announced his resignation on
November 4 from the Saudi capital but eventually rescinded it after reaching a
deal with the Hizbullah-led camp. The Mustaqbal-LF row is also linked to
Geagea's statement in the wake of Hariri's resignation that the premier should
have resigned earlier and that "no self-respecting person would stay in the
government after all the events of the past few months."
Woman, Infant Found Dead on Roadside in Nabatieh
Naharnet/January 12/18/A young woman and her three-month infant were found dead
on the side of the road in the town of Bfarweh in the Nabatieh district, the
National News Agency reported on Friday. NNA said the woman and infant were
killed and that someone had thrown stones at their heads which led to their
inevitable death. The woman, a Bedouin, was identified as Halabiah Shukor and
lived in the Zahrani area in south Lebanon. Parents of the deceased have filed a
missing person report with the police four days ago. Investigations were opened
into the incident.
Govt. OKs Solid Waste Plan, Decides to Expand
Costa Brava Landfill
Naharnet/January 12/18/The Cabinet on Thursday approved a plan to manage the
household solid waste crisis, which involves the expansion of the Costa Brava
landfill near Beirut. The plan was proposed by the Ministry of Environment. “We
now have a plan approved by the government to manage the household solid waste
in Lebanon, and the details of this plan will be presented during a press
conference in the ministry,” Environment Minister Tarek al-Khatib said after the
cabinet session. He added that the Cabinet also decided to expand the Costa
Brava landfill and to include Chouf and Aley to area benefiting from it. “A
decision has also been taken about the Tripoli landfill and thus we now have a
plan to commit to in order to solve the waste problem,” Khatib said. Under the
new plan, a new reprocessing plant will be established at Costa Brava and the
sorting plants in Amrusiya and Karantina will be improved.
A call for tenders will also be organized within six months to establish thermal
disintegration plants in several areas. Lebanon has been suffering from a waste
management crisis since July 2015 when the controversial Naameh landfill that
received the trash of Beirut and Mount Lebanon was closed by authorities.
Experts have urged the government to devise a comprehensive waste management
solution that would include more recycling and composting to reduce the amount
of trash going into landfills. The consecutive governments' failure to address
the problem in recent years led to the piling up of garbage on the streets and
in random locations, which raised health and environmental concerns and sparked
unprecedented street protests against the entire political class.
Berri, interlocutors tackle overall situation
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - House Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday met at his Ain Tineh
residence with Lebanon Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, with talks between
the pair reportedly touching on the current economic and financial situation.
Speaker Berri also met with Information Minister Melhem Riachi, with whom he
discussed the overall situation. The newly appointed Philippine's Ambassador to
Lebanon also paid a protocol visit to Speaker Berri today. This afternoon, Berri
received Culture Minister, Dr Ghattas Khoury, who took up with the Speaker an
array of matters related to the Culture Ministry, notably the project law on the
protection of heritage buildings and archeological sites. Minister Khoury
underlined the paramount importance of endorsing such a project law as the sole
means to protect heritage buildings from negligence and demolition. Current
developments also highlighted talks today between Speaker Berri and Kuwaiti
Ambassador to Lebanon, Abdel Aal Qanai, who visited Berri at Ain Tineh.
Bassil after visiting Audi: Legislative
elections great deadline to mend political system
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - Beirut Greek Orthodox Archbishop Elias Audi, received on
Friday Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Gebran Bassil, accompanied
by State Minister for Combating Corruption Nicolas Tueni and former Minister
Nicholas Sehnaoui. On emerging, Minister Bassil said that the visit comes as
part of his tour to religious leaderships in Ashrafieh district (First Beirut
District). On the forthcoming legislative polls, Bassil noted that such
elections constitute a great deadline to mend Lebanon's political system,
expressing belief in democracy.
Jreissati meets outgoing Turkish Ambassador
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - Justice Minister Salim Jreissati on Friday received at his
ministerial office outgoing Turkish Ambassador Cagatay Erciyes, who came on a
farewell visit at the end of his diplomatic mission in Lebanon. On emerging,
Minister Jreissati wished Ambassador Erciyes all success in his new diplomatic
post at the Turkish Foreign Ministry in Ankara. The Minister said that the visit
was a chance to dwell on the Reina nightclub's terror attack which claimed the
lives of innocent Lebanese citizens, in view of the latest legal procedures
concerning compensations in this regard.
Jreissati said that the departing Ambassador expressed the Turkish authorities'
readiness to assist the Lebanese State in this regard as much as possible.
Ambassador Erciyez said they held a tour d'horizon over joint cooperation
between the Lebanese and Turkish Justice Ministries.
STL Registrar ends a working visit to Beirut
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - Special Tribunal for Lebanon (STL) Registrar Daryl Mundis
met with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri this week, on the first working
visit to Beirut in 2018 and discussed various matters relating to the Tribunal's
work. Mr. Mundis also met with Justice Minister Salim Jreissati, Prosecutor
General Samir Hammoud, Lebanese Armed Forces Commander General Joseph Aoun as
well as the Director General of the Internal Security Forces, Major General Imad
Osman. "My visits to Beirut are key to maintain the good cooperation between the
STL and the Lebanese authorities, allowing me to personally thank Lebanese
officials for their continued commitment to support the work of the Tribunal,"
said Mr Mundis. The STL Registrar is responsible for all aspects of the
Tribunal's administration including the budget, fundraising, human resources and
providing security. His responsibilities also include court management, the
oversight of the Victims' Participation Unit, witness protection and language
services.
Shorter relays to Mashnouk UK support at Rome II
conference
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - Interior and Municipalities Minister, Nouhad Mashnouk, met
at his ministerial office on Friday, with UK Ambassador to Lebanon, Hugo
Shorter, who expressed his country's willingness to provide Lebanon with more
support through Rome II donor conference, which will be held in February in
support of Lebanon's security forces. The British Ambassador also relayed his
country's appreciation of the Interior Ministry's efforts swiftly unearthing the
circumstances that had led to the murder of British diplomat, Rebecca Dykes, who
had been working in Lebanon as a Program and Policy Manager with Britain's
Department for International Development. On another level, the pair discussed
preparations underway for the impending legislative elections in Lebanon. For
his part, Masnouk confirmed his ministry's full readiness to hold elections on
their set date.
State Security apprehends in Tyre Syrian national over affiliation to Daesh
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - A patrol belonging to the General Directorate of Lebanon's
State Security, apprehended on Friday Syrian national, Ahmad A.A., over
affiliation to Daesh terrorist organization. During investigations, the arrestee
admitted to having been a member of the terrorist organization since 2012, and
that he had illegally entered Lebanese territories. He also turned out to be
living with a Lebanese woman. The Syrian convict has been duly referred to the
General Military Prosecution. As for his roommate, she has been referred to the
competent judicial authorities.
Khalil meets US ambassador, discusses with Kumar WB projects in Lebanon
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - Minister of Finance, Ali Hassan Khalil, welcomed at his
ministerial office on Friday US Ambassador to Lebanon Elizabeth Richard. Talks
between the pair reportedly touched on the general situation at the local and
regional scenes. The Minister later met with World Bank Regional Director, Saroj
Kumar, who explained in the wake of the meeting that talks with Khalil touched
on issues related to the World Bank projects in Lebanon. "Lebanon and the World
Bank share a wide-scale program which aims at creating opportunities for the
Lebanese people. We have significant investments in modernizing infrastructure
and reforming the energy sector, as well as focusing on improving health care
and education," Kumar said. Kumar and Khalil also discussed the anticipated
visit of World Bank Director, Mr. Jim Young Kim, to Lebanon next month.
Mustafa Houjeiri's trial adjourned
Fri 12 Jan 2018/NNA - The head of the permanent military court, Brigadier
General Hussein Abdullah, adjourned to a later session the trial of Mustafa al-Houjeiri,
known as "Abu Taqiya", who is being tried in the case of Arsal 2 events with
seven other defendants, NNA field reporter said on Friday.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News
published on January 12-13/18
Trump Says ‘Probably’ Has ‘Very Good’ Relationship with North
Korean Leader
Asharq Al-Awsat/January 11/2018/US President Donald Trump stated that he
“probably” has a good relationship with Kim Jong Un, in what stands in stark
contrast to the acerbic language he has used to describe the North Korean
leader. Trump has derided the North Korean leader as a “maniac” and referred to
him as “little rocket man.” Kim has responded by calling the US president a
“mentally deranged US dotard.” “I probably have a very good relationship with
Kim Jong Un,” Trump said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal. “I have
relationships with people. I think you people are surprised.”Asked whether he
has spoken with the North Korean leader, Trump told the newspaper: “I don’t want
to comment on it. I’m not saying I have or haven’t. I just don’t want to
comment.”Kim has warned the United States that he intends to build a nuclear
arsenal capable of hitting the United States, prompting threats of military
action by Washington. In November, Trump said while on a trip to Vietnam that
becoming friends with Kim “might be a strange thing to happen but it’s a
possibility.”Kim, in a speech last week, said the “nuclear button is always on
my desk,” prompting Trump to respond in a tweet that his nuclear button is “a
much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!” In the Journal
interview, Trump suggested his combative tweets are part of a broader strategy.
“You’ll see that a lot with me,” he said, “and then all of the sudden somebody’s
my best friend. I could give you 20 examples. You could give me 30. I’m a very
flexible person.” Trump told the newspaper a decision by the United States and
South Korea to postpone military exercises until after next month’s Winter
Olympics in South Korea “sends a good message to North Korea.”North and South
Korea held their first talks in two years on Tuesday and the North agreed to
participate in the Winter Olympics in the South next month. Trump claimed credit
Wednesday for the inter-Korean dialogue, saying North Korea was feeling the
pressure of a US-led campaign of sanctions over its nuclear weapons and missile
development. He said the US was open to talks with North Korea under the right
circumstances. No sitting US president is known to have spoken with a North
Korean leader. The two nations have remained in a state of war and without
diplomatic relations since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty.
The US has not had formal negotiations with North Korea on its nuclear program
since 2012. It has, however, retained back-channel communications through the
North's diplomatic mission at the United Nations in New York. Trump discussed
North Korea in a call Thursday with French President Emmanuel Macron of France.
A White House statement said the two leaders discussed Macron's recent visit to
China and committed to continue to apply pressure on North Korea.
Senior US Soldier Warns ISIS: Surrender or Be
Shot in the Face
Washington-Asharq Al-Awsat/January
11/2018/US troops and their allies will shoot Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
(ISIS) militants in the face, beat them to death with shovels or drop bombs on
them if they don't surrender, the US military's most senior enlisted member has
said. In an eyebrow-raising set of postings on social media on Tuesday, Command
Sergeant Major John Troxell warned that ISIS members who refuse to quit will be
dispatched with "extreme prejudice," including via a small shovel known as an
entrenching tool. "If they surrender, we will safeguard them to their detainee
facility cell, provide them chow, a cot and due process," Troxell wrote on
Facebook. "HOWEVER, if they choose not to surrender, then we will kill them with
extreme prejudice, whether that be through security force assistance, by
dropping bombs on them, shooting them in the face, or beating them to death with
our entrenching tools," he added. The post featured a photo of a US soldier
holding a shovel and, in case anyone was in any doubt about to slay a man with a
small spade, Troxell posted a diagram on Facebook on Wednesday explaining
exactly how to do so. Troxell's chest-thumping remarks quickly attracted a slew
of commentary, mostly supportive. Troxell's blunt language comes amid a
toughening of rhetoric against ISIS under President Donald Trump and Defense
Secretary James Mattis. Where then-President Barack Obama said "we will degrade
and ultimately destroy" ISIS, Senior US officials, including Defense Secretary
Jim Mattis, warned ISIS fighters that they must lay down their weapons or face
annihilation. In a related matter, with ISIS being on the brink of defeat in
Iraq and Syria, it has resorted ton a "virtual caliphate" -- but even online,
experts say it is in decline, according to AFP.Back in 2015, when the jihadists
held territory the size of Italy, they also commanded a huge digital presence,
flooding the web with slick propaganda lionizing their fighters and
romanticising life under their rule. Today, with many of the top ISIS leaders
either dead or on the run, what remains of the group's once-sophisticated
propaganda machine is also a shadow of its former self. Their media centers
destroyed, remaining propagandists find themselves struggling to maintain an
internet connection while battling surveillance from international intelligence
services. The jihadist group is less and less vocal on the web, largely leaving
supporters whom it cannot control to speak in its name."It's almost as if
someone has pressed the mute button on the ISIS," said Charlie Winter, a
researcher at King's College London who has been studying ISIS communications
for years. Between November 8 and 9 the group even went completely silent for a
full 24 hours in what Winter said was an "unprecedented" break from social
media. In 2015, when ISIS was ruling over roughly seven million people in Iraq
and Syria, its propagandists produced "content from 38 different media offices
from West Africa to Afghanistan", Winter said. But by December, more than
three-quarters of these outlets had been "almost totally silenced," he added.
Albert Ford, a researcher at US think-tank New America who has studied the
exodus of foreign fighters to join ISIS, also said the group's media output was
"falling off considerably". "Fewer places to get information, fewer ways to
upload it," he said.
Explosions Heard at Stricken Iranian Oil Tanker
as it Drifts into Japanese Waters
Asharq Al-AwsatAsharq Al-Awsat/January 11/2018/A series of explosions were heard
on Friday in the Iranian oil tanker that has been fire since the weekend, said
China’s state media Xinhua. The Sanchi tanker keeps exploding, hampering efforts
to extinguish the fire and rescue survivors, it reported citing the Ministry of
Transport. This has increased concerns that the ship may break up and sink. The
week-long rescue effort following the tanker's collision with a freight ship on
Saturday night has been roiled by poor weather, including 3-meter (10 feet) high
waves and strong winds, and toxic fumes from the burning oil.
Dozens of the rescue boats were forced to retreat from dousing the tanker with
foam on Wednesday due to an explosion. The tanker had drifted into Japan’s
exclusive economic zone (EEZ) on Wednesday afternoon, a spokesman for Japan’s
Coast Guard told Reuters on Friday, as strong winds pushed the burning ship away
from the Chinese coast. The ship was about 300 km (186 miles) northwest of
Sokkozaki on the island of Amami Oshima as of Thursday afternoon, a spokesman
from the Coast Guard’s 10th region based in Kagoshima said.Amami Oshima is one
of the northern islands in the Ryukyu islands chain that includes Okinawa. The
tanker Sanchi (IMO:9356608), owned by Iran’s top oil shipping operator National
Iranian Tanker Co, was carrying almost 1 million barrels of condensate, an
ultra-light, highly flammable crude oil, to South Korea. It collided with the
freighter CF Crystal (IMO:9497050) that was carrying grain from the United
States about 160 nautical miles (184 km) off China’s coast near Shanghai. The
spokesman said that Chinese authorities turned down an offer from the Japanese
Coast Guard to help, saying it would ask for help when needed. The Coast Guard
has sent patrol boats and aircraft to monitor the situation, he said. According
to China’s state-owned China Central Television(CCTV), the tanker drifted about
25 miles (40 kms) to the south over the past two days, as of 9 a.m (0100 GMT) on
Friday. About 14 rescue vessels are attempting to put out the fire and searching
for missing crew members from the tanker, CCTV reported citing Shanghai Maritime
Search and Rescue Centre. The Sanchi had a crew of 32 sailors at the time of the
collision. The body of a mariner suspected to be from the ship was recovered on
Monday and sent to Shanghai for identification. The rest of the crew, which
included 30 Iranians and two Bangladeshis, remains missing.
Reza Pahlavi: The Iranians message is clear,
change the regime
Al Arabiya/January 12/ 2018/The crown prince of Iran and last heir to the
Iranian monarchy, Prince Reza Pahlavi, has stressed the importance of the
uprising in Iran in a statement on Thursday, saying that the Iranian people have
reached a conclusion after 40 years of living under a religious dictatorship,
that this regime cannot be fixed. He also said that the younger generation
Iranians have no hope in fixing the current dictatorship of a regime, while the
country suffers from poverty, hunger and unemployment because of corruption. In
a lengthy statement to Al Arabiya’s Panorama program, Pahlavi said that the
Iranians’ message is clear: that the system needs to be fully changed and
replaced with a democratic regime. This is the only way to rebuild the country
and ensure all the rights of Iranian citizens, he said. “Iran could have been
the Japan of the middle east, but unfortunately it has become like North Korea,”
Pahlavi added. He also said that previous similar experiences have proved that
regimes based on dictatorship do not continue, and that one ideology cannot
control a whole country, adding that Iranians need to depend on themselves.
Pahlavi stressed the importance of the success of this uprising to topple the
regime for the benefit of the Iranian people and the region. He added that he
does not support internal violence or foreign military intervention.
Trump cancels UK visit, says will not unveil new
US embassy
Reuters/January 12/ 2018/US President Donald Trump canceled a visit to London
scheduled for early this year, saying he was disappointed with the “Obama
administration having sold” the US embassy in the British capital. “(The) reason
I canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama
Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London
for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion
dollars,” Trump said in a tweet late on Thursday. However, the embassy website
showed that the decision to move the location was taken months before Barack
Obama took office in January 2009. The US Embassy & Consulates in the UK said in
October 2008 the embassy would be relocated for security reasons. Reason I
canceled my trip to London is that I am not a big fan of the Obama
Administration having sold perhaps the best located and finest embassy in London
for “peanuts,” only to build a new one in an off location for 1.2 billion
dollars. Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
“Bad deal. Wanted me to cut ribbon-NO!,” Trump said on Twitter. The Daily Mail
earlier reported the cancellation of Trump’s UK visit in which he was expected
to inaugurate the new embassy.The United States is leaving behind an imposing
1960 stone and concrete embassy in London's upmarket Grosvenor Square - an area
known as ‘Little America’ during World War Two, when the square also housed the
military headquarters of General Dwight D. Eisenhower. The new embassy on the
South Bank is a veritable fortress set back at least 30 meters from surrounding
buildings - mostly newly-erected high-rise residential blocks - and
incorporating living quarters for the US Marines permanently stationed inside.
The $1 billion construction, overlooking the River Thames, was wholly funded by
the sale of other properties in London.
Trump denies derogatory comments about Haitians
Agencies, Washington/January 12/ 2018/US President Donald Trump on Friday denied
using derogatory language to describe Haiti and African nations during a White
House meeting with bipartisan lawmakers on immigration. Some media outlets also
reported that Trump said in reference to Haitians, “take them out.” In a tweet,
he insisted that he “never said anything derogatory about Haitians.”The tweet
said: “Never said anything derogatory about Haitians other than Haiti is,
obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never said “take them out.” Made up
by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with Haitians. Probably should record
future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!”Never said anything derogatory about
Haitians other than Haiti is, obviously, a very poor and troubled country. Never
said “take them out.” Made up by Dems. I have a wonderful relationship with
Haitians. Probably should record future meetings - unfortunately, no trust!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 12, 2018
A senator present at a White House immigration meeting said Trump used vulgar
language to describe African countries, Sen. Dick Durbin, an Illinois Democrat,
on Friday told reporters that Trump questioned why the US would accept more
immigrants from Haiti and that he referenced "shithole countries" in
Africa.Durbin added, “When the question was asked about Haitians ... he said,
‘Hatians? Do we need more Hatians?’” Trump, on the other hand, said on Twitter
on Friday that his language during the meeting was “tough,” but “this was not
the language used.”The US government’s Africa Media Hub, without directly
referring to Trump’s statement, the tweeted that “US remains committed to
working together w/Africans to realize the promise of a more peaceful, more
productive, more prosperous 21st century Africa. US deeply respects the people
of #Africa & values its partnerships with them.”
Senior judges open rift with India’s chief justice
AFP, New Delhi/January 12/ 2018/Four Indian Supreme Court judges took the
unprecedented step of publicly criticising the chief justice on Friday, warning
a lack of impartiality could imperil the world’s largest democracy. The judges
said they were making their disagreement with Chief Justice Dipak Mishra public
after private talks failed to address what they said were serious problems with
the running of India’s highest court. They gave no specific details at a hastily
arranged press conference. But in a letter released to the media they said the
criticisms related to an alleged lack of transparency in the selection of judges
to try cases, calling it a cause for “serious concern”. “The administration of
the SC is not in order and many things which are less than desirable have
happened in last few months,” Justice Jasti Chelameswar, one of the four judges,
told reporters. “Democracy will not survive if judiciary is not impartial,” he
said. In a letter to Chief Justice Mishra that has been made public, the judges
said they would not divulge details of their concerns to avoid embarrassing the
institution. But one of the four said their concerns related to a case involving
the death of a lower court judge, B H Loya, in 2014 days before he was to
deliver a final verdict in the case of a senior ruling party politician accused
of ordering a murder. Loya was said to have died of natural causes but the
Supreme Court is hearing a petition demanding an investigation into allegations
he was murdered. Mishra did not respond to calls for comment on the allegations.
Experts said it was unprecedented for judges to publicly criticise the head of
India’s highest court. The Supreme Court has huge influence in India and has in
the past revoked laws passed by the parliament that it considered infringed
citizens’ rights. Last year it upheld the fundamental right to privacy of
citizens despite government opposition. There was a mixed reaction from fellow
judges, some of whom condemned the four men’s actions as irresponsible. Others
were supportive, among them Prashant Bhushan, a Supreme Court lawyer and
opposition politician. “They are doing a service to the nation by letting the
country know that the chief justice is abusing and misusing his power as the
master of roster to assign cases to particular benches, to junior judges to
achieve a predetermined outcome,” he said.
Pakistani father of slain girl blames police for
slow action
The Associated Press/January 12/ 2018/The father of an 8-year-old Pakistani girl
whose rape and killing shocked the nation accused the police on Thursday of
being slow to respond when his daughter went missing in eastern Punjab province.
The father, Anees Ansari, who was on a pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia with his wife
at the time of his daughter’s disappearance, spoke after meeting with the Punjab
Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.The condemnable & horrific rape & murder of little
Zainab exposes once again how vulnerable our children are in our society. This
is not the first time such horrific acts have happened. We have to act swiftly
to punish the guilty & ensure that our children are better protected.
pic.twitter.com/9f7OM3hYT1
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) January 10, 2018
Sharif travelled to the city of Kasur to visit the family hours after Ansari
returned home from Saudi Arabia to attend his daughter’s funeral Wednesday. The
girl, Zainab Ansari, disappeared last week while going to a nearby home for
Quranic studies and her body was found in a Kasur waste-yard on Tuesday. Her
murder sparked clashes Wednesday between angry Kasur residents and police after
protesters enraged over her death attacked a police station in the city. Two
people were killed and three others were wounded in the clashes. The horrific
crime perpetrated in Kasur is devastating. Pakistan needs to reevaluate how it
deals with such crimes, especially those against children. My prayers and
heartfelt sympathies with the family. We must all stand with victims of abuse.
https://t.co/YLEmW5sBXU
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) January 10, 2018
Sharif, who had assured Zainab’s father that justice would be done, also fired
Kasur’s police chief over negligence in the case, according to a Punjab
government statement Thursday. Three police officers were arrested for opening
fire at the mob instead of into the air during Wednesday’s clashes.
Zainab’s killing, which has drawn wide public outcry, prompted dozens of civil
society activists to rally on Thursday in the city of Lahore. A similar rally
took place Wednesday in the port city of Karachi.
Pakistan’s Malala Yousafzai, the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize laureate and champion
for female education, tweeted Wednesday she was “heartbroken” about Zainab’s
tragic fate and demanded action against the killer.
In rut, Russian communists register surprise
candidate to challenge Putin
Reuters, Moscow/January 12/ 2018/The Russian Communist Party moved to overhaul
its geriatric image on Friday, registering a wealthy 57-year-old farm boss to
challenge incumbent Vladimir Putin for the presidency in a gamble it hopes will
revive its electoral fortunes. Russia’s central election commission on Friday
said it had registered Pavel Grudinin, who runs a farm business on the edge of
Moscow, as the party's candidate for the March 18 election after the communists
unexpectedly decided against putting up their veteran 73-year-old leader Gennady
Zyuganov. Backed by state TV, the ruling United Russia party, and many voters
who live outside big cities, polls show 65-year-old Putin, who has dominated
Russian politics for the last 18 years, is on track to comfortably win a fourth
presidential term. Grudinin, a fresh face in an otherwise stale political
line-up that has hardly changed in the last two decades, could indirectly help
Putin by boosting turnout amid signs of apathy among some voters who assume
Putin will win however they vote. Though a shadow of itself in the Soviet era
when it enjoyed a monopoly on power, the Communist Party is also hoping a
younger less orthodox contender may be able to revive its fortunes and appeal to
younger voters. The party has seen its share of the vote in post-Soviet
presidential elections more than halve from a high of almost 41 percent or
around 30 million votes in 1996. In the last election, in 2012, it won just over
12 million votes.
Yet it remains popular with millions of Russians, particularly older people who
live in rural communities, retains a nationwide network, and regularly comes
second to the ruling party in elections.
Unorthodox communist
Grudinin is not a typical communist candidate. Zyuganov, who the party has
fielded unsuccessfully in four presidential elections, is known for hard line
communist views, his frequent quoting of Soviet revolutionary Vladimir Lenin,
and once called for the re-Stalinisation of society. Grudinin, a former Putin
supporter, makes jokes, is open about the fact that he earns 20 million roubles
($353,773.17) a year, says modern communists should learn from the USSR's
mistakes, and advocates Russia borrowing some aspects of Chinese-style
communism. Observers have noticed another big difference. While Zyuganov in
recent years would criticize the ruling United Russia party, he was careful, in
the tightly-controlled political system, not to harshly criticize Putin.
Grudinin has been less coy, accusing Putin of making empty promises and
suggesting he has been in power too long, even comparing him to veteran Soviet
leader Leonid Brezhnev whose lengthy rule became synonymous with decay. “When
General Secretary Brezhnev sat in his post (for too long) it was bad,” Grudinin
told a state TV talk show last month. “Why are we repeating the same mistake?”
History made as Saudi women to enter stadiums for first time
to watch soccer
Al Arabiya
English/January 11/2018/It is yet another historic day in Saudi Arabia has the
King Abdullah Sport City stadium in Jeddah is set to open its doors for Saudi
women to attend the Saudi professional League game scheduled between Al Ahli
club of Jeddah and al-Batin. As hours go by, social media has been abuzz with
images showing preparations ahead of the game. Signage have been placed showing
the women’s entrance and even including a women’s smoking section. A special
section has been assigned for women who smoke according to the images released.
According to reports, women will be allowed for the first time with designated
seating in the “family section.”To prepare for the change, the kingdom has
designated “family sections” in the stands for women. The stadiums have also
been fitted with female restrooms and separate entrances and parking lots for
female spectators. On Saturday, the national stadium in the capital, Riyadh,
will open its gates for women to attend a soccer game. Saudi women carry
national flags as they arrive outside a stadium for the first time to attend an
event in the capital Riyadh on September 23, 2017. (AFP)
Early preparations
The announcement that Saudi Arabia will allow families into three sports
stadiums was made last year, in a landmark move that opened up the previously
male-only venues to families. The announcement was in line with Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman’s ambitious reform drive shaking up the kingdom, including
the decision to allow women to drive from next June. “Starting the preparation
of three stadiums in Riyadh, Jeddah and Damman to be ready to accommodate
families from early 2018,” the General Sports Authority said on Twitter. A month
earlier, authorities had allowed hundreds of women to throng a sports stadium in
Riyadh, used mostly for football matches, for the first time to mark Saudi
Arabia’s national day. Saudi Arabia is changing rules as part of its “Vision
2030” plan for economic and social reforms, which aims to boost female
employment.
The Jeddah Women’s Championship organized the first women’s basketball
tournament in Saudi Arabia, which was held in Al Jawhara Stadium. (Supplied)
More tournaments
In November 2017, the Jeddah Women's Championship organized the first women’s
basketball tournament in Saudi Arabia, which was held in Al Jawhara Stadium. A
team from the University of Science and Technology in Jeddah won the competition
in the presence of more than 3,000 women, among them gymnasts and boxers. In an
interview with Al Arabiya.net, Dina Arif, the owner a breast cancer awareness
initiative, organized the event in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and
the General Authority for Sport to raise awareness among women about the
importance of sport and healthy living. (With AP inputs)
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on January 12-13/18
Why U.S. policy toward Iran must focus on strategy
الدكتور وليد فارس/لهذه الأسباب المطلوب من السياسة الأميركية بما يخص إيران أن
تركز على الإستراتجية
Walid Phares/The Washington
Times/January 12/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=61755
This is a historic moment that can be seized to assist peaceful political change
in Iran
President Obama’s abandonment of Iranians on the streets of Tehran in 2009 was
not some random tactical mistake; it was strategic policy that sacrificed
democracy in Iran in order to establish an economic and political partnership
with the regime, eventually the Iran deal. The mullahs were given the
opportunity to crush the popular opposition, export their military and militias
to four countries in the Middle East, build a fleet of missiles, and keep their
options open to produce and deploy nuclear weapons.
Today, the world is watching — again — the many demonstrations taking place in
Iran. People have become increasingly angry at the economic disparities and are
now calling for the fall of the regime. This is a historic moment that needs to
be seized by the United States and the international community to assist
peaceful political change in Iran, a change that would end half of the war on
terror and set the track for peace and social prosperity. But what exactly
should the U.S. do?
• Speak and speak loudly, shatter the silence. Supportive tweets by President
Trump are crucial because they can be read by Iranian youth, women and workers
and can serve as a morale booster to Iran’s civil society and to ethnic
minorities. However, the president’s tweets should present focused content that
can help allies and the Iranian opposition to understand what Washington wants
and can do. Presidential tweets can be a formidable game changer if they are
prioritized. So are congressional tweets from both parties.
• U.S. diplomacy should raise the bar by speaking up as Ambassador Haley is
doing at the U.N. Security Council. But beyond lamenting the actions of the
Iranian regime, what is needed next is the formation of a large coalition of
countries ready to act at the U.N., flanked by a larger alliance of NGOs ready
to take it to communities and social media. If U.S. efforts at the U.N. Security
Council are vetoed by Russia, Ms. Haley should call on a meeting in support of
the Iranian people. Many Arab, Muslim, Latin American, Asian, and African
delegates would participate. Some East European countries may also join in. The
U.S. can convene a coalition of the willing to pressure Tehran.
• The Iranian opposition — particularly those in exile — must help the U.S. and
the world mobilize by uniting themselves first. The Western based Iranian groups
need to stop unproductive competition, think of the now and not of who will
seize power later, and appear together and in solidarity on the international
scene. Keeping in mind that the real actors on the ground inside Iran, that is
the protesters, are the ones to be supported in their quest for democracy. The
diaspora should back them up, and once the change is achieved, let a free
competition be the fair game for all to form future governments.
• U.S. policy must present a rational and strategic agenda regarding Iran’s
protests. The administration’s narrative must be unified, and the White House
must tightly coordinate with Congress on a comprehensive strategy. A bipartisan
platform needs to be built as a basis for a U.S. national approach to the
matter. We strongly suggest the appointment of an “Iran coordinator,” as long as
the crisis is ongoing, to maintain cohesiveness between all U.S. government
entities and to reach out to regional and international players, as well as the
Iranian opposition.
• The U.S. and its international coalition must provide strategic non-military
support to Iranians, including efficient means of communication, including
powerful Internet access along with broadcasting abilities, both those funded by
the U.S. such as radio Farda and VOA Farsi, and private sector networks. It is
vital to coordinate with partners in the region to broadcast into Iran in
Persian and other languages, and work with humanitarian NGOs to assist the
victims of violence in Iran.
• Extend assistance to civil societies in the region, particularly in Iraq,
Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, targeted by Iran regime’s militias, so that they can
also put pressure on Tehran to cease its interventions in the region.
• Continue to block the shipping of Iranian missiles to countries overseas,
including in the Middle East, starting with Yemen.
Now that Iran’s civil society has risen, it is the moral obligation of the
international community not only to express solidarity with them, but also to
provide support — within the limits of international law — so that Iran’s silent
majority can bring modern political change to that ancient country, so cruelly
ruled by dictators since 1979.
• Walid Phares, a professor of political science, served as foreign policy
adviser to presidential candidates Mitt Romney and Donald Trump. He is the
author of “The Lost Spring: U.S. policy in the Middle East and Catastrophes to
Avoid” (St. Martin’s Press, 2014).
Copyright © 2018 The Washington Times, LLC.
https://m.washingtontimes.com/news/2018/jan/11/US-Iran-policy-needs-focused-strategy-political-ch/
Bannon’s revenge on the Trump family
Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/January 12/2018
After President Trump won the presidency in a miraculous way, he rewarded his
special adviser Steven Bannon by appointing him White House chief strategist,
despite strong opposition. Bannon is an extremist and a racist. It’s hard for
someone like him to be a decision maker in America, which is the leader of the
free world and human rights watchdog.
Trump did not listen to his advisers or the public opinion over his appointment
of Bannon. However, he was forced to dismiss him after seven months because
Bannon had become a liability for Trump and his team.
Bannon’s provocative statements regarding many segments of the American people
would have obviously caused concern for Trump, especially as the President
himself faced a war with the media. Bannon left the White House on good terms
with his friend Trump, but their compromise did not last long.
After his removal, Bannon did not express his resentment and refrained from
criticizing his former boss. Until one day he said that he had doubts whether
Trump would carry on and continue after his first term. Even then, few knew
there were burning embers under the ashes of Bannon.
I think that Bannon still believes that Trump’s close family members were the
reason for his expulsion, namely his daughter Ivanka, her husband Jared Kushner,
and Trump’s eldest son Donald Trump Jr. There were leaks that this family did
not want a stranger among them.
Trump made a big mistake by announcing that he will try to prevent the
publication of the book, which ironically contributed to its popularity
Fire and Fury
Eventually, Bannon divulged many secrets to journalist Michael Wolff and the
latter published these facts in his recent book Fire and Fury. The book talks
about how Trump Jr. had met a few Russians at his father's famous tower in New
York City in order to plan the overthrow of Hillary Clinton!
Bannon also predicted that the son of Trump would be called for interrogation,
because what he had done amounted to treason. Bannon talked very harshly about
Trump Jr. and it goes without saying that no one would be happy with him in the
family. Bannon was Trump’s adviser and also his friend.
After these segments of the book were leaked, Trump was furious at his friend.
The book became the talk of the American media, both in news outlets and talk
shows, which made the publishing house push the release date by four days. In a
rush of emotions, Trump made a big mistake by announcing that he will try to
prevent the publication of the book, which ironically contributed to its
popularity. The book sold out very quickly because the allegations in the book
are potentially dangerous for the Trump presidency.
I will shed light on the extent of the book’s credibility, and its impact on
Trump in another article.
Iran’s catastrophes loom large
Abdulrahman al-Rashed/Al Arabiya/January 12/2018
There’s a famous Arabic saying: “Chaos does not come individually; it comes in
groups” and this is exactly what is happening in Iran. The country is being
shaken by nationwide protests, the value of their riyals has deteriorated, the
US Congress has voted on punishing the country, while fires burned as its
biggest oil tanker collided with a cargo carrier on Chinese beachfronts. Even if
protests decrease in the streets, they are increasing on various other mediums.
Protests alone are not enough to remove the regime that based its existence on a
satanic configuration made by religious forces, the Basij militia, the
Revolutionary guard and intelligence agencies. They blocked most internet
services, social media platforms, and imprisoned 5,000 people who are sentenced
to death disregarding international public opinion. Because the Wilayat al-Faqih
state cares about its image internally and externally, we must not be surprised
if it expands its military operations, looking for external victories to mend
their internal wounds
But when it is faced with all these catastrophes resulting from international,
public and economic pressure, it will budge. Either the regime has to partially
change, like what happened in China, or it has to fully change like what
happened in Russia, or it has to change through phases as seen in Egypt, or
collapse peacefully, as seen in the governments of Eastern Europe or collapse
completely like what happened in Libya.
Iranian regime obstacles
It is not tough for the regime to try and suppress the uprising, and face the
protests head on like they are doing now and like they did eight years ago.
However, the Wilayat al-Faqih regime suffers from a number of serious ailments.
The first is that this regime has been in power for 40 years without developing
itself or answering to its people’s new generational needs. The regime also
suffers from internal conflicts, including conflicts between the clergy that
have surfaced and threaten its unity. It is now paying the price of its
religious and military leaders’ aspirations, who have entered into dangerous and
costly regional wars. It is impossible for them to achieve permanent control for
Iran because of the regional rejection of their expansion.
Lastly comes the enmity of great powers, specifically the US under the
leadership of President Trump, who have decided to keep an eye on Tehran’s
associations and plans to target them. They have already begun to pressure them
technically, commercially and politically.
These collective factors are able to destroy this extremist theological country
that refuses to change, develop and coexist, and insists on starting wars and
spreading terrorism.
Their eventual fall
The latest protests are a very important indicator, showing that the regime has
lost what was left of its popularity even in rural areas that once supported it.
It was previously believed that Tehran residents and the middle class who
revolted in 2009 do not decide Iran’s fate, but it is actually the regime’s
support base outside the capital. The regime created by Khomeini is
deteriorating, and will collapse either gradually or very soon, not only because
regional and international powers want this, but because more importantly,
internal forces in the country are now opposing the regime. And because the
Wilayat al-Faqih state cares about its image internally and externally, we must
not be surprised if it expands its military operations, looking for external
victories to mend their internal wounds. The Iranian republic does not have
enough financial resources to fix its economy that has gotten worse since the
widespread protests, and if it increases its military activity externally, it
will get even worse.
Pakistan: The waste basket of US imperialism
Farouq Yousuf/Al Arabiya/January 12/2018
Former Mujahedeen militants and later crop of terrorist groups may be currently
operating in many parts of Pakistan, but the wrath of the United States is both
out of place and out of proportion. The US must realize that Pakistan is merely
a waste basket of its own imperialism. The United States is angry at Pakistan
for not fighting terrorist groups whose presence poses a threat to global
security. However, the accusation is scandalous as Pakistan was once used as a
workshop for the US intelligence agencies, a fact that many in the United States
do not deny. The Pakistani intelligence played a critical role in the Afghan war
against the former Soviet Union and produced results which even the Americans
could not have accomplished through their strategies on paper. However,
Pakistani intelligence services added religious fervor to the militancy and the
extremism factor motivated their ranks to fight the communist infidels coming
from the land of the Soviets. Pakistan taught Western intelligence services how
to camouflage ugly reality by adding the spirit of religion, which unfortunately
paved the way for the creation of extremist and terrorist groups, of which
al-Qaeda became the most striking example.
Pakistan’s achievements verged towards being miraculous when it played a
decisive role in defeating the Soviet army in Afghanistan, which served as one
of the reasons for the collapse of the former superpower. On that day, the
United States and its friends spent millions in order for Pakistan to continue
in its creative effort. But the US occupation of Afghanistan upset the equations
created by Pakistan which the US administration had not accounted for in their
earlier calculations. The influx of foreign money and resources into Pakistan
transformed the country into a militant factory, a hub and an incubator for
violent extremists. The US anger over Pakistan contradicts its former position,
in that it once supported the latter’s quest for creating extremist groups
Spawning independently
If the Taliban were one of their inventions of Pakistani intelligence, many
other groups and organizations spawned independently out of the selfsame
extremist motivations. The Taliban was quick to hijack the role of former
mujahedeen and became an enemy to the United States. This put Pakistan in a
difficult position. Was Pakistan supposed to fight these extremist groups that
it had created but could not control because of their ideological nature?
Although a country with nuclear weapons, Pakistan remains one of the world’s
most backward countries at least in terms of governance, and its economy is
wracked by corruption. It is also a country where assassinations of heads of
state are common. The US anger over Pakistan contradicts its former position, in
that it once supported the latter’s quest for creating extremist groups. It was
only after the collapse of the Taliban that the US view changed and it wanted
terrorist organizations to be uprooted. Pakistan is by no means completely
innocent when it comes to the issue of terrorism, but it is also true that it
has clashed with the ideology and activities of terrorist groups for several
decades and has paid a heavy price.Again, Pakistan’s anti-terror campaign forced
terrorist organizations to morph and spread their influence in the general
public and to some extent they have become part of the social fabric of the
country. The former Mujahedeen and the current terrorists may rule the roost in
many parts of Pakistan, but the wrath of the United States is still unwarranted,
as Pakistan is merely America’s imperialist waste basket.
Khomeini regime and its American connections
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/January 12/2018
One of the slogans which the Khomeini regime deceptively raised is “Death to
America.” It made political gains via this propaganda which also included
slogans about Jerusalem and Palestine. Observers can tell that Iran’s
involvement in the Palestinian cause is recent and sudden.
The guardians of the Khomeini regime have always worked to serve the interests
of the regime which has nothing to do with the propaganda it sells to its
supporters and to some sick elites. The Khomeinis’ ties with Uncle Sam, the
“Great Satan,” are well-known.
There is the 1985-1986 Iran–Contra scandal and the major secret deal, the
details of which were accurately planned by Hassan Rouhani’s team and John
Kerry, US Secretary of State, during Obama’s term. The Obama-Khamenei flirtation
began in the first year after Obama assumed the presidency.
However, these ties have an older history. I’ve recently read an extensive
article by Saudi researcher Kamel al-Khatti which was published in the Okaz
daily. Khatti traced the contacts and agreements which the Khomeini regime’s
founder reached with the Americans while he was exiled in France.
His article highlighted a BBC Persian Service report by Iranian Journalist
Kambiz Fattahi and investigative reporters Taylor Kate Brown, Jessica Lussenhop,
Bill McKenna and Mat Morrison.
Khomeini-Carter contacts
The report, which was published on June 3, 2016, included contacts which
Khomeini made with Carter’s administration for two weeks before Khomeini
returned to Tehran. The contacts included agreements which Doctor Ebrahim Yazdi
made from exile in Neauphle-le-Château in Paris with Warren Zimmermann, a
political advisor of the American embassy in Paris. The BBC report also revealed
that Khomeini confirmed to the Americans that he will work on protecting their
interests and make sure that Americans in Iran will be safe. He pledged to the
Americans that he will not work on exporting the revolution and will not be
hostile to neighboring Arab regimes like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and Kuwait. The BBC
report also revealed that Khomeini confirmed to the Americans that he will work
on protecting their interests and make sure that Americans in Iran will be safe.
He pledged to the Americans that he will not work on exporting the revolution
and will not be hostile to neighboring Arab regimes like Saudi Arabia, Iraq and
Kuwait. Khomeini also reassured the Americans in terms of oil supplies’ flow and
played an extremely significant political card at the right time as he convinced
Washington of the importance of maintaining its influence in Iran in order to
protect it from Soviet influence or possible British influence.
This is the beginning of the Khomeini story. Khomeini and his men did not find
anything wrong in communicating and reaching agreements with Washington. This
was the case until developments took another turn.
It all happened due to the naivety of American President Carter. Decades later,
Obama became president and followed suit but with less naivety and more guile.