LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
June 04/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
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Bible
Quotations
If Christ has not been
raised, then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in
vain
First Letter to the Corinthians 15/12-26: "If
Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say there
is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead,
then Christ has not been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our
proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain. We are even
found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified of God that he raised
Christ whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For
if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised. If Christ has
not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then
those also who have died in Christ have perished. If for this life only we
have hoped in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact
Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have
died.For since death came through a human being, the resurrection of the
dead has also come through a human being; for as all die in Adam, so all
will be made alive in Christ. But each in his own order: Christ the first
fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end,
when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed
every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has
put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is
death."
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on June 03-04/18
Alleging corruption, Lebanese parties to challenge president
on citizenship decree/David Enders/The National/June 3, 2018
Samir Kassir Award lauds those who strive for freedom of the press/Ghadir
Hamadi/Annahar/June 03/18/
The dilemma of corruption in Lebanon/Ali Al-Amin/Al Arabiya/June 03/18
Israel, Damascus Deny Deal Reached On Southern Syria/Jerusalem Post/June
03/18
Rape Gangs: A Story Set in Leafy Oxfordshire/Douglas Murray/Gatestone
Institute./June 03/18
UN Has Only Recommended Tiny Token Numbers of Syrian Christians for
Resettlement in the UK/Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute./June 03/18
In Saudi Arabia, Structural Reform Does not Stop/Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al
Awsat/June 03/18
From tunnels of extremism towards horizons of tolerance/Fahad Suleiman
Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/June 03/18
Sanaa must be seen to, however long the journey/Mohammed Al Shaikh/Al
Arabiya/June 03/18
Decline in Israel-Turkey relations has Armenia back on the agenda/Yasar
Yakis/Arab News/June 03/18
Mediterranean hotspots a threat to entire region/Kerry Boyd Anderson/Arab
News/June 03/18
EU shares no common ground with Tehran/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June
03/18
Syria links talks on south to US withdrawal/AFP/June 03, 2018
Titles For The
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
June 03-04/18
American Mideast Coalition for Democracy Backs
Pompeo's Call for Review of Aid to Lebanon
Pro-Syrian Regime Officials Top Lebanon’s Controversial Naturalization
Decree
Report: Bassil, Nader Hariri 'Blamed for Naturalization Decree’
Syria Extends Deadline for Contentious Property Law that Worried Lebanon
Rahi presides over Sunday Mass service in Harissa
Bassil, Nasrallah confer over domestic, international affairs
Lebanese delegate to UN holds reception on 40th commemoration of UNIFIL's
entry into Lebanon
Nadim Gemayel: Several moves underway to cancel naturalization decree
Ferzli: Republic President has the right to grant Lebanese nationality to
whomever he pleases
Khreiss: To accelerate the formation of a national unity government to face
lurking dangers
Matar salutes Riachi on World Day of Social Communication
Bou Assi: Minister Bassil is not the one who determines LF's size in
government, but rather the Prime Minister
Hobeish: Akkar is one of Hariri's priorities, deserves to be represented by
more than one ministry
Alleging corruption, Lebanese parties to challenge president on citizenship
decree
Samir Kassir Award lauds those who strive for freedom of the press
The dilemma of corruption in Lebanon
Titles For Latest LCCC
Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on June 03-04/18
Iranian officers withdraw from
Syria’s Tall Rifaat, object Russia, Turkey deal
Deal Sought to Allow Lieberman to Temporarily Replace Netanyahu in Exchange
for Early Polls
New Deal Reached on Southern Syria
No N. Korea Relief until Verifiable Denuclearisation Steps, Says Mattis
Saudi Arabia Says 17 Detained in Sweeping Crackdown
Jordan Protests Snowball over IMF-Backed Austerity
Iraq Court Sentences French Woman to Life for IS Membership
Qatar Crisis Creates 'New' Gulf with No Winners
Weary Libyans Remain Wary of Leaders' New Pledges
North Korea state media says Syria’s Assad wants to meet Kim
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on
June 03-04/18
American Mideast
Coalition for Democracy Backs Pompeo's Call for Review of Aid to Lebanon
Naharnet/June 03/18/The American Mideast Coalition for
Democracy has announced that it supports U.S. Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo’s call for a review of U.S. aid to Lebanon's security and military
forces.
AMCD in conjunction with The World Council of Cedars Revolution (WCCR)
suggests that any support from the U.S. be based on the following
stipulations:
"1. A clear announcement by the Lebanese cabinet, ministry of defense and
army command that they do not support or endorse Hizbullah.
2. A clear announcement of support for U.N. resolution 1559 which called for
the full withdrawal and disarming of all militias in Lebanon including
Hizbullah.
3. That the Lebanese government and Lebanese army implement a security plan
to create a safe zone in Lebanon where Hizbullah cannot deploy nor obtain
permits to carry arms. The army and security forces would have sole
responsible for security in these areas."
The American Mideast Coalition for Democracy (AMCD) describes itself as a
"non-partisan, grass-roots organization dedicated to empowering the
estimated 10 million Americans of Middle Eastern descent to promote greater
understanding and beneficial policies for both America and for the countries
of the Middle East."
“It is our sincere hope that these steps will begin the process of civil
society wresting back control from Hizbullah, but it will be a struggle,”
said AMCD Co-Director John Hajjar.
“Hizbullah has slowly, but steadily taken control of Lebanon politically
because they had already taken control of Lebanon’s security forces. In this
situation, whoever wins elections is irrelevant. Hizbullah, and thus Iran,
is in control of Lebanon,” Hajjar added.
Pro-Syrian Regime Officials Top Lebanon’s Controversial Naturalization
Decree
Beirut - Nazeer Rida/Asharq Al Awsat/Sunday, 03 June/ 2018
Lebanon’s controversial naturalization decree has included former Syrian
officials and wealthy warlords close to the Syrian regime, according to
information released on Saturday. Minister of Education in the caretaker
government Marwan Hamadeh accused President Michel Aoun of conspiring with
the Syrian regime. In remarks to Asharq Al-Awsat, Hamadeh said the decree,
“regardless of the powers of those who signed it, indicates a serious
complicity between the Lebanese governance, in particular the current term,
with the Syrian authorities that massacred the Syrian people.”
“The decree entails more threats than the mere naturalization of some of the
suspicious people of the Bashar Assad regime, who will certainly be hit by
international and Arab sanctions sooner or later,” he added. Hamadeh called
on Prime Minister Saad Hariri to give answers to his friends and allies
about the truth behind this decree. Meanwhile, in an official presidential
statement on Saturday, Aoun requested that anyone with evidence of the
ineligibility of members of the list of people to be granted Lebanese
citizenship bring the information to General Security. “The President of the
Republic, General Michel Aoun, requests anyone who has definite information
about any person included in the above-mentioned decree and does not deserve
Lebanese nationality to submit this information to the Ministry of the
Interior,” the statement read. Three parliamentary blocs, including the
Democratic Gathering, headed by Taymur Jumblat, the “Powerful Republic”, led
by the Lebanese Forces, and the Kataeb Party, are preparing to challenge the
decree before the Constitutional Council. Some information and photos posted
on Twitter revealed that those who were granted Lebanese nationality include
Farouk al-Joud, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in
Lattakia. He is the owner of the largest fleet of ships and is close to the
Syrian regime. The family of former Syrian Minister Hani Murtada, Samer Fawz,
who is very close to Maher al-Assad and Iyad Ghazal, former governor of
Homs, have also been included in the decree.
It is not yet confirmed whether some of these names have been mentioned on
the lists of international and Arab sanctions, since the naturalization
decree has not yet been officially released. However, the Lebanese
nationality is an outlet for Syrian individuals and investors to open bank
accounts, given that their country is subject to sanctions that hinder their
work. The decree needs the signature of the prime minister and interior
minister to take effect.
Report: Bassil, Nader
Hariri 'Blamed for Naturalization Decree’
Naharnet/June 03/18/A controversial naturalization decree granting Lebanese
citizenship to foreigners has reportedly been “blamed on Free Patriotic
Movement Jebran Bassil and former head of the premier’s office Nader
Hariri,” the Kuwaiti Asseyasah daily reported Sunday.
The daily said that “political circles have held Bassil and Hariri
accountable for bringing the naturalization law to the spotlight as part of
the presidential settlement in Lebanon.”“Other political leader had no
knowledge about the law,” they told the daily on condition of anonymity.
Noting the contradiction between said law and the calls to return Syrian
refugees back to their hometowns, they asked: “How does the (presidential)
term call for the return of Syrian refugees out of naturalization fears,
while at the same time embarks on selling the nationality to Bashar Assad’s
aides?”Reports have emerged lately that President Michel Aoun has signed the
controversial decree one day before the government turned to its caretaker
capacity. The law grants citizenship to some 300 people mostly including
names of Syrian figures close to Syrian President Bashar Assad who are also
subject to US financial sanctions, to Palestinians, Western and Gulf
businessmen, as well as a number of stateless applicants. The decree has
provoked criticism, especially since it will be issued by a caretaker
government. Kataeb party leader, MP Sami Gemayel emphasized that he will
“obtain a copy of the decree from the Interior Ministry to take the action
needed.”
The Democratic Gathering bloc said they will challenge the law in front of
the Constitutional Council. Head of the Progressive Socialist Party Walid
Jumblat published on Twitter the names of some Syrian figures whom he said
have “obtained the Lebanese nationality.”
Syria Extends Deadline for Contentious Property Law that Worried Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 03/18/Syria has amended a controversial
property law criticized by several Lebanese officials as “hindering the
return of 1.5 million Syrian refugees who have sought refuge in
Lebanon.”Syria amended the law to allow people a year instead of a month to
prove ownership of land seized for development, the foreign minister said
Saturday. The law, known as Decree 10, allows Syria's government to seize
private property for zoned developments and compensate proven owners with
shares in the new projects. Critics, including rights groups and
neighbouring Lebanon, have warned the law could prevent millions of Syrians
displaced by the seven-year war from ever returning home. Owners inevitably
lose their property under the decree, but after an amendment now have up to
a year -- instead of 30 days -- to claim shares after a new zone is
announced if they prove ownership.
"The time period has been amended and become a year," Foreign Minister Walid
Muallem said at a press conference in the Syrian capital. Muallem said the
nationwide law was "necessary" after the regime regained control of the
former rebel bastion of Eastern Ghouta outside Damascus in April, through a
military assault and evacuation deals that displaced tens of thousands from
their homes. "Property regulation was necessary to restore the rights of the
owners," he said, accusing rebels of "burning real estate records" and
"manipulating" property deeds when they held the region. But critics have
raised concerns about the repercussions of such a law, especially for those
affiliated to anti-government groups who will likely not dare to make a
claim. Human Rights Watch has said the law amounts to "forced eviction".
Last week, Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri said the law “concerns
Lebanon because it tells thousands of Syrian families to stay in Lebanon,”
should their homes be confiscated by the Syrian government. Foreign Minister
Jebran Bassil also warned that Decree 10 could hinder the return of an
estimated 1.5 million Syrian refugees who have sought refuge in his country.
But Muallem on Saturday dismissed such charges as unfounded. "We are keen
for displaced Syrians to return to their hometowns and we will provide all
necessary facilitations to those who wish to return," he said, adding he
would send a reply to Bassil on Sunday. Syria's war erupted in March 2011
and has since forced more than five million people to flee outside the
country and has displaced over six million internally.
Rahi presides over Sunday Mass service in Harissa
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - Maronite Patriarch, Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rahi,
presided over Sunday Mass in the Basilica of "Our Lady of Lebanon" in
Harissa, commemorating the consecration of Lebanon to the immaculate heart
of Mary. The Prelate called in his homily to eradicate corruption and to
ensure citizens' best interests, eliminating the burdens that affect their
lives and families' needs. He also called upon citizens to practice their
rights in a fair and free manner, away from the interference of politicians,
while demanding justice for employees who were collectively and arbitrarily
dismissed from institutions where they worked, sacrificing their time and
energy. "In order to promote a nation that is under debt and threatened of
bankruptcy, a new government of technocrats must be formed to reform the
country's sectors," Rahi asserted, noting that this is a condition for
obtaining donations pledged to Lebanon during CEDRE conferences in Rome and
Brussels. The Patriarch highlighted the importance of respecting public
opinion, particularly concerning the decree on naturalization, which
provoked "a justified outcry because of the concealment of its content."
According to the Patriarch, the principle of granting the Lebanese
nationality must be based on the link of blood, not on services and
residence.
Bassil, Nasrallah confer over domestic, international
affairs
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - The Free Patriotic Movement Media Bureau indicated in
a statement released on Sunday that "a long meeting took place on Friday
night between Hezbollah Secretary-General, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, and FPM
Chief, Caretaker Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Minister Gebran Bassil, in
the presence of Hezbollah's Liaison and Coordination Unit, Wafiq Safa."The
statement disclosed that discussions during the meeting focused on "the
domestic and foreign political situations, in addition to evaluating the
results of the recent parliamentary elections, taking into account all
positive and negative lessons learnt." The two leaders also broached the
issue of the displaced Syrians, as well as fighting corruption and giving
top priority to the parliamentary and governmental work in the country. "It
was agreed to set a preliminary plan to combat corruption and adopt a common
mechanism afterwards," the statement said. Finally, Bassil and Nasrallah
discussed the necessity of forming a new government in accordance with the
Constitutional and Democratic Charter, and in line with the recent
parliamentary elections outcome.
Lebanese delegate to UN holds reception on 40th
commemoration of UNIFIL's entry into Lebanon
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - Lebanese representative at the United Nations, Amal
Moudallali, held a reception at her residence in New York on Sunday, marking
40 years since the entry of UNIFIL into Lebanon. Addressing a crowd of UN
officials who attended the reception, including President of the UN General
Assembly Miorslav Lajcak, UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammad, and
various senior diplomats and UN officers, Moudallali thanked the UN for its
ongoing cooperation with Lebanon. She added that after all these years,
UNIFIL is now considered part of the Lebanese society's components. In the
same context, Moudallali praised the dedication of the UNIFIL members who,
she said, made sacrifices to bring peace to the world. Moudallali also
thanked the UNIFIL for its contribution to ensuring security in Lebanon
since 1978, while losing 313 of its soldiers from several countries, namely
France, Ireland, Fiji, Ghana, Bangladesh, Nepal, Senegal, Spain, Sri Lanka,
Turkey, the United Kingdom, India, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Poland,
Nigeria, the Philippines, Norway, El Salvador, Iran, Indonesia, Denmark,
Italy, Sweden, Belgium, and Finland. She saluted the souls of UNIFL's fallen
martyrs who sacrificed their lives for the sake of peace in Lebanon. The
diplomat recalled that the situation in southern Lebanon was stable, but
fragile, as Lebanon has not yet managed to achieve a permanent ceasefire in
accordance with UN Resolution # 1701. Moudallali added that the United
Nations could have, during 40 years of UNIFIL presence on Lebanese
territory, approached the problem of Lebanon reflected by the Israeli
occupation, and put an end to the Israeli daily land, air and sea violations
of Lebanese sovereignty. Finally, she confirmed Lebanon's cooperation with
the UN peacekeeping forces, and her personal collaboration as an ambassador,
to support the role and mission of UNIFIL in Lebanon.
Nadim Gemayel: Several moves underway to cancel
naturalization decree
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - MP Nadim Gemayel deemed Sunday that "the Lebanese
nationality should not be underestimated," adding, "The Kataeb Party will
appeal against the naturalization decree."Speaking in an interview to Radio
"Voice of Lebanon" this morning, Gemayel added, "We are in the process of
revoking the naturalization decree and the Lebanese people must be aware of
the seriousness of this stage.""This decree is invalid and a legal heresy,"
he emphasized. Gemayel outlined a number of defects in the decree in
question, wondering what criteria were adopted for the naturalization of
Syrians and Palestinians.
Ferzli: Republic President has the right to grant Lebanese nationality to
whomever he pleases
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - Deputy House Speaker Elie el-Ferzli stated Sunday that
"the President of the Republic has the right to naturalize whoever he
wishes," referring herein to the recently issued naturalization decree that
has triggered controversy in the country. In an interview to "Voice of
Lebanon" Radio Station earlier today, Ferzli disclosed that "the government
will be formed the soonest possible in order to preserve the State." Over
the corruption issue, Ferzli considered that "Kataeb Party Chief, MP Sami
Gemayel, has won his fight against corruption, reflecting a unique case of
an interceptor."
Khreiss: To accelerate the formation of a national
unity government to face lurking dangers
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - "Development and Liberation"
Parliamentary Bloc Member Ali Khreiss called Sunday for expediting the
formation of a national unity government to play its role in tending to
citizens' concerns and burdens, and to confronting the surrounding risks.
Speaking at a memorial ceremony held in the town of Burj Rahal in the South,
Khreiss stressed on "the need to get rid of political sectarianism by
seeking to form a national body to abolish it.""After the parliamentary
elections, the election of the House Speaker and the appointment of PM Saad
Hariri to form a government, I hope that this government will see the light
as soon as possible...a government of national unity that includes the
various parliamentary blocs to confront all the dangers that beset the
region and Lebanon", Khreiss went on. "The conflict with the Israeli enemy
cannot end as long as parts of our land are occupied, similar to Palestine,"
he asserted. "We, as a political team, will assume responsibility and work
for the stability, security and safety of our people," assured Khreiss,
vowing to exert all efforts to provide every uninsured citizen in Lebanon
with a hospitalization card.
Matar salutes Riachi on World Day of Social Communication
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - Beirut Maronite Archbishop, Head of the Episcopal
Commission for Media, Boulos Matar, paid tribute Sunday to Information
Minister Melhem Riachi, for being a pioneer in the Arab countries region to
adopt the word of communication and render it at the heart of political,
social and cultural thought. Matar, who presided over Sunday Mass at St.
George's Cathedral in Central Beirut this morning, with prayers devoted to
journalists and media professionals on the occasion of the 52nd World Day of
Social Communication, welcomed Minister Riachi's approach to changing the
name of the Ministry of Information to become "Ministry of Human, Social and
Spiritual Communication" between citizens. "Minister Riachi, you were
avant-garde in the Arab society to adopt the term 'communication', a term
endowed with a religious dimension, and placing it at the heart of
political, social and cultural thought," said Matar addressing Riachi.
According to the Archbishop, Minister Riachi, in his decision that awaits
the approval of higher authorities, has launched the spirit of dialogue and
the converging of ideas, bringing viewpoints closer together and triggering
a new national life. At the end of Mass, Director of the Catholic Center for
Information, Father Abdo Abu Kassem, delivered a word in which he thanked
the Information Minister for his participation in the Mass service devoted
to journalists and media professionals. The Center later distributed to
those present the text of the message addressed by Pope Francis on the 52nd
World Day of Social Communication.
Bou Assi: Minister Bassil is not the one who determines
LF's size in government, but rather the Prime Minister
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - Caretaker Social Affairs Minister Pierre Bou Assi
touched Sunday on the Lebanese Forces Party's share in the upcoming
government, saying, "It is not Minister Gebran Bassil who determines the
size of LF in cabinet, but PM-designate Saad Hariri," adding that they have
discussed the issue with the PM-designate and provided him with the Bloc's
views on the subject. "Matters at the government level cannot continue as
is...The country needs a unified and common vision. We should not have 30
ministers, but an integrated government of 30 ministers," emphasized Bou
Assi during an interview with "New TV" Channel earlier today. Over the
recent naturalization decree, Bou Assi said, "Any citizen has the right to
know all the decrees and laws without exception, and it is not permissible
to separate between the politician and the citizen who has the full right to
know."He declared herein that "the Strong Republic Bloc will demand Monday
to read the decree of naturalization officially," adding, "There is a wave
of popular rejection of the decree and many concerns about it." "Our duty is
not to please others but to satisfy the Lebanese people, and when there is
any defect, the Bloc will not hesitate for a moment to submit appeals," he
asserted. On the relationship with the "Free Patriotic Movement," Bou Assi
said, "The Lebanese Forces largely separates between the relation with
President Michel Aoun - the President of the Republic whom we greatly
respect - and the relation with Minister Gebran Bassil...and we do not
regret aiding in President Aoun's reaching Presidency and consecrating the
Presidency position to a strong Christian." He expressed the Lebanese Forces
"commitment to all the provisions stipulated by the Mehrab Agreement, for
which reason the Strong Republic Bloc declared in its first statement the
need to restore the relationship [with FPM] despite the pitfalls." "Adhering
to the spirit of the Mehrab Agreement, which brought us out of the previous
unrest and problems and hatred, is the compass of the next stage," Bou Assi
added, noting that the Free Patriotic Movement did not abide by a part of
said Agreement. Over the Syrian refugees' issue, the Caretaker Social
Minister reiterated that "the return of the displaced is not the duty of the
Ministry of Social Affairs, but the work of the ministerial committee in
charge of the matter and the government combined." "The Lebanese Forces
advocates the return of the displaced the soonest, but not through
negotiations with the Syrian regime," Bou Assi underscored.
Hobeish: Akkar is one of Hariri's priorities, deserves to be represented by
more than one ministry
Sun 03 Jun 2018/NNA - Future Parliamentary Bloc Member, MP Hadi Hobeish,
indicated Sunday that the region of Akkar ranks amongst PM Saad Hariri
priorities and is worthy of being represented in cabinet by more than one
ministerial portfolio. Hobeish was quoted on the above statement by "Civil
Council for the Development of Akkar" delegation head, Hamed Zakaria, who
visited Hobeish at his Qobayat residence to congratulate him on his
re-election. Zakaria disclosed that talks during the meeting centered on the
needs of Akkar region and the demands of its people. "The next stage will
witness development projects, mainly the re-operation of Qlay'aat Airport,
following the appointment of the Board of Directors of the Civil Aviation
Regulatory Authority, which in turn will supervise the rehabilitation and
operation of the airport," he added. "We also called for raising the voice
together to demand a minimum ministerial quota and a ministry of services
for Akkar to contribute to its development in various fields," Zakaria
concluded.
Alleging corruption, Lebanese parties to challenge
president on citizenship decree
على
خلفية اتهامات بالفساد احزاب لبنانية تتجه لتحدي مرسوم التجنيس الذي وقعه
الرئيس عون
David Enders/The National/June 3, 2018
Despite only 375 names being included in Mr Aoun's proposal, the subject is
so contentious it sparked a major response
Two major Lebanese political factions say they will undertake separate legal
challenges against a presidential decree to grant citizenship to over 300,
alleging that financial favours had been exchanged for passports.
The decree was signed by Lebanese president Michel Aoun last month, but only
became public in the last week. It was also signed by prime minister Saad
Hariri and interior minister Nohad Machnouk.
On Saturday, Mr Aoun’s office issued a statement challenging critics to
present evidence that anyone had been unfairly granted Lebanese citizenship,
and urged “anyone in possession of definite information regarding any person
covered by the aforementioned decree who is unworthy of the Lebanese
nationality to forward said information to the General Security Directorate
for verification.”
The statement defended the decree as having “been issued through legal
channels”.
“The law says the people must have done an extra special favour to the
country, which none of them did,” said Elie Al Hindy, who is in charge of
foreign affairs for the Lebanese Forces, one of the two major parties that
have said it will sue to block the naturalizations. “Some people included
have good connections with Lebanon and Lebanese spouses.”
The 375 names on the list have not been made public, but some have been
leaked. Among the names believed to be included were at least five prominent
Syrian businessmen and politicians.
While it is not uncommon for Lebanese presidents to grant citizenship to
non-Lebanese and persons with Lebanese ancestry who do not possess it, such
decrees are generally made at the end of a president’s term.
Lebanese president Michel Aoun is currently in the second year of his
six-year term.
In Lebanon, even such a small number of naturalizations can also stir
existing debates over demographics. The country has gone for more than 80
years without an official census, in part because its Christian community
fears its numbers are in reality far fewer than the numbers upon which seats
in government are apportioned.
“The number [on the list] is small but fear is high,” said Imad Salamey, a
professor of political science and international affairs at Lebanese
American University. “A precedent in granting citizenship ignited
demographic fears among different confessions.”
The fear of demographic change is particularly acute among many Christians,
now a considerably smaller population than the joint Sunni and Shiite
populations. The Free Patriotic Movement, which Mr Aoun founded and is now
run by his son in law caretaker-foreign minister Gebran Bassil, has been
vocal in its drive to ‘restore’ the rights of Christians in Lebanon. While
most presidents passing such decrees attempt to maintain a semblance of
sectarian balance in their picks between Christian and Muslim, Mr Aoun’s
proposals are reportedly overwhelmingly Christian.
Those demographic fears also sparked debate and recriminations among
politicians earlier this year, when they struck down a proposal within
Lebanon’s budget – only the second agreed by Parliament in the last decade -
that would have loosened rules on foreigners owning property in Lebanon and
allowed property owners the right to remain in the country.
One of the chief objections to the law, known as Article 49, was that it
might create an avenue to naturalization for refugees from other countries
to remain in Lebanon permanently. Mr Hariri denied the claims, saying it was
an effort to boost foreign investment in the country – long a major source
of revenue with thousands of high-end properties owned by Gulf and Western
nationals.
“Concern stems from the fact that the country is hosting a large number of
refugees, Syrians and Palestinians,” Mr Salamey said. “Naturalization may
upset the demographic balance among confessional groups.”
There are just under 1 million Syrian refugees registered with the UN
agency, although the government estimates upwards of 1.5 million are in the
country. There are also officially some 450,000 Palestinians in Lebanon,
forced out by the creation of Israel, although a census last year found only
174,422 actually remain living in Lebanon. The majority of both Syrian and
Palestinian refugees in Lebanon are Sunni Muslim, although there are a small
number of Christian and other denominations among the communities.
Article 49 was annulled last month after it was challenged by the Kateab
party, whose leader, Samy Gemayel, has also requested the list of all 375
persons naturalized.
"The Presidency of the Republic refused to give us a copy of the
naturalization decree, even though it was the issuing body. We have been
referred to the interior ministry, i.e. the implementing authority. We will
go to the interior ministry on Monday," he tweeted on Saturday.
There have also been debates in the last year over the laws allowing
Lebanese women to pass citizenship to children born to non-Lebanese men,
which they are currently not allowed to do. That measure – which received a
backlash from groups campaigning on the issue - failed to pass after
disagreements over whether children with a Syrian or Palestinian father
would be included.
Mr Gemayel has also requested more clarity on the process that led the Mr
Aoun’s naturalization proposals.
Whether the president’s office might revoke some of the recently-granted
citizenships was an open question on Sunday.
“Samer Fawwaz is being mentioned,” Mr Salamey said, referring to a prominent
businessman from the city of Lattakia who is considered to be close to
Syrian president Bashar Al Assad. Analysts have suggested Mr Fawwaz’s
network of companies could help the Syrian government evade international
sanctions.
Hani Mourtada, a former minister in the Syrian government, is also among the
names that have been mentioned. Another is a prominent Syrian pro-government
journalist.
“If true, this is a clear political deal that favours president Bashar Al
Assad and helps him manoeuvre economic sanctions,” Mr Salamey said, adding
it could also “indicate the return of Syrian influence in the new
parliament.”
Even after Syria’s yearslong military occupation of Lebanon that ended in
2005, the spectre of greater Syrian domination in Lebanon’s political sphere
has been a constant fear for many Lebanese. But the decree also speaks to
other problems in Lebanon’s political system.
“It is about financial corruption,” said Hilal Khashan, a political science
professor at the American University of Beirut. Lebanon is consistently
ranked internationally as having endemic and entrenched corruption, where
money and influence allow the wealthy to circumvent laws and regulations.
The LF was joined in its opposition by the Progressive Socialist Party, led
by Walid Joumblatt.A PSP statement released on Saturday called for “the
competent official authorities to clarify all the circumstances of the
issuance of this decree … and asks: What about the thousands of deserving
Lebanese poor who have been ignored for the benefit of some of the
privileged?”
Samir Kassir Award lauds those who strive for freedom of the press
Ghadir Hamadi/Annahar/June 03/18/
Launched in 2005 and funded by the
European Union, the Samir Kassir Foundation returned this year to honor
three journalists for work they submitted under three categories:
investigative, opinion, and audiovisual news report.
BEIRUT: A glimpse of hope for the future of journalism echoed Thursday in
the garden of Sursock Palace, Ashrafieh, at the 13th Samir Kassir Award for
the Freedom of the Press.
Launched in 2005 and funded by the European Union, the Samir Kassir
Foundation returned this year to honor three journalists for work they
submitted under three categories: investigative, opinion, and audiovisual
news report. These three emerged from an applicant pool 193.
Ambassador of the EU to Lebanon, Christina Lassen, said that this award was
created “to honor the name and life of Samir Kassir who stood as a symbol of
freedom of expression.”
Lassen noted that “free press is as necessary as ever to journalists who
have courageously worked across the Middle East and North Africa and who
have sometimes even put their lives at risk to voice issues of concern in
their societies.”
Risk-taking journalists receive 2017 Samir Kassir Award for Freedom of Press
The EU believes that the freedom of press is the foundation of any
democracy, and therefore it sees this award as a priority to it.
Unlike previous years, the ceremony took place this year on May 31 rather
than June 2, the day Samir Kassir, an Annahar correspondent and opinion
writer, professor at the University St. Joseph, and a prolific book writer,
was assassinated. The change in date was a result of the holy month of
Ramadan.
Gisele Khoury, journalist and widow of Samir Kassir, thanked attendees and
the jury members describing them as former friends of Samir Kassir.
“After 13 years of his assassination, Arabs remain struggling and their
chance to build a democracy is long lost as we are living an unstable
situation and the press is playing a role in spreading this situation
further through the fake news machine that is playing non-stop,” said Khoury.
“In spite of all that, we own nothing beyond the right to hold on to our
freedom and democracy and to break the wall of fear inside of us in order to
speak up and say what we believe democracy is.”
“This is our only way to face these destructive phenomena.”
Seven jury members from different journalistic backgrounds assessed the work
of 193 contestants from 12 different Arab countries based on style, content,
and topic.
The winner of the Opinion Piece Category was Miloud Yabrir, Doctor,
novelist, and journalist, from Algeria. His article titled “A seat in the
dark: The Algerian political system, born in a cinema hall” discusses the
way politics run in Algeria using a cinematic setting and metaphors.
“The goal of each person is to reach happiness,” said Yabrir as tears
started filling his eyes. “I would like to thank the organizers of this
ceremony for giving this moment of pure happiness.” He ended his statement
after stopping several times to wipe his tears by presenting the trophy to
his home country and giving his love for Algeria credit for all the hard
work he has placed in making this article real.
The winner of the Investigative Report Category was Asmaa Shalaby from Eygpt,
journalist for the Egyptian outlet Al-Youm al-Sabea, and the only female
winner of the 13thceremony for her article “Women of Fayoum: Tragedies of
early marriage, rape and harassment.”
“I present this award to Women of Fayoum and I wish that their future will
get better,” said Shalaby. “I would like to thank all nominees because it
was there top notch work that gave this award more meaning.”
The winner for the Audiovisual News Report was announced last and for the
second year in a row, Asaad Al Zalzalee from Iraq, general manager of Maraya
Media for media development and Maraya Media news agency, took home the
prize for the same category. His winning piece for this year is titled
“Children of ISIS.”“It is said that maintaining one’s success is harder than
reaching it,” said Zalzalee. “Winning for two years in a row this award is
huge achievement and I am very thankful.”
The dilemma of corruption in Lebanon
Ali Al-Amin/Al Arabiya/June 03/18
It is no secret that the recent parliamentary elections in Lebanon have
brought no qualitative change whatsoever in terms of parliamentary
representation as the parties represented in the new parliament are the same
as the previous one. One of the few changes is that figures who are known
for their apparent loyalty to the Syrian regime and Hezbollah have become
MPs yet this does not alter anything because authority in Lebanon does not
come from the size of the ruling forces within parliament, but comes from a
source that is outside the parliament and institutions of power.
Non-parliamentary power
In Lebanon, having a parliamentary bloc that is twice the size of
Hezbollah’s bloc does not mean that you would have a say in decision making
proportionate to your bloc’s size. For instance, Hezbollah does not have
more than 15 MPs, yet the party plays a leading role in decision making at
the level of the government and parliament. In
Lebanon, power comes from institutions outside the state as the latter
possesses a weak structure when compared to the power of the statelet. This
latter power is coercive and not democratic and it’s not an outcome of any
political balances resulting from elections or voluntary political
agreements. Power here is imposed on the state and its institutions within a
context that does not resemble the usual models adopted in ordinary states,
whether they are democratic or dictatorial. In
fact, one of the conditions for the continuity of such a model in Lebanon is
the necessity of having this representation of different parties in
parliament. Yet, this representation is but a formality that does not allow
these members to become real partners in the management of public affairs.
This partnership is limited to non-sovereign matters and no say in security,
foreign policy or war-related affairs.The partnership here strictly entails
issues related to sharing general public functions or providing certain
services or partnership that’s based on corruption which provides the needed
strength and protection for the statelet’s authority over the state since
corruption is a source of energy and an excuse for the existence of the
statelet.
Indeed, the state-statelet duo cannot survive or extend without the
consolidation of corruption since the first objective condition to fight
corruption in any country is the existence of an authority that has the sole
right to use force and that bears its responsibility and that can be held
accountable by citizens.
In Lebanon, such an authority is almost absent if we are not to say
completely absent. The Lebanese government as a constitutional institution
with executive power is incapable of monopolizing the power of violence and
is even incapable of saying that it is the one that bears responsibility for
managing the security and military affairs in the state.
The monster of corruption
This reality is the pretext used to evade the responsibilities of the
governing constitutional institutions as it creates gaps on the level of
authority. The absence of responsibility and accountability and the
incompetence, which is maliciously maintained, unleash the monster of
corruption, with the encouragement, motivation, and partnership of the power
of the statelet which wants to convey to the Lebanese people the message
that their state is not qualified to govern. What
is more surprising is how Hezbollah launched a campaign against state
corruption. The party’s secretary general promoted this campaign during the
recent parliamentary elections.This is surprising because throughout its
time in the executive and legislative authority, Hezbollah forged alliances
and agreements with different political powers in Lebanon based on the rule
that says “turn a blind eye to my weapons and do as you please with matters
of the state.” What confirms this arrangement is that Hezbollah has never
launched a battle against corruption. It has always talked about corruption
issues worth billions of dollars involving a number of state officials, but
it never took any action to pursue these allegations until the end. These
files have in fact always been used as a means for extortion to keep
opponents silent over the statelet’s project and domination.
This does not mean that Hezbollah is not involved in corruption. It
used its weapon when the Lebanese government decided to cut off a branch of
its private communication network, while it did not do anything when it
witnessed – that is if it hadn’t supervised – corruption in the government.
Porosity of borders
The Lebanese are waiting for the approach that will be adopted by Hezbollah
to fight corruption that has exhausted the Lebanese economy and public
finances and increased public debt. They shall watch how smuggling
activities that have made the borders open to criminal activities under the
eyes of Hezbollah and the security bodies, which have surrendered to the
idea that they are not the first decision makers on Lebanese soil or at the
illegal border crossings, will be stopped. Furthermore, Hezbollah has weaved
most of its alliances in power and in parliamentary elections with parties
and forces whom most of them are suspected to have been involved in
corruption, if not fully drowned in corrupt deals.The Lebanese people’s
wishes that Hezbollah succeeds in its campaign against corruption are
because despair controls the society which lost hope that the authority, in
its current composition, can limit the spread of corruption. Wishes are one
thing and reality is another. Reality stipulates that reform and the fight
against corruption should be based on a major pillar which is the state – a
state that does not accept the existence of any authority over it, whatever
the justification for its existence may be.
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News
published
on June 03-04/18
Iranian officers
withdraw from Syria’s Tall Rifaat, object Russia, Turkey deal
Staff writer, Al
Arabiya English/Sunday, 3 June 2018/Iranian officers have withdrawn from
Tall Rifaat in the northern countryside of Aleppo and headed to al-Zahraa
following a disagreement over a Russian offer to hand over the area and its
surroundings to Turkish forces, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights
reported. During the Russian-Turkish talks, it was agreed that the hand over
would take place in exchange for a Syrian opposition withdrawal from the
triangle of west Jesr al-Shugur in the northeastern countryside of Latakia.
The withdrawal of the Iranian officers coincided with the arrival of Russian
military vehicles, accompanied by Assad regime vehicles to the Tall Rifaat
area. According to the observatory, consultations are underway over the
completion of the opening of Gaziantep road, which connects Turkey to the
southern border of Syria with Jordan, and ending the presence of the Kurdish
Forces in the northern countryside of Aleppo after their withdrawal from
Afrin. The observatory report added that the agreement provoked the Iranian
side following its previous refusal in March 2018 of the entry of Turkish
forces and opposition factions to the Tall Rifaat area. It added that talks
are still underway between the Russians and Iranians to reach a consensus
about this new deal.
Deal Sought to Allow
Lieberman to Temporarily Replace Netanyahu in Exchange for Early Polls
Tel Aviv – Nazir Majali/Asharq Al Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/At a time when
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been stirring up an atmosphere
of war against Iran, contrary to the desire of the army and the majority of
intelligence services, efforts are being exerted in Tel Aviv to bring
forward the date of parliamentary elections. This will help boost his image
before the public as he battle corruption cases that have been piling up
against him by the police and prosecution. Given
the fierce opposition Netanyahu is facing from his closest allies on the
right and the far-right, he has been trying to reach a deal with Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman that will provide him with the required majority
to dissolve the Knesset (Israeli parliament) within the next two months and
head towards new elections.The deal relies on the position of religious
parties that oppose mandatory military service being imposed on religious
Jews.According to the expected scenario, these parties will insist on
drafting a law that reduces the chances of imposing mandatory enlistment on
religious youths. Lieberman will be expected to vote against it and withdraw
from the government coalition, granting Netanyahu a minority government that
relies on 61 of the 120 deputies.To this end, Lieberman wants a deal under
which Netanyahu promises to include his party in the Likud to form a single
bloc. He also wants the creation of the post of "acting prime minister", to
which he will be appointed, while also retaining his post as defense
minister.
Should the police and the prosecution insist on trying and indicting
Netanyahu in corruption cases, Lieberman will then replace him as premier
and vow to back him in his judicial fight.
Circles close to the two officials confirmed that the deal is viable, but
key sources in the ruling Likud party have strongly rejected it. They
explained that a Likud-Lieberman alliance was struck in the 2012, but failed
miserably in the elections, winning no more than 31 seats. Both parties were
represented by 42 seats before the elections, 27 for the Likud and 15 for
Lieberman. The alliance fell apart in 2014. Key Likud leaders oppose an
alliance because it will eliminate their chances of replacing Netanyahu.
They have declared that such a deal, and under this condition, will bring
about the end of the Likud as a historic party for the right, in favor of
Lieberman, the opportunist. Despite the
opposition, Netanyahu is insisting on trying to find a way to bring forward
the date of the elections. He does not want to repeat the mistake of his
predecessor, Ehud Olmert, who resigned as soon as the prosecution announced
its intention to indict him for corruption. He
believes that the best way for him is to confront the police and the
prosecution from his position as prime minister, and according to opinion
polls, the elections will allow him to boost his power.
He is trying to confront the party's internal opposition and believes that
even if he was put on trial, he needs a prime minister loyal to him. In such
a scenario, he will find no figure more loyal than Lieberman, who himself
had waged a long bitter battle with the police and prosecution over
corruption cases.
New Deal Reached on Southern Syria
London - Ibrahim Hamidii/Asharq Al Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/New military
arrangements for southern Syria may include the dismantling of the al-Tanf
US military base on the Syrian-Iraqi-Jordanian border in exchange for Iran
and its militias to withdraw from the South. However, the dispute remains
over the timetable for implementing the terms and how far back the
Iran-backed groups would withdraw. US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State
David Satterfield had come up with a list of ideas over southern Syria,
which he proposed to Russian, Turkish and Jordanian officials. Sources told
Asharq Al-Awsat that his suggestion included the withdrawal of all Syrian
and non-Syrian militias to a depth of 20-25 kilometers from the Jordanian
border, noting that the US-Russian-Jordanian agreement barred the presence
of non-Syrian forces, meaning Iranian militias, from the region.
The suggestion also said opposition fighters and their families must move to
Idlib in northern Syria and hand over their heavy weapons to the Russians.
Regime forces would return to the Jordanian border and state institutions
would be restored in Daraa. A border crossing between Syria and Jordan would
be reopened, Russian military police points would be set up and an
American–Russian mechanism to control the implementation of these items
would be put in place.
Satterfield included the dismantling of the al-Tanf base, which transformed
into a military base protected by a 55-kilometer-wide missile system. The US
demanded that this be implemented after verifying that Iran withdrew its
Syrian and non-Syrian militias from the border.
Given this new US reality, direct Israeli-Russian negotiations were held to
discuss arrangements for the Golan Heights and the South.Israeli Defense
Minister Avigdor Lieberman and his Russian counterpart Sergei Schoigu met
earlier this week and agreed to keep Iranian-backed groups away from the
Damascus-Suweida axis. In return, regime forces would withdraw to three
points: Tall al-Hara in the Daraa countryside, the Nassib border crossing
with Jordan, and Basr al-Hariri in the Daraa countryside. A Western official
said on Saturday there are two points that will determine the fate of the
deal: providing guarantees of the withdrawal of the Iranian militias and
ensuring they will not return. The second point centers on the fate of the
US base.
Washington will not dismantle al-Tanf base before confirming the departure
of Iranian forces, according to the official. Damascus has, meanwhile, been
demanding that it be dismantled before the withdrawal. Syrian regime Foreign
Minister Walid al-Muallem told a press conference in Damascus Saturday that
US troops should leave Syria, and particularly al-Tanf, before any talks
about the future of the southern region can be held.However, Russia’s
Hmeimim Air Base announced on its Facebook page that the agreement on
southern Syria clearly stipulated the withdrawal of Iranian forces
supporting the Syrian regime and expected its implementation within a few
days. Western diplomats, meanwhile, reported that the past few days have
witnessed a "re-deployment" of Iranian groups that saw the return of
militias and Lebanon’s “Hezbollah” to within a few kilometers of the border
with Jordan.
Members of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) moved from Daraa
city, but remained on the northern battlefronts. The Palestinian al-Quds
Force moved from the Yarmouk camp to Daraa. On the northern front,
communication intensified in recent days between Washington and Ankara, on
one hand, and Ankara and Moscow, on the other, on arrangements for the
cities of Tel Rifaat and Manbij in northern Syria. Washington and Ankara
continued to finalize a roadmap for Manbij under the US-led international
coalition after ISIS was defeated in the area.
The draft agreement calls for the withdrawal of the Kurdish People's
Protection Units (YPG) to the east of the Euphrates River, formation of
US-Turkish patrols in Manbij 45 days after the signing of the agreement and
forming a local administration within 60 days of signing the deal.
No N. Korea Relief until Verifiable Denuclearisation Steps, Says Mattis
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 03/18/North Korea will not get any
sanctions relief until it has demonstrated "irreversible" steps to
denuclearisation, US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said Sunday.
Speaking at a security conference in Singapore ahead of a planned summit
between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, Mattis
said it is vital that the international community keeps UN Security Council
sanctions in place for now. "North Korea will receive relief only when it
demonstrates verifiable and irreversible steps to denuclearisation," Mattis
said during public remarks at a meeting with the South Korean and Japanese
defence ministers. "In this moment we are steadfastly committed to
strengthening even further our defence cooperation as the best means to
preserving the peace." South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo said
that given recent developments in North Korea, "one can be cautiously
optimistic as we go forward". Mattis has tended to stay away from commenting
publicly on the upcoming summit, which Trump has confirmed will take place
in Singapore on June 12, and instead deferred to the State Department. The
key task ahead of the summit is to settle the agenda. The main stumbling
block is likely to be the concept of "denuclearisation" -- both sides say
they are in favour of it, but there is a yawning gap between their
definitions. Washington wants North Korea to quickly give up all its nuclear
weapons in a verifiable way in return for sanctions and economic relief. But
analysts say North Korea will be unwilling to cede its nuclear deterrent
unless it is given security guarantees that the US will not try to topple
the regime. "We can anticipate at best a bumpy road to the negotiations,"
Mattis said. "As defence ministers we must
maintain a strong collaborative defensive stance so we enable our diplomats
to negotiate from a calm position of strength in this critical time."
Saudi Arabia Says 17 Detained in Sweeping Crackdown
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 03/18/Saudi Arabia on Saturday said it
detained 17 people for "undermining" the kingdom's security, in what
campaigners have dubbed a sweeping crackdown against activists just weeks
before a ban on women driving ends. Rights groups earlier reported arrests
of at least 11 people last month, mostly identified as women campaigners for
the right to drive and to end the conservative Islamic country's male
guardianship system. Without naming anyone, the public prosecutor's office
said the number of detainees stood at 17, adding that eight of them had been
"temporarily released" until the investigation is completed. Nine suspects,
including four women, remain in custody after they "confessed" to a slew of
charges such as suspicious contact with "hostile" organisations and
recruiting people in sensitive government positions, it said in a statement
released by the Saudi Press Agency. The statement accused the detainees of
"coordinated activity undermining the security and stability of the
kingdom". Previous reports in state-backed media branded some of the
detainees traitors and "agents of embassies". Campaigners have dismissed the
reports as a "smear" campaign. The crackdown has also sparked a torrent of
global criticism, casting a shadow on the kingdom's much-publicised
liberalisation push launched by powerful Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The self-styled reformer has sought to break with long-held restrictions on
women and the mixing of the genders, with the decades-old driving ban on
women slated to end June 24. The European Parliament last week approved a
resolution calling for the unconditional release of the detained activists
and other human rights defenders, while urging a more vocal response from EU
nations. "The Saudi Arabian authorities' endless harassment of women's
rights activists is entirely unjustifiable, and the world must not remain
silent on the repression of human rights defenders in the country," Samah
Hadid, Amnesty International's Middle East director of campaigns, said last
week. "Saudi Arabia's allies -- in particular the US, UK and France -- must
push Saudi Arabian authorities to end their targeted repression of human
rights activists in the country."
Jordan Protests Snowball over IMF-Backed Austerity
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 03/18/Angry protests rocked cities across
Jordan overnight against IMF-backed austerity measures including a new
income tax draft law and price hikes, hours after the government and unions
failed to reach an agreement to end the standoff.
Around 3,000 people faced down a heavy security presence to gather near the
prime minister's office in central Amman until the early hours of Saturday
morning, waving Jordanian flags and signs reading "we will not kneel".
Protests have gripped the country since Wednesday, when hundreds flooded the
streets of Amman and demonstrated in other cities to demand the fall of the
government.Last week the government proposed an income tax draft law, yet to
be approved by parliament, aimed at increasing taxes on employees by at
least 5 percent and on companies by between 20 and 40 percent. It is the
latest in a series of economic reforms and repeated price hikes on basic
goods since Amman secured a $723-million three-year credit line from the
International Monetary Fund in 2016. The Economist Intelligence Unit earlier
this year ranked Jordan's capital as one of the most expensive in the Arab
world. Since January, Jordan -- which suffers high unemployment and has few
natural resources -- has seen repeated price rises including on bread, as
well as tax hikes on basic goods. Overnight, protestors outside premier Hani
Mulki's office shouted slogans including "the ones raising prices want to
burn the country" and "this Jordan is our Jordan, Mulki should leave".
The prime minister met on Saturday with trade union representatives
who demanded the income tax law be revoked, but failed to reach an
agreement. The head of Jordan's federation of unions, Ali Obus, demanded
that the state "maintain its independence and not bow to IMF demands".King
Abdullah II called on parliament to lead a "comprehensive and reasonable
national dialogue" on the new tax law. "It would not be fair that the
citizen alone bears the burden of financial reforms," he told officials on
Saturday evening. A majority of 78 out of parliament's 130 representatives
have pledged to vote against the income tax law introduced by the government
last month. The speaker of Jordan's senate called
a consultative meeting for Sunday. Mulki told
reporters on Saturday that meetings would continue, adding: "Sending this
bill to the house of representatives does not mean that the house of
representatives will approve it".
Iraq Court Sentences French Woman to Life for IS Membership
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 03/18/An Iraqi court on Saturday
sentenced a French woman to life in jail for membership of the Islamic State
jihadist group, an AFP reporter at the courthouse said. Melina Boughedir was
sentenced last February to seven months in prison for "illegal" entry into
the country and was set to be deported back to France, but another court
ordered her re-trial under Iraq's anti-terrorist law. She was found guilty
on Sunday of belonging to IS.
Qatar Crisis Creates 'New' Gulf with No Winners
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/June 03/18/The year-old acrimonious dispute
between Qatar and its neighbours is forging a "new" Gulf, potentially
transforming what was a stable region of the Arab world, experts warn. It
has shattered old alliances and rendered the six-nation Gulf Cooperation
Council practically obsolete, pushing Qatar towards Turkey and Iran. And
with no sign of a resolution, it is unclear if any party has benefitted. "In
its impact on the regional unit in the Arab Gulf, the crisis is likely to be
as disruptive and as era-defining as Saddam Hussein's invasion and
occupation of Kuwait was in 1990," said Kristian Ulrichsen, a fellow at Rice
University's Baker Institute. "It is very difficult to see how the Arab Gulf
can come back together." The crisis between some of the world's richest
countries erupted on June 5, 2017 as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates
(UAE), Bahrain and Egypt suddenly cut all ties with Doha, accusing it of
supporting terrorism and Iran. Qatar, a small peninsula nation, found its
only land border closed, its state-owned airline barred from using its
neighbours' airspace, and Qatari residents expelled from the boycotting
countries. Doha was handed a list of 13 demands,
including closing broadcaster Al Jazeera, removing Turkish troops from the
country, and scaling back its cooperation with Iran, with which it shares
the world's largest gas field. Qatar has done none of these. Instead it has
responded defiantly by dismissing the charges and courting new diplomatic
and trading links.The cold war in the desert has lingered, although Qatar
still supplies the UAE with gas. As new axes
emerge, Qatar has increasingly tied itself to Turkey -- while straining
relations between Riyadh and Ankara -- and extended its reach far beyond the
Gulf. Last month, Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin
Hamad Al-Thani thanked Iran for its support during the crisis. "I don't
think it is too far-fetched to say that new power centres in the Middle East
are emerging," said David Roberts, assistant professor at King's College
London.
No winners
Widely seen as a bid by Saudi Arabia and the UAE to bring to heel Qatar and
its support for the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas, the gamble has not paid
off -- yet. While their regional ambitions may have been overstretched,
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi have indicated this is a power-play for the long haul.
According to Le Monde newspaper, Saudi Arabia has written to French
President Emmanuel Macron warning of "military action" if Qatar goes ahead
with its planned purchase of a Russian air defence missile system. Qatar is
already picking up the tab, as it absorbs the huge costs of regional
isolation, despite its vast wealth in gas resources. "As for winners and
losers, there are clearly no winners thus far, and in many ways everyone has
been a loser," said Christopher Davidson, a Middle East politics professor
at Durham University. Ulrichsen said that despite its "resilience", Qatar
has "not eliminated the costs of the crisis". Without a clear winner in
sight, the Gulf crisis is largely seen by the outside world as a bewildering
spat between indistinguishable former allies.
Shattered trust
Mediation efforts have been led by Kuwait and the US, which has its largest
Middle East air base in Qatar. Kuwait's deputy foreign minister, Khaled al-Jarallah,
said diplomatic efforts are "ongoing".
"The latest of these efforts and ideas will be presented during a
Gulf-American summit in September, and this summit will be an opportunity to
end this crisis," he told AFP. US President Donald Trump seemed firmly
behind the Saudis at first, but has since called Sheikh Tamim a "great
gentleman" and urged a peaceful outcome. In the muddle, corruption
allegations against Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, have surfaced over
his dealings with the Gulf states, notably Qatar. Diplomacy may eventually
be supplanted by imperatives such as Saudi domestic concerns or weariness
over its joint military efforts with the UAE in the Yemen war. The crisis
has impacted east African states with alliances to the Gulf, rewarded
defence contractors, and may have massive ramifications for Qatar's 2022
football World Cup. With nationalism in the Gulf on the rise, Roberts said
"the crisis has been an opportunity for Qataris to demonstrate their
national fervour". Saudis, for their part, have used social media to poke
fun at their tiny neighbour, while Qataris mutter darkly about Emiratis. It
"has created animosities that may take years, even a generation, to
overcome", said Ulrichsen.
Weary Libyans Remain Wary of Leaders' New Pledges
sharq Al Awsat/Monday, 28 May, 2018/For Abdelhakim al-Saadi, the latest
meeting of Libyan leaders plays "like a broken record", with few people from
Tripoli to Benghazi willing to put their faith in new promises, said an
Agence France Presse report.
Doing his shopping in Tripoli's fish market, which is bustling during the
Muslim holy month of Ramadan, Saadi doesn't want to get his hopes up about
his country's prospects.
"If this conference succeeds in something concrete, I will inevitably know
about it because my daily life will change, for the better," he told AFP.
Speaking after the first meeting of Libya's rival leaders in Paris, the
retired academic remembered the UN-backed deal signed in 2015 which was
intended to lead the country on the path to stability. "The meetings of
these (Libyan) politicians, are like a broken record: repeating the same
thing that comes to nothing," he said.
The UN accord was never fully implemented and Libya remains divided between
an array of rulers and militias, who have been vying for power since leader
Moammar Gaddafi was ousted and killed in 2011. "After the euphoria, there
was the disappointment," said Saadi.
Tripoli was represented at the Paris conference by Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj,
head of the UN-backed unity government, and Khalid al-Mishri who leads the
High Council of State.
From the east of the country came Aguila Saleh Issa, the parliament speaker
based in the city of Tobruk, and Libyan National Army commander Field
Marshal Khalifa Haftar.
Together they agreed to hold elections on December 10 and accept the
results, as well as unify state institutions including the central bank. One
thousand kilometers (600 miles) east, in the coastal city of Benghazi, Hawwa
Abdesaalem al-Aguri waited in line outside a bank. She harbors little hope
that the Paris conference will improve things. Attendees "didn't even
mention the suffering of Libyans or how to improve their daily lives," she
said. For Moftah bin Mabruk, a 49-year-old banker, elections slated for the
end of the year will matter little if the country's laws aren't also
updated, reported AFP.
"I was happy to see the different parts getting together in Paris. It gave
me a little hope to see them at one table. But one thing I am sure about is
that if there is no constitution, I'm not going to vote," he said.Grace
Berma, 47 and originally from Ghana, hopes bickering leaders can but their
differences aside for the sake of her adopted homeland. "Seeing Libyan
leaders get together in Paris was a good thing but watching their faces,
none of them seemed to want to let go of what he controls for the sake of
his people," she said. "Life is more and more risky for us foreigners,
especially Africans. We love this country and its people. They have been
very good to us and we hope never to be forced to leave because we no longer
feel safe," said the mother of three.
North Korea state media says Syria’s Assad wants to
meet Kim
Reuters, Seoul/Sunday, 3 June 2018/Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad said he plans to visit North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, North
Korean state media reported on Sunday, potentially the first meeting between
Kim and another head of state in Pyongyang. “I am going to visit the DPRK
and meet HE Kim Jong Un,” Assad said on May 30, North Korea’s KCNA news
agency reported, using the initials of the country’s official name, the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. There was no immediate comment from
the Syrian president’s office. Assad reportedly made the remarks as he
received the credentials of North Korean Ambassador Mun Jong Nam. Pyongyang
and Damascus maintain good relations, and United Nations monitors have
accused North Korea of cooperating with Syria on chemical weapons, a charge
the North denies. Both countries have faced international isolation, North
Korea over its nuclear weapons program, and Syria over its tactics during a
bloody civil war. Since the beginning of the year, however, North Korea’s
Kim has launched a flurry of diplomatic meetings with leaders in China and
South Korea, and is scheduled to hold a summit with U.S. President Donald
Trump in Singapore on June 12. Since taking power in 2011, Kim has not
publicly met with another head of state in North Korea. “The world welcomes
the remarkable events in the Korean peninsula brought about recently by the
outstanding political caliber and wise leadership of HE Kim Jong Un,” Assad
said, according to KCNA. “I am sure that he will achieve the final victory
and realize the reunification of Korea without fail.” According to South
Korea’s foreign ministry, North Korea established diplomatic relations with
Syria in 1966, opening its embassy in Damascus. Syria opened its mission in
Pyongyang in 1969. Close military cooperation between the two countries
began when North Korea sent some 530 troops including pilots, tank drivers
and missile personnel to Syria during the Arab-Israeli war in October 1973.
“The Syrian government will as ever fully support all policies and measures
of the DPRK leadership and invariably strengthen and develop the friendly
ties with the DPRK,” Assad said, as quoted by KCNA.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous
sources published
on June 03-04/18
Israel,
Damascus Deny Deal Reached On Southern Syria
Jerusalem Post/June 03/18
Netanyahu: We maintain right to strike at Iran.
Jerusalem and Damascus rejected reports that a deal had been reached under
which foreign forces, including Iran and Hezbollah, would withdraw from
southern Syria near Israel’s border.
“Israel denies reports that an understanding has been reached,” a diplomatic
source said on Saturday.
The source added that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had spoken last week
with both Russian President Vladimir Putin and US Secretary of State Mike
Pompeo about Syria and Iran.
Netanyahu “emphasized that Iran must withdraw from all of Syria and that
Israel would continue to maintain its freedom to act against Iranian
military entrenchment anywhere in Syria,” the source said.
Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Moualem said that an agreement on southern
Syria must include a US withdrawal of its forces from the Tanf base in the
south.
He added that Damascus had not engaged in talks over the country’s southern
region.
“Do not believe any statements that talk about agreements in the south
unless you see the United States withdraw its forces from Tanf base.
It must withdraw its forces from Tanf base. This is Syrian land and there is
no doubt of Syria’s sovereignty over it,” Moualem said.
Russia has already called for all foreign forces to leave Syria.
On Friday, the London-based Arabic newspaper Asharq al-Awasat reported that
Israel and Russia had agreed to keep Iran out of southern Syria.
Just one day earlier, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said it had
seen a Russia-backed plan to return government forces to the country’s
border areas with Israel and Jordan. It further reported that Iran and its
proxy forces, such as Hezbollah, were preparing to withdraw from southern
Syria.
Defense Minister Avigdor Liberman, who visited Moscow briefly on Thursday to
meet with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu, said that he felt that
Israel’s security concerns were understood.
At the UN on Friday, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya indicated that an
agreement had been reached with regard to southern Syria.
“I heard news that were in the press and elsewhere about an agreement
reached on certain disengagement in the southwest of Syria and I think my
understanding is that the agreement was reached. Whether it has been
implemented as of now I cannot answer, but I understand that the parties
that were involved in reaching the agreement are satisfied with what they
reached,” he said, according to the Russian media site TASS.
“If it has not been done by now, it will be done in the near future,” he
added.
The Syrian government wants to recapture insurgent territory in the
southwest through a settlement in which fighters accept state rule or leave.
Southwest Syria, near the borders with Jordan and Israel, remains one of the
big chunks of Syria still outside the control of the state, which has
recovered swathes of the country with the help of Russian jets and
Iran-backed militias.
Rebel factions hold stretches of Quneitra and Deraa provinces in the
southwest, bordering the Golan Heights, while Syrian army troops and allied
forces control nearby territory.
Moualem said Damascus had communicated with the US-backed Syrian Democratic
Forces (SDF) but no negotiation process had started over the fate of their
territory in the north and east.
He added that Raqqa city, which the Kurdish-led SDF militias seized from
Islamic State with US support, “must be rebuilt and liberated” from any
foreign presence.
Syrian government forces, in their strongest position since the early months
of the seven-year conflict, have driven rebels out of all territory near
Damascus this year.
For weeks there have been reports that the government’s next target would be
the zone in the south, one of only two large areas left in the hands of
fighters seeking to topple President Bashar Assad.
Washington says any offensive in the area would violate a cease-fire it has
jointly sponsored with Moscow for that part of Syria, and has warned it
would take “firm measures” in response.
The secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, Ali Shamkhani,
told the Shargh daily that his country had no military advisers in southern
Syria.
“We have said before that Iranian military advisers are not present in
southern Syria and have not participated in recent operations,” Shamkhani
said.
“We strongly support Russian efforts to drive terrorists out of the
Syria-Jordan border and to bring the area under Syrian army control,” he
added
Rape Gangs: A Story Set in Leafy Oxfordshire
Douglas Murray/Gatestone Institute./June 03/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12435/rape-gangs-oxford
What price has been paid, is being paid, or might be paid at some stage, by
all those public officials who tacitly or otherwise allowed these modern-day
atrocities to go on, doing nothing to stop them?
Families of some of the abused girls related that they had tried
consistently to raise the alarm over what was happening to their daughters,
but that every door of the state was closed in their faces.
If Britain is to turn around the disgrace of its culture of 'grooming
gangs', it should start by changing the risk-reward ratio between those who
identify these monstrous crimes and those who have been shown to have
covered them up.
Since the arrest of Tommy Robinson on May 25, the presence generally -- and
incorrectly -- referred to as 'Asian grooming gangs' has been back in the
news. This has reignited a debate about whether victims are getting justice
and whether perpetrators are encountering it.
In all this at least one key element is missing. What price has been paid,
is being paid, or might be paid at some stage, by all those public officials
who tacitly or otherwise allowed these modern-day atrocities to go on, doing
nothing to stop them? The policemen, politicians, council workers and others
who were shown to have failed time and again. They have never been sentenced
to prison for any of their oversights -- and perhaps criminal charges (not
even charges of criminal negligence) could never be brought against them. It
is worth asking, however, if any of these people's lives, career paths, or
even pension plans were ever remotely affected by their proven failure to
confront one of the greatest evils to have gone on in Britain. That is the
mass rape of young girls motivated by adults propelled by (among much else)
racism, religiosity, misogyny and class contempt.
Perhaps the post grooming-gang career of just one public official might help
to answer that question. Her name is Joanna Simons. In 2013 she was the
Chief Executive of the Oxfordshire County Council. She had been at the
centre of that Council's 'care' programme for nearly a decade: that is,
throughout the period in which the mass rape of local girls (subsequently
investigated under the name 'Operation Bullfinch') was carried on. The
barbarism, which was carried out by local men of what is erroneously
described as 'Asian' origin, included branding one of the girls with an 'M'
on her body. The abuser's name was 'Mohammed' and the Mohammed in question
wanted people to know that this girl 'belonged' to him and as such was his
property.
Others among the hundreds of local victims endured equally horrific abuse. A
number were in the care of the local authorities. Among the stories that
came out in the 2013 court case at the Old Bailey was that one of the girls
was drugged and raped by a gang of men. She managed to escape and hail a
taxi which drove her to the care home she lived in. Staff at the care home
refused to pay the taxi fare, so the taxi driver took the girl straight back
to the property from which she had just escaped, where the gang then raped
her again. This is not a nightmare set in some far distant land, or even a
town in one of the towns in the north of England which the London media
rarely get to, but a story set in leafy Oxfordshire. Families of some of the
abused girls related that they had tried consistently to raise the alarm
over what was happening to their daughters but that every door of the state
was closed in their faces.
After details such as the above came out in the criminal trial at the Old
Bailey, Simons made a video, which was posted online by the Oxfordshire
County Council. Over the last five years fewer than 2,000 people have
watched this 48-second apology. But it deserves a wider audience. In it, Ms
Simons looks into the camera and gives an apology to the people who the
Council has let down, which tells a huge amount about the attitude that
prevailed for years in Britain. From start to finish, everything about it is
wrong. Its tone and content suggest that Ms Simons is apologising for a
delay in local bin collections, or for delays in providing pavement-salt
during inclement weather. Nothing about it fits the appallingness -- the
sheer, unimaginable horror -- of what had gone on in leafy, lovely,
dreaming-spires Oxfordshire on her watch.
When Simons subsequently appeared on the BBC's Newsnight, she faced some
excellent questioning from the BBC's Emily Maitlis. Simons responded by
saying not only that she was once again very sorry for the breakdown in
services but also came with the reassuring message that she and her
colleagues from the council in Oxfordshire 'have learnt a lot.' When Maitlis
asked if Simons thought she should resign, Simons replied 'I have asked
myself some very hard questions' but 'I'm not going to resign because my
determination is that we need to do all that we can to take action to stamp
this out.' When Maitlis asked Simons if she would resign if the victims or
their families thought she should, Simons came up with one of those
beautiful political dodges of not remotely answering the question, thus
saying (louder than if she had actually said it) that she had no intention
of resigning even if every victim and every family called on her to do so.
Perhaps there were other motives for her desire to stay in place. At the
time that Operation Bullfinch broke, Ms Simons was receiving an annual
salary of over £196,000, before other benefits were included. To put this
into some context, the average annual salary in the UK sits at just over
£27,000. The annual salary paid to the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
for running the country stands at just under £150,000 per annum. So for her
pains at Oxfordshire County Council, Ms Simons was receiving a salary
considerably higher than that of the Prime Minister and more than six times
the average national salary.
Although she resisted pressure to resign in 2013, events moved on. A review
into the whole case concluded that social workers and police had been aware
of the abuse of hundreds of young girls in Oxfordshire since 2005 but that
they had failed to investigate or even to record this as a crime.
In 2015, the Oxfordshire County Council chose to abolish Simon's role,
apparently to save money. This decision, after some internal squabbling, was
then reversed. Simons eventually stood down in 2015, at which stage she
received a pay-off from the Council amounting to the sum of £259,000. Which,
again to put this into context, is worth more than the price of the average
house in the UK. The average UK house price in the year following Simons's
pay-off was £220,000. So the investment most British people spend their
working lives paying off could have been covered by Simons with a single
year's haul.
Many people might assume that such a person would not reappear in public
again, or would sit on their winnings and go away. But Oxfordshire did not
lose Simons for long. Last July, the organisation which promotes tourism in
the area -- 'Experience Oxfordshire' -- announced Joanna Simons as the new
head of their board. A press release announcing her appointment quoted her
citing her experience at Oxfordshire County Council as the qualification for
taking up this role. She also said how much she was looking forward to
'helping to promote the wonderful place that Oxfordshire is to work, visit
and live in.' The former chairman of the board, one Graham Upton, declared
that Simons brought a 'wealth of experience' to the role.
Ms Simons is just one person -- one of the many people in the UK who for
years turned a blind eye to the mass rape of young girls in their area. But
of course these people are not in prison. They are rarely if ever vilified
or even mentioned in the national press. They have not had their lives
turned upside down. They have not been persecuted at every turn. Instead --
if Joanna Simons is anything to go by -- they have been able to keep their
heads down briefly, cash in and then fall upwards again. If Britain is to
turn around the disgrace of its culture of 'grooming gangs' it should start
by changing the risk-reward ratio between those who identify these monstrous
crimes and those who have been shown to have covered them up.
Douglas Murray, British author, commentator and public affairs analyst, is
based in London, England. His latest book, an international best-seller, is
"The Strange Death of Europe: Immigration, Identity, Islam."
© 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.
UN Has Only Recommended Tiny Token Numbers of Syrian Christians for
Resettlement in the UK
Muslim Persecution of Christians, November 2017
Raymond Ibrahim/Gatestone Institute./June 03/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12436/muslim-persecution-of-christians-november
Critics accused the United Nations in general and the British government in
particular of continuing to discriminate against Christian refugees in favor
of Muslim refugees from Syria. Barnabas Fund said it had "finally obtained
figures proving that the UN has only recommended tiny token numbers of
Syrian Christians ... for resettlement in the UK," whereas the "overwhelming
majority of refugees recommended by the UN have been Sunni Muslims who form
the majority in Syria. But Christians, and other minorities, have been
repeatedly targeted for attack by Islamist groups such as IS...
Disturbingly, UK officials tried to prevent the release of this
information." - United Nations and the United Kingdom; Barnabas Fund.
"After several reports showed that Christians were being systematically
persecuted in German asylum homes, the problem has now moved from the homes
to the streets..." – Germany; Chris Tomlinson, Breitbart.
"Showing repentance will no longer prevent the death penalty from being
applied for blasphemy and apostasy..." – Mauritania; News 24.
Muslim Attacks on Christian Churches
Germany: According to a November 11 report in The European, approximately
200 churches have been attacked and desecrated in the Alps and Bavarian
regions alone. Large summit crosses atop mountains have also been felled and
destroyed by axes and saws. "Young Islamists" are believed to be behind the
widespread vandalism.
Philippines: Supporters of an Islamic militant group desecrated and tried to
torch a Catholic chapel in the Mindanao region on Friday evening, November
10. According to the report, Archbishop Quevedo said "This criminal act is
an abhorrent desecration of a place of Catholic worship." The Muslim
governor, Esmael Mangudadatu of Maguindanao insisted the act had nothing to
do with Islam: "Islam teaches respect for religions and worship sites. Islam
teaches religious tolerance. We have a principle in our religion that says
there is no compulsion in religion." (He neglected, however, to add that
some Muslim scholars claim this sura, 2:256, has been abrogated.)
Similar incidents occurred in May 2017, when "Islamic State-inspired gunmen
burned the St. Mary's Cathedral in Marawi," notes the report; and in June
2017, Muslim militants "also desecrated a chapel in the neighboring province
of North Cotabato."
Egypt: As in the previous month of October, when Muslim mob riots and
attacks on churches prompted authorities to close at least four churches,
the Pope Kerlis VI and Archdeacon Habib Gerges church continued to be
threatened and was eventually shut down. On November 16, "workers from the
national electricity company reportedly tried to cut the church building's
power," says a report. "Coptic priests and youths stopped them before they
cut the main power cable," and Christians refused to leave the church
building and spent the night inside it..." On the following day, the local
Muslim governor warned the local bishop to close the church down, as terror
attacks against it were imminent. The bishop obliged.
Algeria: On November 9, authorities shut down another church as well as a
Christian book store. According to the report, "police raided the bookshop,
accusing its owner of illegally printing Bibles and evangelistic brochures.
They confiscated books and equipment but returned them when no proof of the
allegations was found. Despite that, police issued and implemented a closure
order for both the church and the bookshop. The order, which wrongly
identifies the bookshop owner as the pastor of the church, repeated the
earlier accusations and also alleges that he uses his private car to
distribute illegal Christian material. The closure order also claims the Ain
Turk church is illegal, despite its affiliation with the officially
recognized EPA (L'Église Protestante d'Algérie). Churches in Algeria faced
long-standing legal difficulties. Permission is required before a building
can be used for non-Muslim worship, however authorities have always failed
to grant such permission to churches."
Nigeria: A decade after Muslims attacked, slaughtered, and displaced
Christians in a northern town—and then destroyed their churches—authorities
continue to forbid returned Christians from rebuilding their eight destroyed
(Catholic and Protestant) churches because local Muslims reject it.
"Christians who have braved it and returned after the attacks in 2007 have
no worship buildings up to today," explained a local Christian, because "the
government of Kano state has banned us from rebuilding our churches." In
such a "hostile environment, the few Christians there continue to "conduct
services under trees." Even when asked where such-and-such church meets and
worships, officials often respond by saying, "Do you see that tree over
there? That's where the ... church is." The original 2007 attacks were
sparked by false accusations of "blasphemy" against a Christian high school
student (he supposedly drew a cartoon of Muhammad): "The Muslim students
attacked Christian students, and soon they were joined by Muslims in this
town. All eight churches were destroyed, Christians were displaced, and many
Christians were also killed. I personally saw three corpses of members of
the St. Mary's Catholic Church who were killed by the Muslim attackers."
Muslim Hate for and Abuse of Christians
Syria: Rita Habib Ayyub, an Assyrian Christian woman sexually enslaved by
ISIS and other Muslims for over three years until rescued by the Syrian
Democratic Forces, shared her experiences in an interview:
My name is Rita. The terrorists changed my name to Maria [indicating her
Christian identity]. I am 30 years old. In the hospital in Mosul, we women
were subjected to the most degrading abuse. Three children from my people
were with me, and I witnessed them being sold to emirs in Mosul. I was sold
to Abu Mus'ab al-Iraqi. In his home, there was also a Yazidi girl from
Sinjar named Shata...she was only 14 years old. He raped the both of us over
and over again. He made us watch videos with terrorists slaughtering
non-Muslims. In one of them, they were beheading Shata's brother.... After
six months, Abu Mus'ab sold me to another terrorist, and I was transported
to Raqqa, Syria. But he did not keep me...he sold me to a third terrorist, a
Saudi named Abu Khalid al-Saudi. Abu Khalid was married to a woman from
Morocco. I was beaten and tortured by her every day. She would not give up
until I was bleeding, from my head, for example. They made me read the Quran
and threatened to kill me if I did not convert to Islam.
Months later she was sold again, transported to several regions between Iraq
and Syria, until she was taken near Deir ez-Zur, where she was eventually
rescued.
Nigeria: A comprehensive report—riddled with accounts of abduction, rape,
sadistic torture, murder, and wholesale massacres—substantiates its charge
that Muslim Fulani herdsmen are engaged in the "ethnic cleansing" of
Christians. In one case, "A 13 year old girl was gang-raped and abandoned in
the bush for hours before local vigilante group came to her rescue." In
another, "A 10 year old boy" was "whipped severely with different sizes of
cane and was abandoned in a shallow pit." One of the more telling portions
of the report follows:
Some of the tactics used by the Hausa-Fulani Muslim herdsmen include
abduction, rape and other forms of assault on women and children. Another
strategy used by the Hausa-Fulani Muslim herdsmen ... is the disemboweling
of pregnant women, to ensure that both mother and baby are killed. On the
few occasions, when men are captured ... their limbs are cut off and they
are then shot in the presence of their family. Sometimes, the family members
are made to run and are then shot at; those lucky enough to escape the
bullets are pursued. What lends credence to the perceived complicity of
stakeholders from the Muslim north, is the silence and inaction of the
Federal Government of Nigeria in the face of the massive atrocities
committed against indigenous Christian communities in Benue State.
The authors of the report conclude that the data presented "gives clear
indications of ethnic cleansing based on religious affiliation."
Philippines: New documents and reports made clear that, contrary to some
initial reports, the Islamist siege of Marawi last summer, which included
the slaughter of at least 25 Christians, was fundamentally fueled by an
anti-Christian bias. According to Amnesty International,
The civilian victims were nearly all Christians, and most – if not all –
were targeted because they were not Muslim. Militants often gave civilians a
de facto religious test prior to killing them; they were asked to recite the
Shahada, which is an expression of Muslim faith, or to respond to Muslim
greetings. Civilians who did not recite the Shahada or failed to respond
appropriately were often summarily executed.
Pictured: A building burns in the city of Marawi, Philippines on June 15,
2017, as the Philippines military battles Islamist terrorists for control of
the city. At least 25 Christians were slaughtered in the city during an
Islamist siege last summer, and "Islamic State-inspired gunmen burned the
St. Mary's Cathedral." (Image source: Mark Jhomel/Wikimedia Commons)
Egypt: The Wafa Media Foundation, a jihadi propaganda network affiliated to
the Islamic State issued a message aimed at inciting the nation's Muslims to
rise against Christians and their churches. Agenzia Fides summarized the
message contained in a dossier as follows: "Coptic Christians in Egypt do
not accept the condition of submission imposed on Christians in Islamic
societies: they continue to build churches and even promote television
networks to spread the Christian proclamation. This is why they must be
attacked as 'infidel fighters,' and their churches must be blown up." The
Catholic report concludes by noting that "In 2017 alone, Jihadist terrorism
committed three massacres regarding Coptic Christians, as well as several
murders. On April 9, Palms Sunday, attacks were carried out on two Coptic
churches ... causing 45 deaths and more than 130 wounded. On May 26, a
terrorist assault against a coach of pilgrims in the governorate of Minya
caused the death of 28 Copts."
Separately, Rasha Magdi , a non-veiled, Western-looking Egyptian female
television news host inadvertently showed just how ingrained contempt for
Egypt's Christians is among the general populace, when she went off script
during her show and suggested that Islamic terror attacks against Christians
are understandable whereas those against Muslims are not: "These radical
groups have attacked a number of churches and we said, 'Ah, they see it as a
religion other than the religion of Islam, and an enemy to them,' and we
said, 'Fine'—but [to kill] Muslims, how?!" Magdi said. Due to the outrage
her comments provoked, the owner of Sada al-Balad Media Group suspended
Magdi and issued the following statement: "We in Egypt are one people, there
is no difference between a Muslim and a Christian. All of us are equal. We
live together in safety. [...] terrorism and aggression against the [people]
are criminal acts." That is not the first time this secular looking but
radicalized woman incited against Christians. "When Magdi worked for the
state television network, several legal cases were filed against her for
inciting hatred against Egypt's Coptic Christians," says a report,
"particularly regarding the killing by the Egyptian army of more than 25
Christians during what has become known as the Maspero massacre."
Pakistan: The father of Sharoon Masih, a Christian teenager who a month
earlier was beaten to death by a group of Muslim classmates during school
for being a "filthy Christian" spoke out after police and local authorities,
supported by various Pakistani media, said the case was isolated and had
nothing to do with the slain 17-year-old's Christian faith:
"My younger children are frightened and are bullied in their schools, since
their brother died they have all expressed that they do not want to go to
school .... Speaking up about bullying and harassment in the schools in
Pakistan brings about absolutely no change. Our Government presents no help
and obstructs it in fact by building teaching material that target
minorities."
A local Christian councilor, Pervaiz Masih, confirmed the grieving father's
contentions:
"It is totally true that the other Christian children have suffered
discrimination, as a local Councillor I recently resolved a similar issue
when a Christian boy in BTM school in Burewala was beaten because he refused
to convert to Islam. The boys who attacked the Christian boy were suspended
for a few days but then resumed their attacks as soon as they returned to
school. I suffered the same when I was at school, nothing changes despite
the efforts of Christian leaders who often highlight these concerns. This is
one of the many reasons Christians fail to excel in education."
United Nations and United Kingdom: Critics accused the United Nations in
general and the British government in particular of continuing to
discriminate against Christian refugees in favor of Muslim refugees from
Syria. Barnabas Fund said it had "finally obtained figures proving that the
UN has only recommended tiny token numbers of Syrian Christians ... for
resettlement in the UK," whereas the "overwhelming majority of refugees
recommended by the UN have been Sunni Muslims who form the majority in
Syria. But Christians, and other minorities, have been repeatedly targeted
for attack by Islamist groups such as IS." The new statistics, obtained
through a Freedom of Information Request to the UK's Home Office revealed:
In 2015 out of 2,637 refugees there were only 43 Christians, just 13 Yazidis
and only one Shia Muslim. In 2016 the statistics were even worse. Out of
7,499 refugees there were only 27 Christians, five Yazidis and 13, Shia
Muslims. It is widely accepted that Christians made up 10 per cent of
Syria's pre-war population... Disturbingly, UK officials tried to prevent
the release of this information.
The rest of the report accuses officials of going to great lengths not to
provide the information, which they were "legally required to release"; they
"repeatedly stalled or simply did not answer correspondence" until a formal
complaint caused them to comply: "Even then, the information was only
released at the very last minute..."
Muslim Attacks on Christian Freedom
Kenya: A group of Muslims attacked and seriously injured a Christian widow's
three children—aged 13, 17 and 21—on the charge that the family had
apostatized from Islam. According to the report, "Hadiya (surname withheld),
an immigrant from Somalia, had not yet returned from a trip to a funeral
when the assailants of Somali descent broke into her home at a town
(undisclosed for security reasons) outside of Nairobi, at 5:30 a.m. on Nov.
17." Her children were still asleep when the Muslim gang began knocking on
the door. When the brothers inquired who it was, they smashed a window. "We
have warned you several times to stop taking the children to church," a
voice shouted. "You have become an embarrassment to our clan as well as the
entire Muslim community. We are here today to finish you and your children."
Then the Muslims stormed the house and beat the three siblings, "so much
that blood was found throughout the front room," notes the report. Neighbors
intervened in time to save the children's lives; two of the three were so
wounded as to require a four day hospital stay and were last reported as
being "in continuous pain." According to the report, "Somalis generally
believe all Somalis are Muslims by birth and that consequently any Somali
who becomes a Christian can be charged with apostasy, punishable by death."
The Christian widow says, "We are living in great fear and experience
sleepless nights. It is not safe for us to stay in this particular place. We
need prayers and financial help at this difficult moment."
A separate report chronicles the trials and tribulations that Muslim
converts to Christianity—in this case, in Kenya.—experience. Rahma, a young
Muslim girl, raised in strict Muslim households, continuously doubted the
things she was taught, and on some occasions was abused by family members,
particularly her father and an aunt (her mother died early on). "Islam was a
yoke to my heart. I felt as if I was forced to believe in things that were a
heavy burden to carry." She began to sneak out and attend church services:
"My desire to become a Christian was gaining momentum as well as having a
very strong dislike for Islam, but I wanted to know exactly what
Christianity is all about and who could understand me and help me change my
faith." She eventually secured a Bible and began reading it. One night,
while "I was deep in reading and meditation," her aunt came into her bedroom
"and found me doing my devotion. She was so mad at me and asked me when I
started bringing Bibles into her house. I gathered my courage and told her
that I had given my life to Christ. She was struck by a hard reality and
shock, and everybody in the house was awakened to come and hear what I just
said. I reiterated that I had given my life to Christ...." The report
concludes, "At the time of ICC's interview, Rahma [21] has been completely
rejected by her family. They do not want to be associated with her because
she is seen as a disgrace to their community. According to Sharia law, she
is now an apostate. Her family took Rahma's possessions including her
telephone, clothes and shoes," though she shows little regret: "It's as if a
load has been lifted off my back... [even though] my conversion to
Christianity has made my family view me as a kafir (infidel) and they have
chased me out of the house."
Uganda: A Muslim man who had been posing as a Christian teacher at a
Christian elementary school attacked the school director and terrorized
students after he was exposed. Mugooda Siraji, the Muslim, had earlier lied
to the board by giving them a false name and saying he was Christian. After
being hired as a teacher, "Siraji came to our class and openly said he was a
Muslim, and that his real name was Mugooda Siraji and not Simon Siraji," a
fourth-grade child told a school official. "He has been introducing to us
Islamic ablution and how to be a true Muslim by believing in Allah and
Muhammad." The board responded by asking him to take a leave of absence: "We
as the board learned that you did not provide to us the right profile of
yourself, and that you have been propagating Islamic religion, which is
against the school's principles, which are based on Christian foundations.
Therefore, the school administration recommends that you step aside as we
carry on further investigations." The report continues:
Siraji forced his way into the office shouting "Allah Akbar" and hit
Muwanguzi with a blunt object, Kakonge said. "Muwanguzi suffered face and
right hand injuries, with serious bleeding from the face," Kakonge said.
Teachers managed to overpower Siraji, but he managed to escape, sources
said.
Siraji is one of many local Muslims trying "to form a strategy of how to
stop activities on the Christian school and terminate it. The school has an
enrollment of 162 children." "The Muslims have complained that the school
every evening makes noise in praising, worshiping and praying," Kakonge
said. "We need prayers at this trying moment for quick recovery for our
school director, and that this criminal act will be brought to book."
Mauritania: "Showing repentance will no longer prevent the death penalty
from being applied for blasphemy and apostasy, Mauritania said on Friday
[November 17], as the conservative Muslim nation hardens up its religious
laws," is how a report explained the west African nation's announcement that
it is introducing a new bill that would "harden up expected sentences for
blasphemers": "Every Muslim, man or woman, who mocks or insults Mohammed
(peace be upon him), his angels, books," the Ministry of Justice statement
reads, "is liable to face the death penalty, without being asked to repent.
They will incur the death penalty even if they repent." Because Mauritania
is 99 percent Muslim, critics suggest that the new law is meant to target
those Muslims who are rethinking their Islam or considering conversion to
Christianity (which accounts for the remaining one of the nation). "Although
Mauritania's Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and thought,"
notes a separate report, "in practice this is not guaranteed and prosecutors
have appealed the court's decision."
Germany: "After several reports showed that Christians were being
systematically persecuted in German asylum homes," says a report, "the
problem has now moved from the homes to the streets," where growing numbers
of Christians, especially those from Muslim backgrounds ("apostates") have
been attacked and in one notable instance (in May 2017) killed. Observers,
such as Rosemarie Götze (AKA Sister Rosemarie) say the problem is much more
worse than previously thought, particularly as many of those who are
attacked never report it because they "are afraid that they will continue to
be attacked or that families who are still abroad may learn that they have
become Christians" with dire repercussions for loved ones.
Christian "Blasphemers" in Muslim Pakistan
Muslim threats prompted five Christian families to abandon and flee their
homes after an 18-year-old youth among them was falsely accused of, and
portrayed as, engaging in blasphemy against Islam. The perpetrators had
created a fake Facebook page attributed to the youth and with a picture of
him, prompting the Muslims in the area to call for his and his family's
death. According to the report, however, police said "there was no proof of
the Christian boy named Arshad had submitted any blasphemy whatsoever. It
was a phony campaign." A Christian counselor involved in the case said that
"he had no clue where were the Christian families who had fled the area to
save their lives and what conditions they are in. He additionally had no
idea of why Arshad Masih was being encircled for this case."
Separately, on the same day of his son's funeral, another Christian man
suffering from mental illness was arrested on the charge that he had
blasphemed against Islam. Whenever he failed to take his medicine Iqbal
Masih, 65, a retired father of nine was known to "go out into the street and
shout abuse at passers-by" or suddenly "start calling names in the middle of
the night," say locals. That is what he did when his young son, Bobby, died
of illness. "Bobby's body was at home and people from the neighbourhood were
visiting to pay their condolences when Iqbal started shouting abuse, after
which the women left his home," said a man involved in the case. "Iqbal then
recited the kalima [or shahada, Islamic declaration of faith] and shouted
abuse. Realising that he was not behaving normally, the police were called
to take him away so that tension between Christians and Muslims of the area
might not arise." Local clerics and others, however, were initially
unsatisfied with this approach: "Some of them," notes the report, "wanted to
set him on fire, but other sensible people suggested that Masih be handed
over to the police as he was experiencing a mental health crisis."
In addition to those events, Mukhtar Masih, a 70-year-old Christian man
accused of blasphemy, died of gastro-internal bleeding before his trial. He
was originally arrested in January 2017, after a "blasphemous" letter was
found pinned on the door of a local mosque. "Mukhtar insisted he was
innocent of the crime and expressed that any language expert could recognize
that the writing on the letter was not his," says the report. "Moreover he
also maintained that no Christian in Pakistan would be foolish enough to
take such a risk with his life." The accusations are believed to have been
concocted as a way to appropriate his property. A spokesman for the deceased
said, "we were extremely confident that Mukhtar would be exonerated and that
his reputation would once again become unsullied. His distraught family have
expressed great disappointment that Mukhtar Masih died with charges of
blasphemy over his head. We are challenging our local MP's to call for a
posthumous exoneration for a man who did not commit any crime. Mukhtar's
only offence was the hurt he apparently caused to Muslims for adhering to
the Christian faith."
About this Series
While not all, or even most, Muslims are involved, persecution of Christians
by Muslims is growing. The report posits that such Muslim persecution is not
random but rather systematic, and takes place irrespective of language,
ethnicity, or location.
**Raymond Ibrahim is the author of Crucified Again: Exposing Islam's New War
on Christians (published by Regnery with Gatestone Institute, April 2013).
In Saudi Arabia, Structural Reform Does not Stop
Salman Al-dossary/Asharq Al Awsat/June 03/18
The structural reforms in Saudi Arabia have been ceaseless since January
2015. They have transformed the Kingdom into a huge workshop. Development
and modernity have reached all aspects of the country.
The structural reform, which targets all state agencies and institutions,
seeks to achieve the greatest goal of eliminating crippling bureaucracy.
This was demonstrated in Friday’s royal decrees that called for establishing
a culture ministry and a royal commission for Mecca and appointing lawmakers
and minister aides. These developments cannot be separated from the reforms
that have been taking place over the past three years.It is not strange
whenever such decrees are issued for some to believe that the restructuring
operation has been complete.
The reality is that such restructuring actually never ends. It is an ongoing
process that aims to reach a higher purpose that would see the Saudi
government establish a more competent system. Such a system would eliminate
bureaucracy, which is burdensome on any government in the world. Under such
a system, state ministries and institutions would no longer operate as
isolated islands.The greatest example of the government bureaucracy is a
story that is well known to Saudis. In 2011, the state approved the
construction of 500,000 residential units throughout the Kingdom to tackle a
housing crisis, dedicating an estimated SR250 billion (66.67 billion
dollars) for the project. The Housing Ministry was tasked with its
implementation, but what ended up happening instead?
Useless bureaucracy at the ministry thwarted the spending of these funds
despite the state’s keenness at the time to find a permanent solution to the
crisis. In 2015, the government once again sought
to resolve the problem after it had eliminated some aspects of the
bureaucracy. This led to a rise in housing without even resorting to the
SR250 billion. Over the past three years, housing rose from 47 to 50 percent
and the government has vowed to raise this number to 60 percent by 2020 and
70 percent by 2030. The government plans to spend between SR600 billion and
SR700 billion to during the next ten years to reach its goal.
Of course, had it not been for an effective government agency that
was able to eliminate the flaws of bureaucracy, the Housing Ministry would
not have been able to single-handedly achieve a breakthrough in the crisis.
The Saudi state is convinced that there is a dire need for a policy that
would correct or reform the administrative structure of the government and
its institutions and agencies. This effort is being led by Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman, which would help the state speed up its measures to
reach its goals. This can be accomplished by having state ministries and
institutions adopt a set of administrative tools that would help achieve
society’s economic and social goals. No state can handle crisis-management
without adopting structural reforms that meet the aspirations of the people.
I believe that structural reform is not about painting a house on the
outside, but it is linked to arranging its internal affairs. This is the
best way to reach the desired goal of all the reforms, which is building a
different economic structure that would lead to and guarantee real, strong
and sustainable growth.
From tunnels of extremism towards horizons of tolerance
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/June 03/18
Almost every day, seminars on extremism, its paths, consequences, formations
and concepts are conducted around the world. Extremism is not a temporary or
incidental problem and it’s not easy to overcome it. It’s indeed too early
to declare the end of terrorism, even after the partial decimation of ISIS
or after announcing the end of Sahwa after lifting the cover off it or after
the relative absence of the Muslim Brotherhood after civil powers dominated
over them or the disintegration of Al Qaeda. It’s
good to hold on to hope and to look forward to a life with less bloodshed,
hatred and elimination but on the analytical level, one must be prepared for
the worst possibilities.
ISIS’ threat persists
It is true that ISIS has shrunk in the Gulf, Levant and Iraq, but it is
still vigorous in Libya and certain parts of the African coast and regions
of North Africa. This means an obituary of it would be a grave mistake.
As for the Muslim Brotherhood, it headed towards covert work in Gulf
countries. It has always followed this path after every crackdown against
it. After it was besieged, Sahwa invested heavily in electronic applications
to instill doubts about the government and mobilize the public opinion. As
for Al Qaeda, it has made a strong presence and will seek to wrest control
back from ISIS. Therefore, governments, media outlets and cultural
institutions should keep a close eye as sudden attacks can be carried out by
these organizations on ground, via operations and recruitment or on the
intellectual level via the revival of sleeper cells.
Few days ago, ministers of information of the anti-terror quartet
held discussions on coordinating their stances and developing the mechanism
of cooperation to confront supporting, funding and embracing extremism and
terrorism. In his speech, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed highlighted how
combating terrorism is serious no matter what the extent of military
victories is.
“The media plays a vital role in countering hate speech and extremist
thought. Countering terrorism lies in tearing its deviant intellectual roots
and exposing the falsehood of the terrorist organizations’ discourse and
their exploitation of the religion of Islam to subvert youth in the Arab
region and the world. Fighting terrorism and extremism on the media (front)
and at the ideological level is no less important than fighting them on the
military and security levels, and it may be more significant considering the
media’s direct influence in spreading the values of tolerance, co-existence
and acceptance of the other as well as in terms of reinforcing positivity in
societies. It is important to work on preemptive strategies based on
explaining the concepts and content of the moderate and open-minded Islamic
discourse which calls for peace, tolerance, and spreading the spirit of hope
and goodness in societies, while exposing the parties and organization that
distorted the noble meanings and values of Islam,” he said.
The ideological dimension
This vision shows the role that can be carried out regardless of military
triumphs. Facing terrorism intellectually requires scholars and
intellectuals to fight on several fronts such as developing the mechanisms
of Islamic law (Fiqh) that are filled with detailed provisions to save it
from ideological domination. For thirty years, Islamist groups have
succeeded in turning religious institutions into a political tool for their
ends. Therefore, the development of the mechanisms for comprehending matters
of Fiqh by moderate religious institutions is no longer a luxury but has
become a duty.
On the intellectual level, extremism is often addressed within the context
of academic seminars, facile analyses and negligence of information. This
prevents understanding the reasons behind the expansion of the terrorist
phenomenon.
The duty of intellectuals is not only to talk about intelligence
conspiracies regarding why organizations like Al Qaeda, ISIS, Hezbollah, the
Popular Mobilization Forces or Hamas were born but they must also address
the intellectual reasons, the principles and the concepts embodied in their
speeches, recordings, pulpits and publications. Terrorism cannot be struck
in depth without being fully aware of these groups’ approach and concepts
and without examining the ideological and jurisprudential map that dictates
their moves.
Enlightened approach
Eradicating terrorism is not easy. We may succeed in attacking it militarily
and by employing security measures, but completely eradicating it, requires
courage, determination and perseverance to confront this ugly reality and
challenge it. We should start with education and review all the curricula
from the first grade to the topics of the graduate studies’ thesis and the
approaches for discussion, and we must proceed to make strong discussions
about the nature of the Islamic stance towards the relationship with those
from different religions, and to educate the generations on the principles
of tolerance, the forms of dialogue and the ethics of coexistence. This
calls for enlightened scholars who can solve the disagreement between
religion and reality, between man and the other and between one religion and
another.
Establishing for civil jurisprudence that is concerned with the purposes of
sharia rather than with the form of legislation is the bridge that can draw
Muslim societies out of the tunnels of extremism and towards the horizons of
tolerance.
Sanaa must be seen to, however long the journey
Mohammed Al Shaikh/Al Arabiya/June 03/18
Hodeidah is about to be liberated from the Houthis. This is what news
reports from the city indicate. The Saudi kingdom and its allies could have
finalized the war in Yemen and restored legitimacy there within few days or
say months but rushing victory would have costed a huge price of human and
property losses on both sides. Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman noted this early in one of his interviews. This is in
addition to the fact that the real enemy, i.e. the Persian mullahs, would
only suffer a little from these losses in case victory is rushed because it
fights via its proxy, the Houthis.
Therefore, patience has been relatively the best and most peaceful option.
The signs of victory loom in the horizon as liberating Hodeidah is a pivotal
phase in finalizing the war and cutting supplies to the rebels. When
Hodeidah is liberated, liberating the capital Sanaa will only be a matter of
time as the Houthis only represent a small number on the map of political
and ideological powers. If the mullahs’ republic hadn’t supported them with
money and arms, the Houthis would not have been able to attract other
opportunist powers which fought along their side despite the ideological and
other radical differences between them.
I am certain that the Houthis’ collapse and that clipping their wings will
have positive effects towards ending many problems that have worried the
Gulf people especially the Saudis for long decades.
The Saudis, in all their categories, agree that we did not choose the war in
Yemen and that we only engaged in it only when we had to and after we felt
that Iran is targeting us and has ambitions in our territories, especially
in the two holy cities. This is why confronting Iran was inevitable and an
existential matter no matter what the cost is. The only option we had was
the confrontation. Therefore, Operation Decisive
Storm was the only choice which may be painful and costly but it will lead
to ending this suffering on our southern borders once and for all.
Iran’s defeat in Yemen
Not to mention that defeating the Houthis in Yemen and restoring legitimacy
via the power of weapons represent in the end a defeat of Iranian schemes.
Iran’s defeat in Yemen will certainly encourage Iraqi national categories to
engage in a confrontation and liberate Iraq from the clutches of the Persian
occupation.
The war itself has strengthened and deepened the Saudis’ sense of patriotism
and pride in such an unprecedented manner. We really needed to strengthen
this national affiliation especially that during the ominous phase of Sahwa
in the past four decades, the sense of belonging to the nation came before
the sense of belonging to one’s homeland. This
sense of belonging to the nation was strongly present among the youths who
lived through that dark stage in our history. Saudis used to go and fight in
other Muslim countries and they thus became the firewood of foreign
conflicts that we have nothing to do with. The Sahwa definition of the
“homeland” was all the countries of the Islamic world from Indonesia until
Morocco.Liberating Hodeidah and then liberating Sanaa from Persian
defilement is just around the corner. Following four years of fighting, we
have the right to echo the early Arabs’ proverb which reflects determination
that does not know hesitation: Sanaa must be seen, however long the journey.
Decline in Israel-Turkey relations has Armenia back on
the agenda
Yasar Yakis/Arab News/June 03/18
Until recent weeks, Israel was one of the few countries that resisted
pressure from Armenia to recognize as genocide the 1915 events in Ottoman
Turkey.
Turkey acknowledges the hardship suffered by the Armenians, but refuses to
recognize it as genocide. In 1915, the Ottoman state was fighting allied
powers in the Dardanelles and Russia in the east. Gangs of Ottoman citizens
of Armenian origin were destroying the communications lines of their own
army by blowing up bridges and cutting telephone lines. They were attacking
ammunition stores and stealing arms to deliver them to the Russian army.
When the measures taken by the state proved to be ineffective, the Ottoman
government decided to relocate the Armenians to provinces far from the
battle front. During this relocation, the civilian Armenians endured untold
suffering because of the lack of transport, winter conditions, epidemics and
attacks by relatives of the Muslim population that were massacred by
Armenian terrorists.
The measures taken by the Ottoman government are based on the same logic as
the measures taken by the US during the Second World War after the Pearl
Harbor attack. The US government relocated and incarcerated in internment
camps American citizens of Japanese origin who lived on the west coast.
The Republic of Turkey denies the claim that the Ottoman state committed
genocide. The UN’s “Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime
of Genocide” defines it as an act committed “with the intent to destroy a
national, ethnic or religious group.” Turkey says that the Ottoman state
never intended to destroy the Armenian community. If it wanted to do so, it
would have started by destroying the Armenian community in its capital,
Istanbul, before doing so in the eastern provinces.
In Israel, the Knesset rejected a bill asking for the recognition of
genocide in February. Another motion was tabled and was due to be debated
last week, but it was withdrawn from the agenda despite strong support from
Knesset speaker Yuli Edelstein. His spokesperson said the motion was
withdrawn “to avoid an embarrassment to the Knesset, because it was unclear
there would be a majority in favor.”
Turkey acknowledges the hardship suffered by the Armenians, but refuses to
recognize it as genocide.
The issue was due to be raised again yesterday, but Israel’s government
postponed any vote until after Turkey’s elections on June 24 over concerns
that its advancement could benefit Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
The late President of Israel, Shimon Peres, explained Israel’s position on
this subject in 2001, saying: “We reject attempts to create a similarity
between the Holocaust and the Armenian allegations. Nothing similar to the
Holocaust occurred. It is a tragedy what the Armenians went through but not
a genocide.” This logic may have prevailed again, but the Azerbaijan factor
may have played an important role in the current mood. Israel regards
Azerbaijan as a strategic ally, important for its security. The motion may
have been shelved for the moment, but the risk of it being brought back to
the agenda will always remain around the corner as long as there are
powerful supporters for it in the Knesset.
Sometimes Turkey considers Israel as a small country of 8.5 million
inhabitants and ignores the role that it can play in shaping public opinion
in the US and beyond.
A new milestone has now been reached with the frequent attempts made in the
Knesset to bring the question back on to the agenda. And this happens at a
time when Turkey has withdrawn its ambassador in Tel Aviv in protest against
the clashes on the Gaza border.
Turkey’s isolation in the international arena has alleviated the pressure on
national parliaments not to recognize the 1915 events as genocide. Exactly
for this reason, Armenia and the Armenian diaspora worldwide have
intensified their efforts to add new parliaments to those which have already
recognized it.
As a result of the pressure by the Armenian diaspora, there has always been
a tendency in the US Congress to recognize the Armenian genocide, and the
State Department and the Pentagon used to try to counter this pressure in
order to avoid harming Turkish-American relations. New US Secretary of State
Mike Pompeo stated that he will review this attitude and will not involve
the State Department in what Congress does. For Turkey, this means losing
another fortress in the US. There are very few congressmen that Turkey can
count on to put their weight behind its case. This may be a by-product of
the American Jewish community’s diminishing support for Turkey.
When several countries disagree with Turkey on various issues, this
disagreement is reflected in almost all aspects of their relations. This is
what happened in Israel and in the US. Turkey cannot protect itself from a
hurricane other than with an umbrella.
*Yasar Yakis is a former foreign minister of Turkey and founding member of
the ruling AK Party. Twitter: @yakis_yasar
Mediterranean hotspots a threat to entire region
Kerry Boyd Anderson/Arab News/June 03/18
Rather than seeing the Mediterranean as it was in ancient times — a “liquid
continent” more important to trade and travel than land routes — today
people tend to view the sea as a dividing line between discrete land areas:
North Africa, the Middle East and Europe. While the Mediterranean is no
longer the unifying sea that it was in Roman times, nonetheless it remains
important. Thousands of refugees and migrants attempt to cross it or its
adjacent smaller seas every year, creating political and humanitarian crises
but also cultural and economic links. Goods and people cross the
Mediterranean through sea and air routes. Gas pipelines connect North Africa
and Europe beneath the waves, with potential plans for new gas pipelines in
the eastern Mediterranean.
With all this connectivity, areas of instability around the Mediterranean
Sea create risks for the entire region. As the previous flood of Syrian
refugees into Europe via the Aegean Sea and the constant steam of refugees
and migrants across the sea from Libya to Europe clearly show, political and
economic instability or collapse around the sea affects the broader region.
Conflicts can reduce the flow of natural gas. Various factors affect trade,
travel and other connections.
Therefore, it is useful to take a look at existing or potential hotspots
around the Mediterranean and to consider the risks for the region.
In the 1990s, the Balkans, along the Adriatic Sea, experienced some of the
worst violence the modern Mediterranean region has seen. Concerns about the
Balkans today are increasing, especially in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Elections
are scheduled for Oct. 7, but problems with the country’s electoral law are
mixing with other factors — including nationalistic, even separatist,
rhetoric; growing involvement from Turkey, Russia and regional actors; and
neglect by the United States and the EU — to create a combustible situation.
Multiple experts have warned that Bosnia-Herzegovina could collapse.
Further south, Turkish and Greek politicians have been ratcheting up
tensions. Turkey will hold significant elections on June 24 and President
Recep Tayyip Erdogan has increased his nationalist rhetoric, including
revisiting disputes with Greece over ownership of certain islands and
waters. Some Greek politicians have responded in their own nationalist
tones. Media reports suggest a significant increase in incursions by Turkish
military ships and planes into Greek territory. Greece refuses to extradite
eight Turkish military officers that Erdogan accuses of participating in the
attempted coup of 2016, and Turkey in turn is holding two Greek border
guards. The two countries have a long history of escalation ending in
mediation, and it is likely that tensions will cool after Turkey’s election
if Erdogan successfully consolidates power. However, brinksmanship is always
risky, and any significant conflict between Turkey and Greece would present
major risks for the Mediterranean region, as well as for the EU and NATO.
The Syrian civil war and refugee crisis represents the bloodiest development
and most profound risk in the Mediterranean region in recent years. The war
within Syria is bad enough, but it has also demonstrated that modern
conflict is seldom contained, as massive refugee flows significantly
affected European politics and Daesh used Syria as a base for terrorist
activities. If the Syrian conflict or other issues destabilize vulnerable
Lebanon, the effects on security and politics around the Mediterranean would
be severe.
Events in recent weeks have reminded the world that the crisis in Gaza is
far from resolved, as Israeli forces killed more than 100 Palestinian
protesters. The ongoing Israeli siege of Gaza has created a humanitarian
emergency, and electricity shortages have led to the pumping of untreated
sewage from Gaza into the sea, polluting Gaza’s beaches and creating
problems for Israel too. Israeli policies have undermined Palestinians’
ability to tap into the fishing and, most importantly, natural gas resources
along Gaza’s coast.
Libya remains a divided country with multiple militias and competing
administrations in Tripoli and eastern Libya, as well as being the major
point of departure for African migrants trying to reach Europe. A meeting
hosted by France last week produced a plan for elections in December, but
there is significant uncertainty about whether the elections will occur and
how various powerful players would respond.
The war within Syria is bad enough, but it has also demonstrated that modern
conflict is seldom contained, as massive refugee flows significantly
affected European politics and Daesh used Syria as a base for terrorist
activities
The Mediterranean region faces other risks as well. The dispute between
Turkey and Greece over Cyprus is unresolved. Tensions over rights to gas and
oil fields in the eastern Mediterranean continue to simmer. The Egyptian
government continues to battle Daesh and insurgents in Sinai, including near
the Mediterranean coast. Tunisia and Algeria are relatively stable today,
but both face significant long-term political risks.
One major theme in this scan of Mediterranean hotspots is the decreased
presence of the US. Bosnia-Herzegovina is heating up in part because
Washington has lost interest. The US mediated the last major crisis between
Greece and Turkey but may have less leverage or willingness to engage today.
US decisions early in the Syrian civil war to avoid significant involvement
made it easier for Russia and Iran to bolster the Assad regime and extend
the war. The Gaza crisis peaked as the US embassy opened in Jerusalem.
The EU has direct interests in a stable Mediterranean and might pick up some
of the leadership vacuum left by Washington. The Union for the Mediterranean
is an existing institution designed to facilitate development and relations
between the EU and the rest of the Mediterranean, but it has struggled to
make significant achievements and to adapt to political change in North
Africa. Nonetheless, at a time of increasing risk around the sea, diplomatic
efforts are more necessary than ever to reduce risks — to the benefit of all
countries that boast a Mediterranean shore.
Kerry Boyd Anderson is a writer and political risk consultant with more than
14 years’ experience as a professional analyst of international security
issues and Middle East political and business risk. Twitter: @KBAresearch
EU shares no common ground with Tehran
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/June 03/18
The Iranian leaders and their state-controlled Persian media outlets
continue to significantly emphasize Iran’s economic, diplomatic and
political ties with the European Union. The predominant narrative that the
Iranian regime is spreading presents itself in the following three ideas:
That the EU is left with no option other than backing Iran politically; that
many European nations will persist in investing their political capital in
preserving the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, also referred to as the
Iran nuclear deal; and that the EU will continue to provide sanctions
reliefs to the Islamic Republic.
Furthermore, the ongoing efforts of some EU members to maintain their
heightened rapprochement with Tehran’s ruling clerics are surprising for
many scholars, policy analysts and politicians.
It is worth noting that the theocratic establishment of Iran shares almost
no common interests with the EU. Let us take a meticulous look at the
geopolitical and strategic landscapes as well as political ideologies
between the Islamic Republic and the EU.
With respect to Iran’s clerical ideology, one of the core pillars of the
Islamic revolution has been the export of the revolution and the
establishment of a political system similar to that of the Iranian regime in
other nations. In fact the rulings mullahs frequently and publicly state
their intentions and commitment to promoting such a revolutionary objective,
and they have incorporated this critical mission in the Islamic Republic’s
constitution. The preamble of the Iranian constitution stipulates that “the
mission of the constitution is to create conditions conducive to the
development of man in accordance with the noble and universal values of
Islam” and that the Iranian constitution “provides the necessary basis for
ensuring the continuation of the revolution at home and abroad.”
The Iranian regime’s disrespect for the principles of national sovereignty
and its ongoing interference in the internal affairs of other countries —
such as Bahrain, Yemen, Syria and Iraq, to name just a few — are crystal
clear. Such pursuit of hegemony in the region directly undermines and
scuttles the EU’s foreign policy objectives in the Middle East, and stands
against the EU’s commitment and belief in self-determination and respect for
the key principle of national sovereignty and non-interference in the
domestic affairs of other nations.
Groups such as Hezbollah — which are supported by the Islamic Revolutionary
Guard Corps and its elite Quds Force — view terrorism as a powerful
instrument in advancing their ideological and geopolitical goals, and pose a
terrorist threat to Europe, having killed many Europeans
Considering the role of non-state actors, Tehran sponsors, supports, trains
and arms numerous militia groups, proxies and terrorist-designated groups
that pursue anti-European and anti-Western policies. Groups such as
Hezbollah — which are supported by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and
its elite Quds Force — view terrorism as a powerful instrument in advancing
their ideological and geopolitical goals, and pose a terrorist threat to
Europe, having killed many Europeans. The negative implications of Iran’s
expansion of its foreign militia networks are a serious threat to Europe’s
security.
Regarding humanitarian issues, while the European Convention on Human Rights
strives to protect human rights, the Iranian regime is blatantly violating
fundamental human rights. Iran is the world leader in executing people per
capita. It is also, according to Amnesty International, a leading
executioner of children. In addition, it continues to crack down and
systematically discriminate against religious and ethnic minorities
including Christians, Sunnis, Arabs, Kurds and Afghans.
In fact, the regime has also systematically resorted to different methods of
assassinations to silence its dissidents in Europe and other Western
nations. A German court previously concluded that Tehran had orchestrated
the assassination of four Iranian Kurdish dissidents in Berlin. In addition,
the US accused Iran’s Quds Force in the botched 2011 plot to assassinate the
Saudi ambassador to the United States, after seeking the help of a Drug
Enforcement Administration agent who was posing as a Mexican drug cartel
member. Most recently, Iran was accused of murdering Arab-Iranian activist
Ahmad Mola Nissi, who was assassinated in the Netherlands.
In addition, when it comes to political ideology, not only do the EU and
Iran share no common interests, but they stand on totally the opposite sides
of the spectrum. While the EU is representative of democracy, Iran’s
political establishment is a Shiite theocratic oligarchy and one unelected
man, the supreme leader, enjoys ultimate legal, constitutional and religious
authority over the entire nation. More importantly, all forms of freedom
(including press, speech and assembly) are heavily restricted, and any
opposition to the Shiite theocracy is suppressed with brute force and the
iron fist of the regime’s forces.
These parameters suggest that if the EU, or any European government, stands
with the ruling clerics of Iran, it will be making vital miscalculations
from geopolitical, strategic, and even economic standpoints.
The strategic, geopolitical and ideological gaps and differences between
Iran and the EU are too deep to be bridged. There is hardly any convergence
of interests between the EU and Iran. The Iran regime’s policies are
designed to robustly undermine the EU’s national security interests, and the
ruling mullahs have not changed their anti-Western political ideology for 40
years, since the establishment of their theocratic oligarchy. It is the time
for the EU to revisit its dealings and policy toward Iran’s theocratic
regime.
*Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political
scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a
businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh
Syria links talks on south to US withdrawal
AFP/June 03, 2018
More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria’s war since it started in
2011
The US is present in the north of Syria, where it has been backing a
Kurdish-led alliance
BEIRUT: Syria’s foreign minister on Saturday linked any talks on the future
of a opposition-held southern region with the departure of US forces from
another area bordering Iraq and Jordan.
Regime ally Russia has called for a meeting with the US and Jordan on the
future of the southern provinces of Daraa and Quneitra, bordering Jordan and
the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.
In recent weeks, Damascus has sent military reinforcements to the two
provinces, which comprise some of the closest opposition-held areas to the
capital.
President Vladimir Putin has spoken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu about proposed talks.
“We have not yet entered into negotiations over the southern front,” Syria’s
Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said at a press conference in Damascus.
“The indicator will be the withdrawal of the United States from our land in
At-Tanaf” near the Iraqi and Jordanian borders, Muallem said.
The US and its allies have used a base in the area to train a force fighting
the Daesh group.
“Don’t believe anything that is said about an agreement on the south until
you see that the United States has withdrawn its forces from the At-Tanaf
base,” he said.
“It must withdraw its forces from At-Tanaf.”
“We have strived from the start to resolve the issue in the ways that we are
used to, which are reconciliations,” he said. “If it is not feasible, we
will see what will happen.”
Moscow-brokered reconciliation deals have seen rebels withdraw from several
areas of Syria including opposition strongholds close to the capital, often
after blistering regime offensives and sieges. Last month, Washington warned
Damascus it would take “firm” action if the regime violated a cease-fire
deal for southern Syria that was negotiated with Russia and Jordan last
year.
The warning came after regime aircraft dropped leaflets on Daraa, urging the
rebels who control most of the province to lay down their weapons or face an
offensive.
The US is also present in the north of Syria, where it has been backing a
Kurdish-led alliance fighting IS. Muallem also criticized a US-Turkish
roadmap for “security and stability” in the Kurdish-held city of Manbij near
the Turkish border.
The agreement came after forces led by Turkey, who considers Syria’s Kurdish
militia to be “terrorists,” in March seized the enclave of Afrin west of
Manbij.
That had raised fears of a confrontation between Turkish troops and American
forces based in Manbij. “Not just in Manbij but also in Afrin and on every
inch of Syrian soil, we consider Turkey to be an aggressor,” the foreign
minister said.
“Neither the United States nor Turkey has the right to negotiate over a
Syrian city,” he said, describing any such deal as “infringing on Syrian
sovereignty.”
12 killed in US air raids
At least 12 civilians — members of the same family — have been killed in
US-led coalition raids on Daesh in northeastern Syria, a monitor said
Saturday.
“The airstrikes and artillery fire (Friday night) by the international
coalition on the village of Hidaj, held by IS (Daesh) in the southern sector
of Hasakah province, killed at least 12 people,” the Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights said.
The civilians — including two women and their children — belonged to the
same family, it added.
The deaths bring to “20 the number of civilians killed by the coalition in
24 hours east of the Euphrates River,” said the Observatory, which relies on
a network of sources across Syria for its reports.
On Thursday, eight other civilians were killed in coalition strikes in Deir
Ezzor province, south of Hasakah.
Daesh militants have lost most of the large parts they once controlled in
Syria and neighboring Iraq since 2014. Today, the militants hold less than 3
percent of Syria, according to the Observatory.
In Deir Ezzor, the mainly Kurdish Syrian Democratic Forces — supported by
the US-led coalition — are trying to dislodge militants from the east bank
of the Euphrates.
The coalition said on Friday its airstrikes in Syria and Iraq had
“unintentionally” killed 892 civilians since its bombing campaign began
nearly four years ago.
More than 350,000 people have been killed in Syria’s war since it started in
2011 with a brutal crackdown on anti-government protests.
It has since spiralled into a complex conflict involving world powers and
foreign militants.
Recapturing southwest
Meanwhile, the Syrian regime wants to recapture insurgent territory in the
southwest through a settlement in which fighters accept state rule or leave,
the foreign minister said on Saturday.
Walid Al-Moualem also said the US must withdraw from the Tanf base in the
southeast. Damascus has not engaged in talks about the country’s south, and
any agreement over that region must include the pullout of US forces, he
said.
The southwest, near the borders with Jordan and Israel, remains one of the
big chunks of Syria still outside the control of the state, which has
recovered swathes of the country with the help of Russian jets and
Iran-backed militias.
Opposition factions hold stretches of Quneitra and Daraa provinces in the
southwest, bordering the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, while Syrian regime
troops and allied forces control nearby territory.
A “de-escalation” deal, which Russia, the US and Jordan brokered, has
contained fighting there since last year. Washington voiced concern about
reports of an impending army offensive, and warned it would take “firm and
appropriate measures” in response to any violations of the cease-fire.
US forces are based in a southern desert pocket further east at Tanf, a
strategic highway border crossing with Iraq.
Moualem said the Syrian military had dropped leaflets calling on insurgents
in the southwest to either surrender their weapons and settle with the
state, or leave.
“We seek, initially, to solve this issue in the ways we have got used to
working with, which are reconciliations. If it does not work, that’s a
different conversation,” he told a news conference in Damascus.
Russia has said only Syrian regime troops should be at the southern border
with Jordan and Israel, which has waged airstrikes in Syria to curb what it
fears is Iran’s expanding influence.
Tehran supports Moscow’s effort to impose Syrian government control over the
south, a senior Iranian security official was quoted as saying on Saturday.
Moualem also said Damascus had communicated with the US-backed Syrian
Democratic Forces (SDF) but no negotiation process had started over the fate
of their territory in the north and east.
He said Raqqa city, which the Kurdish-led SDF militias seized from Daesh
with US support, “must be rebuilt and liberated” from any foreign presence.