LCCC
ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
March 17/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias
Bejjani
The Bulletin's Link on the
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http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.march17.18.htm
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Bible
Quotations
From The Prophecy
Against Babylon: I will punish the world for its evil, the wicked for their
sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty and will humble the
pride of the ruthless
Isaiah 13/01-22: "A prophecy against Babylon that Isaiah son of Amoz saw:
Raise a banner on a bare hilltop, shout to them; beckon to them to enter the
gates of the nobles. I have commanded those I prepared for battle; I have
summoned my warriors to carry out my wrath— those who rejoice in my triumph.
Listen, a noise on the mountains, like that of a great multitude! Listen, an
uproar among the kingdoms, like nations massing together! The Lord Almighty
is mustering an army for war. They come from faraway lands, from the ends of
the heavens— the Lord and the weapons of his wrath—to destroy the whole
country. Wail, for the day of the Lord is near; it will come like
destruction from the Almighty. Because of this, all hands will go limp,
every heart will melt with fear. Terror will seize them, pain and anguish
will grip them; they will writhe like a woman in labor. They will look
aghast at each other, their faces aflame. See, the day of the Lord is
coming—a cruel day, with wrath and fierce anger—to make the land desolate
and destroy the sinners within it. The stars of heaven and their
constellations will not show their light. The rising sun will be darkened
and the moon will not give its light. I will punish the world for its evil,
the wicked for their sins. I will put an end to the arrogance of the haughty
and will humble the pride of the ruthless. I will make people scarcer than
pure gold, more rare than the gold of Ophir. Therefore I will make the
heavens tremble; and the earth will shake from its place at the wrath of the
Lord Almighty, in the day of his burning anger. Like a hunted gazelle, like
sheep without a shepherd, they will all return to their own people, they
will flee to their native land. Whoever is captured will be thrust through;
all who are caught will fall by the sword. Their infants will be dashed to
pieces before their eyes; their houses will be looted and their wives
violated. See, I will stir up against them the Medes, who do not care for
silver and have no delight in gold. Their bows will strike down the young
men; they will have no mercy on infants, nor will they look with compassion
on children. Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms, the pride and glory of the
Babylonians, will be overthrown by God like Sodom and Gomorrah. She will
never be inhabited or lived in through all generations; there no nomads will
pitch their tents, there no shepherds will rest their flocks. But desert
creatures will lie there, jackals will fill her houses; there the owls will
dwell, and there the wild goats will leap about. Hyenas will inhabit her
strongholds, jackals her luxurious palaces. Her time is at hand, and her
days will not be prolonged."
Titles
For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources
published on March 16-17/18
Hezbollah’s Weapons Loom Large Over Lebanese Elections/Diana
Moukalled/Arab News/March 16/18
2 Israeli soldiers dead, 2 more hurt in West Bank ramming attack/Ynetnews/March
16/18
General McMaster: Iran spent more than $16 billion on Syria and
proxies/Joyce Karam/The National/March 16/18
The New Palestinian Jihad to Obliterate Israel/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone
Institute./March 16/ 2018
Islamist Groups Protest Counter-Extremism Programs/Oren Litwin/Daily
Caller/March 16/18
Why the Iraqi government is weak in facing corruption/Adnan Hussein/Al
Arabiya/March 16/18
The early disputes between al-Shirazi family and Iran/Hassan Al Mustafa/Al
Arabiya/March 16/18
Saudi Arabia and the US: A common cause, common destiny/Faisal Al-Shammeri/Al
Arabiya/March 16/18
Trump versus Obama: Achievements, statistics speak for themselves/Ahmad al-Farraj/Al
Arabiya/March 16/18
Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News
published on March 16-17/18
UN chief demands end to Lebanese meddling in Syria
Aoun requests support of Holy See rendering Lebanon international center for
interfaith dialogue
Siniora participates in Baku Forum, stresses centrality of Palestinian cause
Hamadeh, Egyptian counterpart discuss promotion of academic exchanges
Information Minister: We need a real defense strategy
In a bid to contain Hezbollah, world powers push for Lebanon's defense
strategy
Saudi Arabia Calls for Supporting Lebanese Army As Sole Legitimate Power
France Opens 400 Million Euro Credit Line for Lebanon
Nasrallah: We Won't Let Nusra, IS Allies Represent Baalbek-Hermel
Deryan Hails Saudi, UAE Endeavors in Preserving Lebanon's Stability
Jumblat Laments Bloodshed in Syria, Says 'Nations Fighting at Syria's
Expense'
Bassil Asks UNRWA to Unregister Palestinians who Leave Lebanon
Gen. Aoun Meets Military Commanders in Rome, Presents Army 'Needs'
Some states testing new weapons in Syria, ex-Lebanese PM claims
China to bar people with bad 'social credit' from planes, trains
2 killed in suspected carramming in West Bank: local media
Russia opens probe into 'attempted murder' of Skripal daughter
Protesters storm German consulate on Greek island of Crete
Jreissati via Twitter lashes out at media rumors about general amnesty
UK roles out National Action Plan on women, peace and security around its
programmes in Lebanon
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And
News published on March 16-17/18
Iran Deal Signatories Meet as Trump Deadline Looms
Air India to Fly over Saudi Airspace to Israel
Saudi Crown Prince: We are oldest US ally in Mideast, to focus on peace for
all
Yemen forces foil naval attack, Houthi ballistic missile in western Yemen
Gargash: Saudi Arabia’s futuristic vision defies Iran’s regressive ideology
Arab Coalition destroys Houthi equipment off Saudi-Yemen border
Emirates crew member dies after fall from plane in Uganda
Cornered by activists in Paris, Qatari diplomat says he’s against Muslim
Brotherhood
Statement by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs on fourth anniversary of
illegal annexation of Crimea
Paris Opens €400 mln Credit Line for Lebanon’s Army, Security Forces
Saudi Arabia Calls for Supporting Lebanese Army As Sole Legitimate Power
Turkish Forces Try to Storm Afrin, Urge Kurds to Surrender
Tillerson’s Sacking ‘Complicates’ European Mediation in Iran Nuclear Deal
Rex Tillerson’s Firing Was Necessary to National Security
2 soldiers dead, 2 more hurt in West Bank ramming attack
Latest Lebanese Related News published
on March 16-17/18
UN chief demands end
to Lebanese meddling in Syria
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA -
United Nations chief Antonio Guterres urged all Lebanese parties to stop
meddling in the Syrian conflict, in a report naming the movement Hezbollah.
"The presence of unauthorized weapons in the hands of Hezbollah remains of
serious concern and warrants condemnation," the secretary-general said in a
quarterly report distributed to the 15 Security Council members ahead of a
debate set for Tuesday. Washington, which is involved in a major diplomatic
offensive to counter Iranian influence in the Middle East, is expected to
reprise the accusations against Hezbollah.
On Syria, Guterres said "no progress was achieved with respect to the
disarmament of armed groups." "The maintenance of arms outside the control
of the state by Hezbollah and other groups continues to restrict the ability
of the government of Lebanon to exercise full sovereignty and authority over
its territory," he added. "Hezbollah continued to acknowledge publicly that
it maintains its military capacity." Noting that "crises in the region
continue to pose a risk to Lebanon's stability," Guterres said he was still
"concerned" about "almost daily" Israeli overflights of Lebanese territory
in violation of a UN resolution and Lebanese sovereignty. In the area of
operations of the UN's UNIFIL mission in southern Lebanon, involving some
10,500 troops, the situation "remained generally calm." And the UN chief
hailed the mission's increased visibility and activities aimed at halting
hostilities.--AFP
Aoun requests support of Holy See rendering Lebanon
international center for interfaith dialogue
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on
Friday requested the support of the Holy See making Lebanon an international
center for interfaith dialogue, especially after the approval of a number of
countries. President Aoun's statement came during a meeting at Baabda Palace
with President of the Italian Episcopal Conference, Cardinal Gualtiero
Bassetti, who visited his Excellency in the company of a delegation
including Vice-President of Pope John Paul II Foundation, Monsignor Luciano
Giovannetti, and Chargé d'Affaires of the Pontifical Mission in Lebanon,
Monsignor Ivan Santos. During the meeting, President Aoun stressed the
importance of diversity in Lebanon among different civilizations and
religions. "I therefore proposed that Lebanon be a center for dialogue of
civilizations, religions, and races. We are working towards this end under
the auspices of the United Nations, especially as many countries will
support us, and I am sure of the Vatican's ability to help as well," Aoun
added. On another level, Baabda Palace witnessed political, tourism and
economic meetings on Friday. In this context, President Aoun welcomed
Tourism Minister, Avedis Guidanian, with a delegation from the Evenement
Association, which includes presidents and directors from 70 French agencies
that organize the events of French companies in France and around world.
These events include conferences, seminars, and lectures. Guidanian spoke on
behalf of the delegation, noting that the presence of its members in Beirut,
at the invitation of the Ministry of Tourism, falls within the framework of
the ministry's strategy to make Lebanon a conference hub in the eastern
basin of the Middle East region, especially in light of the security
stability that made Lebanon a tourist destination. President Aoun welcomed
the delegation in Lebanon, reminding its members that the only country that
has managed to maintain stability in an unstable region is Lebanon. "The
French are welcome as tourists and as investors," Aoun added, hoping that
relations between the two countries and peoples will be strengthened.
In the context of conferences being held in Lebanon, President Aoun also met
with a delegation of participants in a conference to explore and develop oil
and gas fields in Lebanon, which had been held at the M?venpick Hotel in
Beirut.
President Aoun welcomed the delegation, and stressed his keenness to sponsor
conferences that increase the knowledge of citizens, "not only for
specialists, but for those who wish to garner knowledge at the national
level." President Aoun also expressed his interest in national oil and
economy, and expressed hope that oil production would help improve Lebanon's
economic situation.
Siniora participates in Baku Forum, stresses centrality
of Palestinian cause
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - Head of the Future Parliamentary bloc, MP Fouad
Siniora, continues to participate in the meetings of the Sixth World Forum
held in Baku, in the presence of a crowd of international and Arab
personalities. In his remarks, Siniora stressed the centrality of the
Palestinian cause and the importance of combating terrorism and working to
unify Arab ranks in the face of Israeli ambitions and regional interference
in the affairs of the Arab countries, specifically interference in matters
of national security. Syria UN envoy says 40,000 left eastern Ghouta on
Thursday Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - Syria's ambassador to the United Nations told
the Security Council on Friday that the day before, 40,000 people had been
able to leave the besieged Damascus suburb of eastern Ghouta. Ambassador
Bashar al-Jaafari, speaking after U.N. peace envoy Staffan de Mistura warned
the conflict is escalating despite a ceasefire vote, said Syrian and Russian
forces had opened "corridors" for civilians.--AFP
Hamadeh, Egyptian counterpart discuss promotion of academic exchanges
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - Minister of Education and Higher Learning, Marwan
Hamadeh, met with the Egyptian Minister of Higher Education and Scientific
Research, Khaled Abdel Ghaffar, accompanied by the Egyptian Ambassador to
Lebanon, Nazih Al-Najjari, with talks touching on strengthening
education-related cooperation between institutions of higher learning in
both countries. The Minister later met with director of the French
Development Agency in Lebanon, Olivier Ray, with whom he tackled the
schedule of implementation of joint projects with the Ministry, financed by
the Agency.
Hamadeh also held a meeting with the Director of the Academic Exchange
Program at the German Embassy in Beirut, Bahar Sayas, whereby they tackled
the promotion of university scholarships and exchange at the level of higher
education.
Information Minister: We need a real defense strategy
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - Information Minister, Melhem Riachy, highlighted on
Friday Lebanon's need for "a real defensive strategy." "Supporting the army
is a basic strategic plan, as the army plays a key role in establishing a
real Lebanese state," Riachy added in an interview with colleague Rola
Kassab in "Kalam Beirut" talk show on "Future TV". Riachy also underlined
the important role of the Lebanese President in limiting war and peace
decisions to the Lebanese state alone; however, he ruled out the possibility
of having Iran approve of rendering Hezbollah's arms in the hands of the
state. "Within the next 72 hours, the electoral alliance between the
Lebanese Forces and the Future Movement will be determined," Riachy said. He
also called for protecting the judicial body, saying that the protection of
the judiciary is tantamount to the protection of peace in Lebanon. On
another level, the Minister pointed to a faltering military determination in
Syria. "The change in the US leadership is major and significant; it will
change the course of developments in Syria," Riachy said. Touching on
public media dossiers, the Minister said that he had referred to Prime
Minister Saad Hariri a letter calling for the privatization of Tele Liban
and Radio Lebanon's Arabic channels. "Privatization is the best solution to
open the door before intellectual and artistic elites and to involve the
private sector in the public sector and to place it among international
media institutions," Riachy concluded.
In a bid to contain
Hezbollah, world powers push for Lebanon's defense strategy
Georgi Azar/Annahar/ March 16/ 2018
The debate around the adoption of national defense strategy has resurfaced
in recent weeks, as Lebanon geared up for three international donor
conferences to shore up its economy and defensive capabilities.
BEIRUT: The international community has
been courting Lebanese officials in an attempt to pave the way for the
potential integration of Hezbollah’s arsenal within the framework of a
national defense strategy.BEIRUT: The international community has been
courting Lebanese officials in an attempt to pave the way for the potential
integration of Hezbollah’s arsenal within the framework of a national
defense strategy. The debate around the adoption of national defense
strategy has resurfaced in recent weeks, as Lebanon geared up for three
international donor conferences to shore up its economy and defensive
capabilities. Two days before the Rome conference, which set the stage for
Lebanese officials to boost support for the Army and security state, United
Nations (UN) Acting Special Coordinator for Lebanon Pernille Dahler Kardel
urged Aoun to initiate dialogue over a national defense strategy. With the
international community continuing to express reservations over Hezbollah’s
military wing and foreign incursions in Syria among other countries, Aoun
assured Kardel that the national defense strategy would be discussed at the
conclusion of the upcoming parliamentary elections and after the formation
of new Cabinet, a source told Annahar.
Saudi Arabia Calls for
Supporting Lebanese Army As Sole Legitimate Power
New York, Beirut- Ali Barda and Asharq Al-Awsat/March 16/18/Saudi Arabia
called for supporting the Lebanese Army based on a clear mechanism that
ensures that it is the sole legitimate power in the country. In remarks
before the Rome 2 Conference on Thursday, the head of the Saudi delegation,
Deputy Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Ayesh, said that the
vision of Saudi Arabia “meets with the objectives of the conference that
seeks to preserve the security and stability of Lebanon under Security
Council Resolution 1701, which defines the army as the sole legitimate power
in accordance with the Constitution and the provisions of the Taif
Accord.”He emphasized the Saudi stance towards the need to develop a clear
vision of a mechanism that supports the Lebanese army according to its
needs. On the sidelines of the conference, which is hosted by Italy to rally
support for the Lebanese Army and security institutions, Hariri held
separate meetings with Ayesh, the personal representative of the Russian
President for the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. In his speech before the conference,
the Lebanese premier said: “The Lebanese government recognizes that it is
enjoying an exceptional moment of international consensus and support. We
consider that it is in our national interest to preserve this international
consensus and as such, we are committed to doing our part.”Hariri touched on
the issue of the national defense strategy, which President Michel Aoun said
he would address following the upcoming parliamentary elections. “The
President of the Lebanese Republic, Michel Aoun, announced three days ago,
that the National Defense Strategy will be discussed following the
legislative elections in May. I join President Aoun’s call to the
International community to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, to enable them
to assume their duty of preserving security and stability in accordance with
the National Defense Strategy,” he stated. The Lebanese premier emphasized
that his government’s priority was to create a “virtuous cycle of security,
stability, growth and employment for Lebanon and the Lebanese.”He noted in
this regard that Rome 2 was a first step towards achieving this end,
underlining his country’s commitment to the policy of dissociation, which
was adopted by the government in December.
France Opens 400 Million Euro Credit Line for Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 16/18/Lebanon received increased
military support from the international community at the Rome II Conference
on Thursday, with France opening a 400 million euro ($492 million) line of
credit to the country's army. Prime Minister Saad Hariri said further
discussion would be needed to clarify the amounts pledged by each of the 40
countries at the conference, which will be followed by two further meetings
in Paris and Brussels. France announced earlier in the month that it would
provide 14 million euros to Lebanon's army, mostly in the form of anti-tank
equipment.
Nasrallah: We Won't Let Nusra, IS Allies Represent Baalbek-Hermel
Naharnet/March 16/18/Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah lashed out at
those criticizing Hizbullah's electoral list in Hermel-Baalbek district,
calling them allies of the extremist groups the Islamic State and al-Nusra
Front, the National News Agency reported on Friday. Urging Hizbullah
supporters in Baalbek-Hermel region for “massive participation” in the
upcoming parliamentary elections, he said in an internal meeting with them:
“I will personally roam its villages, cities and neighborhoods to make sure
the list succeeds, even if that puts me at risk,” said NNA. “I will not
allow, we will not allow allies of Nusra and the IS to represent the people
of Baalbek-Hermel. People of the region won't allow Nusra and IS to
represent them,” he stressed. Hizbullah has formed its “Hope and Loyalty”
list in Baalbek-Hermel to take part in the May 6 elections.
The majority of political parties have declared their candidates to run in
the polls. However, the electoral lists have not yet taken full shape as
political parties are scrambling to shape alliances.
Deryan Hails Saudi, UAE Endeavors in Preserving Lebanon's Stability
Naharnet/March 16/18/Grand Mufti of the Republic Sheikh Abdul Latif Deryan
praised the “efforts of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates for
upholding stability in Lebanon,” the National News Agency reported on
Friday. Deryan's remarks came during a meeting he held at Dar al-Fatwa with
the UAE ambassador Hamad al-Shamsi, Saudi Chargé d'Affaires Walid al-Bukhari,
and Minister of State for Displaced Affairs Moein Merhebi. Discussions
featured high on the Islamic, Lebanese and Arab affairs, said NNA.
Deryan expressed great appreciation to his guests for the Saudi and Emirati
roles, and their “wise leadership in standing by Lebanon and its people and
supporting the country's institutions so that Lebanon remains an independent
Arab country.”He praised “the efforts being exerted with the aim of strengthening
stability and security of Lebanon and assisting it in promoting the State
and its legitimate institutions, particularly the economic sector.”He
expressed “satisfaction with the outcome of the Rome II donor conference,"
praising "Arab and international support for the Lebanese army and security
forces, and the growing international confidence in Lebanon and its
government, which has stood in the face of the political, security and
economic storms that have hit the region."
Jumblat Laments Bloodshed in Syria, Says 'Nations Fighting at Syria's
Expense'
Naharnet/March 16/18/Progressive Socialist Party leader MP Walid Jumblat on
Friday expressed sorrow over the suffering of Syrians in their war-torn
country, saying that international powers are “struggling and negotiating at
the expense of the Syrian people.” “The Syrian people tragedy may be one of
the greatest tragedies of so-called humanity in modern history,” said
Jumblat in a tweet. “Eight years of killing with all kinds of weapons,
displacement, destruction, kidnapping and arrest, and no one is taking
action. The Syrian people have been left unarmed while nations are
negotiating at their expense,” he stated.
Referring to the month long bombardment on Eastern Ghouta, the MP said:
“Today Ghouta vs Afrin. What would it be tomorrow?” he asked.
Thousands of civilians poured out of Eastern Ghouta on Thursday after a
month-long bombardment by the Syrian regime that left nearly 1,250 civilians
dead, around a fifth of them children. Defying expectations and calls to
step down, Syria's President Bashar al-Assad was strengthening his grip on
power as the conflict entered its eighth year.
For the past seven years, international efforts to bring an end to the
violence raging across Syria have consistently failed.
Bassil Asks UNRWA to Unregister Palestinians who Leave Lebanon
Naharnet/March 16/18/Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil on Thursday called on
the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA to “unregister every
Palestinian refugee who stays outside Lebanon or acquires the citizenship of
another country.”“This would alleviate its financial burden and would
contribute to lowering the numbers of Palestinian refugees in Lebanon
without harming the right to return (to Palestinian territories occupied in
1948 and 1967), which is sacred,” Bassil told a Rome summit aimed at
discussing UNRWA's future. The UN agency faces an unprecedented crisis after
the U.S. froze tens of millions of dollars in funding. “We call on the
international community to organize a campaign for the voluntary return of
Palestinian refugees, seeing as all the prerequisites of a safe and
dignified return are available,” Bassil added.
Lebanese authorities had in December announced that more than 174,000
Palestinian refugees live in Lebanon, in the first-ever census of its kind
for a country where demographics have long been a sensitive subject. The
census was carried out by the government's Lebanese-Palestinian Dialogue
Committee in 12 Palestinian camps as well as 156 informal "gatherings"
across the country. The result of 174,422 Palestinian refugees is much lower
than previous estimates of up to 500,000. Palestinians began taking refuge
in Lebanon with the creation of Israel in 1948, setting up camps that have
since transformed into bustling, urban districts. But their presence has
long been a controversial in Lebanon, with many blaming it for the eruption
of the bitter war that ravaged the country between 1975 and 1990. Lebanon
has not carried out a census of its own citizens since 1932, making the 2017
count even more remarkable.
It sheds light on the living conditions of 174,422 Palestinian refugees, as
well as another 18,601 Palestinians who fled the neighboring conflict in
Syria to camps in Lebanon.
Lebanon's Palestinian camps suffer serious problems, with varying degrees of
poverty, overcrowding, unemployment, poor housing conditions and lack of
infrastructure.
Announcing the results, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said Lebanon had a "duty"
towards Palestinians but insisted that Lebanon would, under no
circumstances, accept their naturalization. Palestinian officials have also
consistently rejected permanent resettlement in Lebanon because of their
longstanding demand that those who fled or were forced out of their homes
with the creation of Israel be granted the right of return.
The census result is much lower than the 469,331 people registered in
Lebanon with the U.N.'s Palestinian refugee agency. "UNRWA does not have a
headcount of Palestinian refugees who are currently residing in Lebanon.
What we have as an agency are official registration records for the number
of registered Palestine refugees in Lebanon," spokeswoman Huda Samra told
AFP at the time. "If someone registered with UNRWA in Lebanon decided to
live outside Lebanon, they don't notify us," she said.
Gen. Aoun Meets Military Commanders in Rome, Presents Army 'Needs'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 16/18/On the sidelines of the Rome II
Conference, Lebanese Army commander Gen. Joseph Aoun attended a meeting with
the Italian military commanders where he gave a detailed presentation on the
needs of the army, which the Italian side "responded greatly" to its combat
needs, al-Joumhuria daily reported Friday.
According to sources following up closely on the Rome conference, “the army
commander was busy with meetings on the second day. He met with several
Italian military figures who hailed the role of the army and expressed
support for the institution.”
They said the Italian air force commander told Aoun that Italy is prepared
for the training of Lebanese pilots. Italian General Chief of Defense Staff
Gen. Claudio Graziano has “warmly welcomed Aoun,” emphasizing “deep
relations” between the Lebanese and Italian armies, referring to his
experience in Lebanon through his command of the UNIFIL forces, the sources
told the daily. An official dinner was held in honor of the Lebanese
military delegation.
The Italian side revealed that it benefited from the experience of the
Lebanese army in the task of maintaining and spreading security at home,
using Lebanese plans to deploy 7,000 Italian troops to control security and
help other security forces.
Prime Minister Saad Hariri led a delegation to Rome comprised of ministers
of defense, interior and foreign affairs; the chiefs of the army, Internal
Security Forces and General Security; Lebanon's ambassador to Italy; the
director of his office Nader Hariri; his adviser on military affairs retired
Brig. Gen. Maroun Hitti and a large number of officers.
The delegation is carrying a comprehensive plan that will be presented to
the participating countries in Rome II conference with the aim of supporting
the army and the security forces for a period of five years.
In addition to host country Italy, the participants in the conference are
the U.S., France, Germany, Britain, Spain, Russia, Canada, Japan, China,
South Korea, Australia, Denmark, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Argentina, Brazil, Armenia, Cyprus,
Greece, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Kuwait, Bahrain, Jordan,
Qatar, Algeria, Morocco, Oman, the Arab League, the EU and the U.N., as well
as the NATO alliance as an observer.
The conference kicked off on Thursday at 4:00 pm Beirut time with a speech
by Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni. Speeches by Hariri and U.N. chief
Antonio Guterres followed.
Some states testing
new weapons in Syria, ex-Lebanese PM claims
APA/March 16/18/18/Some big states today are directly involved in criminal
acts; they use Syrian soil as a testing ground for newly invented weapons,
said former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora. He made the remarks at a
panel session titled "Regional Security, Regional Peace: Middle East," which
was held as part of the 6th Global Baku Forum in Baku on March 16, APA
reports. He noted that despite modern weapons are being tested on Syrian
civilians, other countries are simply watching. “Will history forgive us
these horrors? Some countries have tested all the weapons they invented in
the past seven years on Syrian civilians under the guise of eliminating
terrorists. Yet no terrorist organization has been eradicated. The result
is, millions of Syrians have been killed and fled their homeland. This is a
crime the perpetrators of which will certainly be called to account,” said
the former Lebanese PM.
China to bar people with bad 'social credit' from
planes, trains
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - China said it will begin applying its so-called social
credit system to flights and trains and stop people who have committed
misdeeds from taking such transport for up to a year. People who would be
put on the restricted lists included those found to have committed acts like
spreading false information about terrorism and causing trouble on flights,
as well as those who used expired tickets or smoked on trains, according to
two statements issued on the National Development and Reform Commission’s
website on Friday. Those found to have committed financial wrongdoings, such
as employers who failed to pay social insurance or people who have failed to
pay fines, would also face these restrictions, said the statements which
were dated March 2.
It added that the rules would come into effect on May 1.--Reuters
2 killed in suspected carramming in West Bank: local
media
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - A Palestinian motorist killed two Israelis and injured
at least one other person in the occupied West Bank Friday in what witnesses
described as a deliberate ramming attack but may have been an accident,
Israel's Army Radio said.
The incident took place near Mevo Dotan, west of the Palestinian town of
Jenin, the radio said. The motorist was detained shortly after and was being
treated for injuries, it said, without elaborating on their cause. The
Israeli military said in a preliminary report that the incident appeared to
have been a car-ramming.--Reuters
Russia opens probe into 'attempted murder' of Skripal daughter
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - Russian investigators today opened a probe into the
"attempted premeditated murder" of Yulia Skripal, who became the victim of a
nerve agent attack along with her father in Britain. The Investigative
Committee, which reports directly to President Vladimir Putin, opened a case
based "on the fact of attempted premeditated murder of Russian national
Yulia Skripal," it said in a statement. -- AFP
Protesters storm German consulate on Greek island of
Crete
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - A group of people burst into the German consulate on
the Greek island of Crete on Friday to stage a protest against the Turkish
military offensive in Afrin in northern Syria, police officials
said.--Reuters
Jreissati via Twitter lashes out at media rumors about
general amnesty
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - Minister of Justice, Salim Jreissari, said via Twitter
"What the media is circulating on the subject of general amnesty concern the
media itself and its sources of news only, and does not concern the Ministry
of Justice, which does not have the right to disclose the content of any
draft amnesty law."
UK roles out National Action Plan on women, peace and
security around its programmes in Lebanon
Fri 16 Mar 2018/NNA - In a press release by the British Embassy in Beirut,
its aid: "British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter and Head of the
Department for International Development in Lebanon Bruce Lawson-McDowall
hosted a roundtable with Lebanese civil society members on women’s
empowerment to mark this year’s International Women’s Day theme: Press for
Progress on Gender Equality. This is one of several activities the Embassy
has undertaken to mark International Women’s Day over the past week.
Addressing youth leaders, activists and embassy partners, Ambassador Shorter
announced the local Lebanon launch of the new UK National Action Plan on
Women, Peace and Security under UN Security Council Resolution 1325. ‘This
Plan places women at the very centre of the UK’s conflict prevention, peace
building, security and humanitarian work, and is key to promoting global
gender equality. This means taking into consideration of women’s needs in
conflict and recognizing the crucial role women play as participants,
decision-makers and leaders in their community and in nations as a whole.
And crucially, it means ensuring women are involved in planning and delivery
of every programme, every activity we support at every stage, here in
Lebanon and across the world’. Ambassador Shorter also talked about the
conflict in Syria that has led to increasing numbers of refugee households
turning to early marriage as a coping mechanism to Violence Against Women
and Girls (VAWG), and the vulnerability of Palestinian refugees in camps
which fall outside the jurisdiction of the Lebanese security services and
how their lives are affected by conflict and violence. Head of
Department for International Development Bruce Lawson-McDowall presented
UKAid’s new vision for gender equality, as well as explaining why advancing
the rights of girls and women is the right thing to do and why gender
equality underpins achievement of every one of the Global Goals. The UK has
been working with local and international partners, civil society and
government departments to make sure the voice of women and girls is heard
and considered in everything we do here. From supporting Westminster
Foundation for Democracy, to making progress on legislation countering VAWG,
from working with UNICEF on Gender Based Violence and Child Protection, and
our humanitarian programmes to working with the police to improve handling
of domestic violence victims, there is so much more to be done. Ghida Anani
from Abaad delivered a short presentation about the work the NGO is doing on
women’s empowerment. Attendees shared their best practices and views on what
more the UK can do to specifically address women’s empowerment."
Hezbollah’s Weapons Loom Large Over Lebanese Elections
سلاح حزب الله وتأثيره السلبي الكبير على الانتخابات اللبنانية
Diana Moukalled/Arab News/March 16/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/63215
As Lebanon’s parliamentary elections — the first in nine years — approach,
sources close to Prime Minister Saad Hariri have been quoted as saying that
winning the biggest bloc in the next parliament is no guarantee of success.
Hariri achieved this in 2009, defeating Hezbollah in the election, but this
result was not imposed. When Hezbollah felt that Hariri could be a
challenge, they turned against the election result, overthrew Hariri’s
government less than two years after its formation and helped Najib Mikati
take his place. Mikati headed the Cabinet’s smallest parliamentary bloc,
which included only him and one other member of parliament, yet he was
appointed by Hezbollah as prime minister at the time. In the 2018 elections
on May 6, there won’t be much competition. We are facing a political scene
in which there is no noticeable ambition to compete with Hezbollah or oppose
its weapons, as in 2009. Political facts, local and regional security and
military information, and the election law would not make that possible.
The elections have become a competition under the guise of politics, which
means the first condition for forming a government is that it legislates
Hezbollah’s weapons — something the current parties don’t seem capable of
opposing. Hezbollah has never been as comfortable with the elections as it
is today. Not even one vote in the electoral noise suggests to the people of
Lebanon that these elections should attempt to have the state oust Hezbollah
from decisions concerning war and weapons. We are heading toward elections
of a great deal of heredity and little politics. Everyone declares that they
want to fight corruption, which is required for sure, but it still prevails
in Lebanon and the No. 1 form of corruption, under which other forms
cultivate, relates to weapons. All of the current divisions lead to
accepting the fact that Hezbollah is a power with which no one dares to
compete. We must go to the ballot boxes on May 6 to participate in elections
that declare we have accepted we cannot have political ambitions in a state
that monopolizes power and weapons, but not politics. The second
phenomenon that makes the coming elections special is heirs. True, this
isn’t a new phenomenon, but there are many new heirs. Lebanese social media
activists have made fun of this phenomenon by sharing lists of 32 political
figures trying to pass their parliamentary seats down to their sons.
Politicians’ enthusiasm for heredity suggests that Lebanon, which follows a
different system compared to neighboring countries, has broadly allowed
parliamentary seats to be inherited. This contradicts the idea on which
authority in Lebanon is based — that authority changes. The persistence of
an authority is the idea on which military governments are based above all
else. We are heading toward elections of a great deal of heredity and little
politics. Everyone declares that they want to fight corruption, which is
required for sure, but it still prevails in Lebanon and the No. 1 form of
corruption, under which other forms cultivate, relates to weapons. Ahead of
May’s elections, there will be those who announce plans to fight minor forms
of corruption due to their inability to put an end to greater forms of it.
This means we are heading toward elections that marginally improve the
overall appearance, if at all, but remain helpless in the face of the bigger
issue: Weapons.
**Diana Moukalled is a veteran journalist with extensive experience in both
traditional and new media. She is also a columnist and freelance documentary
producer.
Twitter: @dianamoukalled
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1267051
Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published
on March 16-17/18
Iran Deal Signatories Meet as Trump Deadline
Looms
Naharnet/March 16/18/Iran was expected Friday
to resist US pressure to toughen the 2015 nuclear deal as time runs out to
meet President Donald Trump's ultimatum to fix the accord by May 12. Trump
has said that if the deal between Iran and six big powers, which curtailed
Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief, is not "improved"
by then, he will withdraw. In particular Trump says that the "terrible"
agreement does not address Iran's ballistic missile programme or Tehran's
activities in the Middle East. In addition, parts of the agreement are due
to start expiring in the mid-2020s. Iran, which according to the UN atomic
watchdog has been abiding by the deal since it came into force in January
2016, has ruled out any changes to the agreement. The talks in Vienna on
Friday, a regular review of the accord, involved Iran, senior US official
Brian Hook and representatives of Russia, China, France, Britain and
Germany.According to US officials, Hook was in Berlin on Thursday to meet
British, French and German counterparts to try and agree a common line. The
European parties to the agreement are desperate to save it and have been
scrambling to find ways to persuade Trump not to rip it up. "We share all
the concerns with the missiles, with the regional destabilisation, with the
support to terrorism, with the malign activities of Iran," one European
diplomat said. "We are ready to take steps to address these concerns."But he
added: "We need to make sure that we don't throw out the baby with the bath
water, so we keep the nuclear agreement and we act on the rest in
parallel... Disregarding the JCPOA (the deal) would put us in the worst
place to address the other concerns."Trump's decision this week to replace
Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo as secretary of state has been widely seen as
another bad omen for the agreement.
Tillerson and his erstwhile cabinet ally Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had
urged Trump to listen to the Europeans to preserve the agreement.
Pompeo, head of the Central Intelligence Agency, is known to take a much
harder line.
Air India to Fly over Saudi Airspace to Israel
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/March 16/18/India's state-run carrier Air
India said Friday it will fly over Saudi airspace to Tel Aviv, a move that
ends a decades-long Saudi ban on the use of its airspace for flights to
Israel."The Air India flights to Israel will start from March 22. The
flights will take around seven hours and five minutes, and fly over... Saudi
airspace," airline spokesman Praveen Bhatnagar told AFP. Trump's
decision this week to replace Rex Tillerson with Mike Pompeo as secretary of
state has been widely seen as another bad omen for the agreement. Tillerson
and his erstwhile cabinet ally Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had urged Trump
to listen to the Europeans to preserve the agreement. Pompeo, head of the
Central Intelligence Agency, is known to take a much harder line.
Saudi Crown Prince: We are oldest US
ally in Mideast, to focus on peace for all
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 16 March 2018/Saudi Crown Prince
Mohammed bin Salman in the run up to his state visit to the US and meeting
with President Trump at the White House said that Saudi Arabia “is the
oldest ally to the US in the Middle East before any other country.”“Saudi-American
relations are historic going back nearly 80 years,” he said. The Crown
Prince made the above statement to "CBS This Morning" co-host Norah
O'Donnell in a much-anticipated interview set to air on March 18 ahead of
his state visit to the United States.
In the second part a preview of the interview posted by CBS online on
Friday, O'Donnell asked the crown prince about the US visit. Other topics
discussed was Donald Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner’s
role and the US president's plan to move the US embassy in Israel to
Jerusalem. “Jared is assigned this portfolio by the White House. … Our duty
as Saudis is to improve relations with our allies and with all
representatives of these institutions,” Mohammed Bin Salman said. When asked
about Trump's decision to move the American embassy to Jerusalem and whether
it would help or hurt the peace process, the Crown Prince responded: “We try
to focus on the efforts that promote peace for all. We do not try to focus
on anything that might create tension. It is my nature always to be
positive. So, I try to focus on the things that will support the interests
of the Palestinian people and the interests of all.”
Yemen forces foil naval attack, Houthi ballistic
missile in western Yemen
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 16 March 2018/Yemeni
army force shave foiled a naval attack by the Houthi militia at the western
coast frontier of Hodeida province. According to the official website of the
Yemeni army, they foiled the attack by “Tuhammia" resistance forces of the
Houthi militia towards the village of Qataba near the coast of Khokha city
south of Hodeidah in western Yemen. It said all Houthi fighters were killed
in a fierce battle that lasted for hours between the forces of the National
Army and the militia. This follows the blocking of a naval attack by the
Houthi militia on Tuesday in the same city using three fishing boats, that
were destroyed, killing the fighters on board. The air force defense systems
of the Arab coalition intercepted a ballistic missile launched by the Houthi
militia on the coast of Mukha in western Yemen on Friday evening. A military
source said that the air defenses blew up the missile over the city in
uninhabited areas without causing any damage. Arab coalition fighters
continued to launch air raids on the Houthi militia positions in Al-Jarahi
and Zabid areas on the West Coast Front. According to field sources, air
raids targeted reinforcements of the Houthi militia in farms in Al-Ghawadr
district, in the Directorate of Beit al-Faqih. With the support of the Arab
Coalition forces, the Yemeni army continues its military operations to
complete the liberation of the West Coast and to secure international
shipping traffic from the threat of the Houthi militia, which is suffering
heavy human and material losses in the fighting there.
Gargash: Saudi Arabia’s futuristic vision defies Iran’s
regressive ideology
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 16 March 2018/In a new tweet
praising Saudi Arabia’s futuristic scope, UAE Minister of State for Foreign
Affairs Anwar Gargash said that a fair observer will note that the vitality
of the Saudi vision reflects the hopes and aspirations of a new generation
and the language of the future. In contrast, he sees that the language of
Iran and its policies are a reflection of a decaying and a regressive
ideology.
Arab Coalition destroys Houthi equipment off
Saudi-Yemen border
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 16 March 2018/Arab Coalition
fighters in Yemen have destroyed Houthi militia equipment and military
vehicles near the Saudi-Yemeni borders. According to an Al Arabiya
correspondent, drone planes discovered three Houthi military vehicles
carrying explosive mines and missiles. The militia had attempted to
transport the equipment towards the Saudi border, said the correspondent.
All three targets were destroyed and onboard militia were killed. Meanwhile,
the Arab coalition’s artillery destroyed 12 different targets including dens
and barracks belonging to the militias within the Yemeni border. As such, 15
militia members were killed, while ammunition, weapons and solar power sites
used to generate their electricity were also destroyed.
Emirates crew member dies after fall from plane in
Uganda
AFP, Kampala/Friday, 16 March 2018/An Emirates crew member has died after
falling out of an emergency door of an aircraft parked at Uganda’s Entebbe
airport, a hospital official said. Francis Sekandi, spokesman for the Kisubi
hospital where the female crew member was taken for emergency treatment
following the fall on Wednesday, confirmed her death. “We received her from
the Civil Aviation Authority in an ambulance, but she was already dead,”
Sekandi said late Thursday. Uganda’s Civil Aviation Authority said an
investigation into the incident has been opened. “A female member of the
crew appeared to have opened the emergency door and unfortunately fell off
an Emirates aircraft that had safely landed and parked,” it said in a
statement. Emirates meanwhile said “a member of our cabin crew unfortunately
fell from an open door while preparing the aircraft for boarding”. The
airline promised to “extend our full cooperation to the authorities in their
investigation,” the Dubai-based carrier said in a statement.
Cornered by activists in Paris, Qatari diplomat says
he’s against Muslim Brotherhood
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Friday, 16 March 2018/The second secretary
of the Qatari embassy in France was cornered by a group of activists in
Paris who were asking him about the Muslim Brotherhood’s relations with
Qatar and his stance on political Islam.
In the video, Khater al-Khater, seeming a bit anxious yet with a sarcastic
tone in his voice, said that he is against the Muslim Brotherhood. “Me?
Personally? I am against the Muslim Brotherhood for sure,” he replied to the
activist. The activist then asked al-Khater if he is against political
Islam, to which he replied that he was personally against it. “So you
support a secular state, that separates between religion and the state?” the
activist then asked. “Personally, and as a diplomat, yes,” al-Khater
replied. The diplomat’s stance raised a few question marks around Qatar’s
stance with the Muslim Brotherhood as they have been known to maintain good
relations with the group.
Statement by Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs on fourth anniversary of
illegal annexation of Crimea
March 16, 2018 - Ottawa, Ontario - Global Affairs Canada
The Honourable Chrystia Freeland, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued
the following statement:
“On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s illegal invasion and annexation of
Crimea, Canada joins with the international community and continues to
condemn this violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Since Russia’s occupation of Crimea, we have witnessed severe human rights
violations—committed by state agents of Russia— including the suppression of
freedom of expression and association, arbitrary arrests, torture,
detentions and disappearances. Canada will not recognize the illegitimate
extension of Russia's presidential elections to annexed Ukrainian territory.
“We call for the release of all political prisoners held by Russia,
including Oleg Sentsov, a writer and a filmmaker, who for his outspoken
criticism of Russia’s occupation is serving a politically driven sentence of
20 years in a maximum security penal colony.
“In December 2017, I attended the 24th Ministerial Council of the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, where I met with Pavlo
Klimkin, Ukraine’s Foreign Minister, and Ilmi Umerov and Akhtem Chiygoz,
Deputy Chairmen of the Mejlis of Crimean Tatars, to discuss what Canada can
do to support more Crimean Tatars. Their stories of violence and persecution
are heartbreaking.
“Canada will continue to work closely with Crimean Tatar organisations to
find concrete ways to raise awareness about the situation in Crimea and to
promote and protect their human rights. Canada will continue to denounce the
banning of the Mejlis, the self-governing body of an Indigenous people, and
to call on Russia to reverse this illegal and immoral decision.
“Today, to help reinforce Ukraine’s resilience, I am announcing $4.65
million to the United Nations Office for Project Services, for 2017 to 2019,
to support training for the Ukrainian Armed Forces (UAF). This funding will
provide equipment to support first aid and military police training to the
UAF.
“Canada is unreserved in its support for the people of Ukraine. We will
continue to maintain pressure, including through economic sanctions, until
Russia meets its obligations under international law and respects Ukraine’s
sovereignty.”
Paris Opens €400 mln Credit Line for Lebanon’s Army, Security Forces
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 16, 2018/Lebanon received increased support from the international community Thursday
with France opening a 400 million euro ($492 million) line of credit to the
country's army and security forces, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri
said.
“France provided this credit line, which is about 400 million euros and can
be used by the Lebanese army and security forces to buy equipment. We are
very satisfied with these results,” Hariri said while thanking Paris at the
Rome II Conference.
He also thanked the representatives of other countries “for recognizing that
Lebanon’s stability and security is necessary for the region and the world.
“I am confident this support will translate soon into concrete steps.”
Hariri said more discussions would be held to clarify the amounts pledged by
each of the 40 countries at the Rome II Conference, which will be followed
by two further meetings in Paris and Brussels. "This conference is important
because we in Lebanon were the first to oust ISIS out of our soil -- we were
able to do it with very little capabilities," Hariri said. "Israel remains
the primary threat to Lebanon, its daily violations to our sovereignty must
stop," he added. France announced earlier in the month that it would provide
14 million euros to Lebanon's army, mostly in the form of anti-tank
equipment.
Saudi Arabia Calls for Supporting Lebanese Army As Sole Legitimate Power
New York, Beirut- Ali Barda and Asharq Al-Awsat/March 16,
2018/Saudi Arabia called for supporting the Lebanese Army based on a clear
mechanism that ensures that it is the sole legitimate power in the country.
In remarks before the Rome 2 Conference on Thursday, the head of the Saudi
delegation, Deputy Minister of Defense Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Ayesh, said
that the vision of Saudi Arabia “meets with the objectives of the conference
that seeks to preserve the security and stability of Lebanon under Security
Council Resolution 1701, which defines the army as the sole legitimate power
in accordance with the Constitution and the provisions of the Taif
Accord.”He emphasized the Saudi stance towards the need to develop a clear
vision of a mechanism that supports the Lebanese army according to its
needs. On the sidelines of the conference, which is hosted by Italy to rally
support for the Lebanese Army and security institutions, Hariri held
separate meetings with Ayesh, the personal representative of the Russian
President for the Middle East, Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Bogdanov and
Italian Prime Minister Paolo Gentiloni.
In his speech before the conference, the Lebanese premier said: “The
Lebanese government recognizes that it is enjoying an exceptional moment of
international consensus and support. We consider that it is in our national
interest to preserve this international consensus and as such, we are
committed to doing our part.”Hariri touched on the issue of the national defense strategy, which
President Michel Aoun said he would address following the upcoming
parliamentary elections.
“The President of the Lebanese Republic, Michel Aoun, announced three days
ago, that the National Defense Strategy will be discussed following the
legislative elections in May. I join President Aoun’s call to the
International community to support the Lebanese Armed Forces, to enable them
to assume their duty of preserving security and stability in accordance with
the National Defense Strategy,” he stated. The Lebanese premier emphasized
that his government’s priority was to create a “virtuous cycle of security,
stability, growth and employment for Lebanon and the Lebanese.”He noted in
this regard that Rome 2 was a first step towards achieving this end,
underlining his country’s commitment to the policy of dissociation, which
was adopted by the government in December.
Turkish Forces Try to Storm Afrin, Urge Kurds to Surrender
Asharq Al-Awsat/March 16, 2018/Turkish artillery fire on the Kurdish-majority enclave of Afrin in northern
Syria killed at least 18 civilians on Friday, the Syrian Observatory for
Human Rights and a Kurdish spokesman said, as Turkey’s military urged
Kurdish fighters to surrender.
On January 20, Turkey and Syrian Arab rebel proxies launched an air and
ground offensive on the Afrin region, which is controlled by the US-backed
Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG). "Since midnight (2200 GMT
Thursday), 18 civilians, including five children, were killed by Turkish
artillery fire on the city of Afrin," the Observatory said. "There is
fighting on the northern edge of the city," the Britain-based monitoring
organization said. Brusk Hasakeh, the YPG spokesman in Afrin, said the
Turkish forces and their Syrian militia allies were trying to storm Afrin
from the north. "They are shelling in order to storm (Afrin)," Hasakeh said
by phone. He said the YPG and its all-female affiliate, the YPJ, were waging
battles with the attacking forces. Ankara has consistently denied targeting
civilian infrastructure but the Observatory said at least 245 civilians,
including 41 children, have been killed in less than two months.
Turkish-led forces have nearly fully encircled the city of Afrin, with only
one road left open for civilians to flee to areas controlled by the Syrian
regime or the YPG.The Observatory said on Thursday that more than 30,000 civilians had fled
Afrin in 24 hours. It said families left the town in buses and cars towards Nubl and al-Zahra, villages that are loyal to the regime of Bashar al-Assad.
The Turkish military said Friday it has dropped flyers in Arabic and Kurdish
on Afrin, asking residents to stay away from "terrorist positions" and
urging YPG fighters to surrender. The leaflets say Afrin civilians wanting
to leave would be "under the guarantee" of the Turkish military. They also
call on locals not to allow themselves to be used as "human shields." The
leaflets urge the Syrian Kurdish fighters to "trust the hand we extend to
you." They say: "Come surrender! A calm and peaceful future awaits you in
Afrin."
Tillerson’s Sacking ‘Complicates’ European Mediation in Iran Nuclear Deal
Paris - Michel Abou Najm/Asharq Al-Awsat/March 16, 2018/The sacking of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson will “complicate”
European efforts to resolve the crisis over the Iranian nuclear deal and
increase the likelihood that US President Trump will withdraw from it by
mid-May, said European diplomatic sources.
They told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday that Tillerson’s dismissal “will have
very negative consequences in the near future” on the efforts of a
European-American committee that was formed to “improve” the conditions of
the nuclear agreement. Trump had threatened to cancel the deal if the
committee failed in its objective. He also threatened to impose sanctions on
Iran, especially on its oil and gas sectors. Tillerson’s departure however
has returned the committee’s efforts back to square one, said the sources.
They wondered whether his exit from the political scene also means a change
in American demands regarding the deal. Washington had called on Iran to
allow immediate inspections at all sites requested by international
inspectors. “Sunset” provisions imposing limits on Iran’s nuclear program
must not expire and US law must tie long-range missile and nuclear weapons
programs together, making any missile testing by Iran subject to “severe
sanctions.” Europe does not face difficulties from the US alone, but Iran
also does not appear “prepared” to facilitate its mission, particularly the
French one. This was revealed by French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le
Drian’s failed visit to Tehran earlier this month. Paris had not expected
major progress to be made over the US demands during his visit, but none of
the participants at the talks noted any “openness” by Iranian officials over
his proposals. In fact, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif told
Le Drian to exert pressure on the US, not Iran, because it does not respect
the nuclear deal. Le Drian’s Tehran visit was also reportedly aimed at
preparing for an upcoming trip by French President Emmanuel Macron. Sources
from the Elysee palace had repeatedly said however that he will not travel
to Tehran if no progress is made over pending files.
It is no secret that Macron had wanted to play the role of mediator between
Washington and Tehran and the nuclear file will be among the main issues
that he will bring up with US President Donald Trump during his official
visit to the US in April. It will also be discussed with President Vladimir
Putin when he visits Russia in May. The successive developments in
Washington and their expected escalation will however likely render Macron’s
efforts “pointless.”
European circles believed that Tillerson, even though he was not part of
Trump’s inner circle, was to a great extent, the voice of reason. They said
that he had complained to his European counterparts of the discrepancies
between him and Trump over foreign policy. This consequently led to
confusion in European diplomacy in determining whether Tillerson’s stances
reflected those of the American administration or his own personal ones.
Perhaps the appointment of Mike Pompeop, whose stances largely coincide with
Trump’s, as new secretary of state will help resolve this European
confusion.
At any rate, Europe will most probably retain its stance on the main Iranian
files. It will remain committed to defending the nuclear deal, which it sees
as the “best” agreement that bars the proliferation of nuclear weapons and
prevents a nuclear arms race in the Gulf region. Iran meanwhile will
interpret Tillerson’s departure as Washington’s determination to continue to
back away from the nuclear deal. This is reflected in the hardening of
Tehran’s stances, which were already stringent to begin with.
The general consensus in Iran is “if Washington withdraws from the deal,
then so will we.” In line with this view, Tehran has started to hold the
European mediator more and more responsible for keeping the deal alive in
regards to convincing the US against abandoning it. Europe therefor now
finds itself caught between the American-Iranian tensions. Despite this
however, efforts are still being exerted to find middle ground between them
and diplomacy has a way of coming up with solutions even when faced with
seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Rex Tillerson’s Firing Was Necessary to National Security
Hugh Hewitt/The Washington Post/On my first show for MSNBC last June, I sat down at Langley with CIA
Director Mike Pompeo, now President Trump’s nominee for secretary of state.
A quick read of the transcript will not only explain the sudden change at
Foggy Bottom but also should reassure any fair-minded person that a
much-needed infusion of talent and presidential trust is on the way.
It’s been hard to find anyone in the White House to say a bad word about the
character or personality of Rex Tillerson or a good word about his
leadership at State. The friction between the White House personnel shop and
Tillerson’s chief of staff, Margaret Peterlin, is the worst-kept secret
inside the Beltway, and the glacial pace of staffing up the political ranks
has angered national security conservatives. Those foreign policy wonks tend
to admire the director of policy planning, Brian Hook, but look in vain
around the department for anyone else with anything resembling a theory of
the world on which to operate the world’s link to the United States.
Other key jobs remain unfilled, including the undersecretary for arms
control and international security affairs and the US representative to the
UN mission in Geneva; both jobs have much to do with holding Iran to account
to the deal struck under the Obama administration. The undersecretary for
management is another empty office, even though veterans of the bureaucracy
from past Republican presidents remain available.
Tillerson has also failed to push nominees for crucial ambassador posts,
such as Richard Grenell as ambassador to Germany, the most important
non-nuclear power in the world. Other important embassies, such as those in
South Korea, Turkey and South Africa, lack even a nominee, though numerous
and very qualified candidates abound. The paperwork gridlock of an isolated
and uninfluential secretary of state brought the conservative pro-Trumpers
and career State Department staff together in agreement that the department
was a massive shipwreck.
It is no accident that Trump used the word “energy” when he spoke
approvingly of his new nominee. Pompeo will work quickly and decisively with
key allies such as Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) in the Senate to reinvigorate the
department. First in his class at West Point and an editor of the Harvard
Law Review, Pompeo got key experience in the ways of the Washington swamp at
the law firm Williams & Connolly before he went as far as possible from it
to Wichita to launch a successful career in business and then Congress.
Most importantly, Pompeo agrees with Trump’s priorities and understands that
his job is to serve Trump’s agenda, not create one of his own. When he says
to a counterpart, “The president believes . . . ,” Pompeo will himself be
believed. Like George Shultz with President Ronald Reagan and Henry
Kissinger with President Richard Nixon, the boss needs a trusted right arm,
not a distant figure of uncertain commitment to core presidential goals.
More changes may be in the wind as a president fresh off a year of policy
successes but personal shortfalls looks to reorient for the midterm
elections. Secretary of State Pompeo will be part of a largely successful
national security team of Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, national security
adviser H.R. McMaster and other Cabinet members as well as the superb
commanders at the Pentagon. Trump’s nominee for CIA director, Gina Haspel,
obviously enjoys the confidence of her predecessor and the president. With
quick work staffing up at State, the country will have made a complete break
with the disastrous policies of the Obama years. It was a sudden and
somewhat rough change, but necessary to national security. Now if the Senate
Democrats who have stalled so many appointees charged with protecting the
nation’s defenses and interests will cooperate with Senate Republicans, the
hard work of opposing an increasingly ascendant China and an increasingly
reckless Russia can accelerate.
2 soldiers dead, 2 more hurt in West Bank ramming
attack
Ynetnews/March 16/18/A 26-year-old Palestinian plows his car into an IDF
force, killing 2 and moderately-to-seriously wounding 2 more; terrorist, a
former security prisoner, is lightly-to-moderately injured; Hamas praises
attack, says it shows intifada rages on. A Palestinian terrorist driving
Tuesday afternoon on Route 585 between the settlements of Mevo Dotan and
Hermesh rammed into a group of IDF soldiers stationed in the area, killing
two soldiers, an officer and a conscript, and moderately-to-seriously
wounding two more. Israeli and Palestinian medics that arrived to the scene
gave the wounded first aid before pronouncing two dead and evacuating the
rest to Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva. The driver sustained
light-to-moderate wounds and was treated at the scene. He was then evacuated
to Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera. The Shin Bet security service
identified the terrorist as 26-year-old Ala Qabha, a resident of Barta'a—which
straddles both sides of the Green Line in the Wadi Ara region. Qabha is a
former security prisoner who was released from prison about a year ago.
The aftermath of the attack
A Rabin Medical Center spokesperson said one of the men wounded has been
anesthetized and put on life support due to suffering blunt trauma to the
head. The spokesperson added he is in serious condition, while the other
person wounded is in moderate condition. The IDF Spokesperson's Unit
confirmed the attack was meant to hurt and kill IDF soldiers, adding the
terrorist is currently under interrogation. The attack took place when the
four left their military Humvee to man a nearby guard tower, as lately there
have been several instances where Palestinians threw rocks and Molotov
cocktails at the road. They were then spotted by the terrorist, who sped up
and ran them over. Palestinian media reported that the IDF raided the
Qabha's home and detained members of his family for questioning. The
Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories, Major General Yoav
Mordechai, ordered the immediate suspension of the permits of Qabha's clan.
Following COGAT's directive, 67 permits to work in Israel will be revoked,
along with 26 trade permits and four employment permits applicable to the
settlements.
Gaza's two main terror groups welcomed the attack and praised its
perpetrator.
Its de facto governing authority, Hamas, noted it marked "100 days since
Trump was recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel," and that it made
clear that "the Palestinian people are continuing the intifada … and that
the protest against (Trump's—ed) decision and the (Israeli) occupation is
not just a wave of (momentary) anger, but an ongoing matter until full
liberation is achieved."The Palestinian Islamic Jihad welcomed the
escalation in attacks against soldiers and settlers, asserting they are part
of the "natural right of the Palestinian people to defend itself in its land
and holy places."
Commenting on the attack, Defense Minster Avigdor Lieberman said he will
work to see the terrorist executed, his home demolished and all those who
cooperated with him brought to justice."There is no such thing as individual
terrorism," Lieberman then added, claiming this attack—and others like it—do
not qualify as such for the fact that it is backed and supported by
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and the Palestinian Authority, "which
pays money to the families of the terrorists." Germany's Federal Foreign
Office strongly condemned the attack, wishing the wounded a fast and
complete recovery.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict cannot be resolved by force. Such criminal
acts or the call for violence only lead to more hatred. On the contrary, it
is all the more important to maintain the perspective of a lasting solution
that will enable all Israelis and Palestinians to live a life of peace and
dignity. The federal government will continue to do so," a spokesperson for
the Federal Foreign Office said. It is the second ramming attack against
Israeli security forces in just two weeks. Earlier this month, An
Arab-Israeli ran over and lightly-to-moderately wounded two soldiers, a
border policeman and a pedestrian in the city of Acre in what police
confirmed was a terror attack. Security forces were originally unsure as to
the motives of the driver, with varying reports indicating that he had gone
on the rampage with his vehicle after being issued an expensive parking
fine. However, the security forces dispelled the rumors, stating that the
attack and the parking ticket were entirely unrelated. The driver, 51 from
northern Israel, ran over a soldier near the city market, before proceeding
toward the train station where he plowed his vehicle into more victims.
*Elisha Ben Kimon, Yoav Zitun, Elior Levy, Raanan Ben Zur and Rotem Elizera
contributed to this report.
Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from
miscellaneous sources published on March 16-17/18
General McMaster: Iran spent more than $16 billion on Syria and proxies
Joyce Karam/The National/March 16/18
Speech to mark the seventh anniversary of the Syrian War coincided with reports
that he will be moved on from NSA role
US National Security Adviser HR McMaster delivered an emphatic speech on the
seventh anniversary of the Syrian war on Thursday, accusing Russia and Iran of
being “complicit” in the Assad regime atrocities.
General McMaster gave the keynote speech at the Holocaust Museum’s day of
remembrance for Syria, committing the US to act and hold the parties
responsible. “Remembrance is only the first step, we also must act to protect
victims and to hold all responsible parties accountable,” he said. “If we are to
fulfil our promise of ‘Never Again’, we must also act to protect victims and to
hold all responsible parties accountable.”
The US official said that neither the Assad regime nor its supporters should
have impunity for their crimes. “It is time to impose serious political and
economic consequences on Moscow and Tehran,” he said, calling on the
international community to counter Iran’s destabilising activities in Syria and
across the region.
Since 2012, general McMaster said that “Iran has provided over $16 billion to
the Assad regime and to other proxies in Syria Iraq and Yemen.”
“Tehran is also transporting foreign Shiite militants and weapons from Iran to
Syria by illegal flights including civilian Iranian airlines,” he noted. This
constitutes a violation of UN resolutions and the nuclear deal reached with Iran
in 2015 and that the Trump administration is reviewing before a May deadline.
“Iran’s goal is to secure a permanent military foothold in Syria which would
threaten Israel, undermine US interests and strengthen its proxy forces that it
uses to weaken Arab states and foment violence” Mr McMaster said.
He confirmed that the Trump administration is documenting atrocities in Syria
and declassifying intelligence that “exposes Assad’s horrific crimes”, defeating
terrorism and deterring against chemical weapons use. These efforts are being
impeded by Moscow and Tehran, he told his audience in Washington.
Mr McMaster also made reference to Syria’s civil defence organization, also
known as the White Helmets, for saving lives, and recited names of two children
who died in chemical weapons attack by the Assad regime. “Let us all promise to
remember, and to act,” he said.
The speech came as reports emerged of Mr McMaster’s imminent exit from the White
House and potential return to the military. The Washington Post reported late on
Thursday that Donald Trump has decided to remove his national security adviser.
The report said Mr Trump complained [to chief of staff John Kelly “that Mr
McMaster is too rigid and that his briefings go on too long and seem
irrelevant.”
According to the same report, the names being discussed as a replacement for Mr
McMaster include “John Bolton, a former US ambassador to the United Nations, and
Keith Kellogg, the chief of staff of the National Security Council.” Mr Bolton
was at the White House last Tuesday and met Mr Trump, according to Vanity Fair.
A US official told The National that Mr McMaster has been seeking to leave for
almost six months now. “He wants to return to the army, and be a four-star
general”, the source said. That could mean waiting for a high-ranking military
appointment to open before he exits.
The White House denied the report, insisting Mr McMaster is staying, Press
secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders tweeted on Thursday night that the rumour was
untrue: “Just spoke to @POTUS and Gen. H.R. McMaster - contrary to reports they
have a good working relationship and there are no changes at the NSC.”
Mr McMaster’s tough talk on Syria also coincides with the Trump administration’s
own reviews of its options in the war. High-level sources in Washington told The
National that a coordinated US-EU efforts to gather evidence on chemical weapons
attacks by the Assad regime recently in eastern Ghouta.
They revealed that the Trump administration is considering a whole set of
options including military strikes in Syria if such evidence is proven, but that
no final decision has been made.
Also on Thursday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed two bipartisan
measures to sanction Iran for serious human rights abuses, and limit assistance
for areas of Syria controlled by Assad.
The New Palestinian Jihad to Obliterate Israel
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute./March 16/ 2018
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12037/palestinian-jihad-obliterate-israel
If and when Hamas is ever removed from power in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian
Islamic Jihad (PIJ) will most likely seize control of the coastal enclave, where
nearly two million Palestinians live.
PIJ's new "political document" exposes the Palestinian terror group's plan for
"real peace" in the Middle East. This "real peace," according to the jihadi
group, can be achieved by eliminating Israel after "liberating Palestine, from
the river to the sea, and after the original owners of the land return to their
homes."
This genocidal "peace" plan appears to be shared by other Palestinian terror
groups, such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and even certain parts of
Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group is the second-largest terror group in
the Gaza Strip after Hamas. Like Hamas, PIJ does not recognize Israel's right to
exist and believes that violence and terrorism are the only way to "liberate all
Palestine, from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River."
Like Hamas, in the past three decades PIJ has carried out thousands of terror
attacks against Israel, including suicide bombings.
Recently, the PIJ wished to remind us again of its dangerous and poisonous
ideology. This reminder came in the form of a new "political document" published
by the Iranian-backed terror group in the Gaza Strip.
The document contains important information about the group's strategy to
destroy Israel and provides insight into the role Islam plays in the
Israeli-Arab conflict.
Some may argue that there is nothing new in the PIJ document. However, PIJ is
not just another Palestinian "resistance" faction, as some Middle East experts
tend to describe it. Rather, it is one of the most dangerous Palestinian terror
groups. It aspires to eliminate Israel and kill as many Jews as possible.
If and when Hamas is ever removed from power in the Gaza Strip, PIJ will most
likely seize control of the coastal enclave, where nearly two million
Palestinians live.
Western journalists often ignore the power and threat of PIJ, mainly because the
representatives of the terror group rarely give interviews to the foreign media.
Besides, it is easier for Western journalists to take the short trip from
Jerusalem to Ramallah to interview a Palestinian Authority official, who uses
his or her fluent English to lie about the Palestinians' desire for peace and
coexistence with Israel.
Western journalists rarely, if ever, present to their readers and viewers what
the terrorists preach to their own people.
That is precisely why there is a need to bring the main points of the PIJ
document to the attention of the international media and decision-makers around
the world. The PIJ is a major player in the Palestinian arena, and its political
and military power can be ignored only at great peril.
Pictured: Members of Palestinian Islamic Jihad hold a parade in Gaza City,
August 12, 2005. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Here is what the preface to the terror group's document states:
"Palestine is the homeland of the Palestinian people, from the early days of
history. Palestine is an integral part of the Arab and Islamic homeland, and it
was usurped by the Zionist Jews with the support and encouragement of Western
colonialist powers."
Explaining the timing of the publication of its document, PIJ said:
"To maintain a clear vision and the unity of our goals, away from intellectual
chaos dominating the Palestinian landscape, Palestinian Islamic Jihad saw the
need to formulate this document to explain and affirm the intellectual basis and
features governing its jihad and policies."
Translation: the PIJ fears that it has fallen off the world's radar. It worries
that its ideology and plans to destroy Israel may be lost amid the "intellectual
chaos" plaguing the Palestinian arena.
Defining its ultimate mission, PIJ says in its new document:
"Our number-one priority and main task is to carry out the duty of jihad and
resistance to liberate Palestine. We are an Islamic national liberation movement
and part of the Palestinian people's and Muslim's jihad against invaders and
colonialists. We see ourselves as being part of the general Islamic trend in the
world, which regards Islam as the source of our power and pride."
Which "Islamic trend" the Palestinian terror group is talking about is not
clear. Does it referring to the Islamic State terror group, ISIS, which has
slaughtered tens of thousands of innocent civilians, mostly Muslims, in the past
few years? Or perhaps the PIJ is referring to Al Qaeda, the murderous terror
group founded by Osama bin Laden?
What is certain, however, is that PIJ is not referring to the Muslim Brotherhood
organization. Why? Because PIJ believes that Muslim Brotherhood's ideology and
policies are too "moderate" compared with its genocidal agenda. Ironically, the
PIJ views the Muslim Brotherhood as being too "pragmatic," largely because of
the latter's failure to engage in a worldwide jihad against Jews and all
infidels.
The PIJ document, which the Western media is doing a fine job ignoring, states:
"Palestine is an Arab, Islamic land, where the Arabs and Muslims possess natural
religious and historic rights. It is forbidden to give it up or compromise it
under any pretext."
The Jews, the document emphasizes, "have no right in the land of Palestine." It
says that the fact that some Arabs and Muslims have recognized Israel does not
give the Jews any right to the land.
"The Palestinian people's right to all their lands and homeland, Palestine, is a
comprehensive right that can't be fragmented. This includes our right to own the
land, our right to resist and liberate it, and our right to return to it and
live in it. No one is entitled to give up the right of the Palestinians to
return to their homeland. This is a non-negotiable issue."
The PIJ document views Israel as a Zionist colonialist project imposed on Arabs
and Muslims by Western powers. Revealingly, these are the same words that
Israel's secular peace partner and the darling of the West, Palestinian
Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, recently used in a speech he delivered in
Ramallah, during a conference of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Central
Council:
"The Europeans wanted to bring the Jews here to preserve their interests in the
region. They asked Holland, which has the world's largest fleet, to move the
Jews. Israel is a colonial project that has nothing to do with the Jews."
Abbas and PIJ also share more of the same views. In its document, the
Palestinian terror group states:
"The Zionist entity is a functional colonialist entity and a tool of the
[Western] project to seize control and dominance over Palestine. The source of
this entity's power lies with Western parties, especially the US."
The PIJ document defines the conflict with Israel as an "existential conflict,
and not a border conflict." The Palestinian cause, it says,
"is not about the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, or parts of them.
Rather, it is the issue of the occupation of the entire land of Palestine, from
the river to the sea. It is the central cause of all Arabs and Muslims, and not
the Palestinians alone."
In its document, PIJ outlines its plan to achieve its goal through "jihad and
resistance against the Zionist enemy, with all means and methods, first and
foremost the armed struggle." The armed struggle, it adds, is the "main method
and strategy in our struggle."
For those who do not know, "armed struggle" is the euphemism for all forms
terrorism, including rocket attacks and suicide bombings. The "armed struggle"
also means that a Palestinian terrorist can storm the home of a Jewish family
and murder women and children as they prepare dinner.
The PIJ document, which has been distributed among the group's followers in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip, also praises suicide bombings against Israel by
describing them as the "most noble acts of self-defense."
The document also warns Arabs and Muslims against recognizing Israel's right to
exist or establishing any ties with it. "We reject all forms of normalization
with the Israeli enemy by any Arab or Muslim," it stresses.
Finally, the document exposes the Palestinian terror group's plan for "real
peace" in the Middle East. This "real peace," according to the jihadi group, can
be achieved by eliminating Israel after "liberating Palestine, from the river to
the sea, and after the original owners of the land return to their homes."
This genocidal "peace" plan appears to be shared by other Palestinian terror
groups, such as Hamas, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the
Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and even certain parts of
Mahmoud Abbas's ruling Fatah faction.
The peace they seek is one that would result in the total destruction of Israel
and the expulsion of all Jews from the Middle East. As the remarks of Abbas and
PIJ show, Palestinians see Israel only as an alien body that was imposed upon
Arabs and Muslims by imperialist Westerners, and not as people who have lived on
that land for more than 3,000 years.
The PIJ document, which serves as the group's "national charter," is a valuable
text. Every word in the document reflects the true sentiments on the Arab and
Islamic street, especially with regards to recognizing Jews' rights and history.
This is a document that is currently being taught in Islamic Jihad training
bases, and schools and mosques. It is a document that will help raise another
generation of Palestinians on the glorification of terrorism and anti-Semitism.
This is a document that deserves to be placed on the desks of all those
Westerners who continue to tell us that peace is possible and that Israel just
needs to make more concessions to achieve that goal.
*Bassam Tawil is a Muslim based in the Middle East.
© 2018 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do
not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No
part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied
or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.
Islamist Groups Protest Counter-Extremism Programs
Oren Litwin/Daily Caller/March 16/18
http://www.islamist-watch.org/28819/islamist-groups-protest-counter-extremism-programs
Recently, a coalition of activist groups, which included several prominent
Muslim groups such as the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) and
the Muslim Students Association (MSA), announced plans to demonstrate
against the city of Los Angeles, because of its participation in the Federal
government's "Countering Violent Extremism" program (CVE). Several years
ago, with growing numbers of American Muslims joining terror groups abroad
or committing violent acts in America, the Obama administration introduced
CVE to prevent radicalization of vulnerable populations, with focus areas
including "building resilience," "building capacity of community-level
non-profit organizations," and "training and engagement with community
members." But CAIR and its partners claim that the CVE program is
discriminatory against Muslims, because it "stigmatizes them as inherently
suspect" for the risk of radicalization. While one can object to the CVE
program for having unfocused goals and implementation, it strains belief to
suggest that a program framework created in 2011 would be motivated by
discrimination against Muslims. Remember that the Obama administration,
seeking to reverse the perceived abuses of the Bush years, famously went out
of its way to reach out to the Muslim community at home and abroad—to the
extent, critics claimed, that it was overly accommodating to Islamists.
Indeed, CVE strategy pieces conspicuously omit mention of Islam or Islamism
altogether. So why would CAIR and its allies attack the program with
accusations of discrimination and bigotry? In fact, this is merely the
continuation of an old pattern. CAIR is not an ordinary Muslim organization;
it has a long history of involvement in Islamist activities. In particular,
CAIR has a recurring pattern of using the language of civil rights and
discrimination to hinder terror investigations. CAIR was founded, as Federal
court documents have demonstrated, by members of the Muslim Brotherhood's
"Palestine Committee" with the intent of providing support for Hamas
activities in the United States. Even as it has built a reputation as a
civil-rights organization, there have been several troubling incidences of
CAIR impeding legitimate counter-terrorism efforts.
In 2009, CAIR was condemned by the Somali-American community of Minneapolis
for discouraging cooperation with the FBI, which was investigating the
disappearance of dozens of Somali men and youths (who turned out to have
joined the terror group Al-Shabaab). While CAIR claimed that its campaign
was meant only to inform people of their rights, the relatives of the
missing men described a deliberate effort to chill interaction with
investigators. And in 2011, CAIR-California came under heavy criticism for
displaying an image reading "Build a wall of resistance—don't talk to the
FBI!"
More concerning here is CAIR's attempt to slander the strengthening of
community resilience, and diminishing the appeal of terrorism to at-risk
youth, as "Islamophobia." The CVE program, for all of its flaws, was
designed to help American Muslims build strong, healthy communities that
will resist the siren's-song of violence from a dangerous and influential
extremist minority. How does this reflect a "phobia"? Why does CAIR object
to the goal of thriving Muslim-American communities that live in harmony
with their neighbors? Perhaps CAIR et al. are leery of deepening Federal
involvement with Muslim-American communities for fear of what would happen,
once Americans truly understood the dynamics of extremism on the street
level. It is widely acknowledged that past counterterror efforts have
sometimes been ham-handed, with overbroad surveillance of innocent Muslims,
or misguided attempts at outreach by using the very extremists that ought to
have been arrested. Such failures were largely the result of ignorance and
inexperience. But as investigators become more experienced, and build up
more connections with the Muslim community, the evidence continues to mount
that terrorism comes not from general religiosity, but from specific
extremist ideologies—chiefly Islamism, the 20th-century totalitarian
ideology built on a claimed religious justification. Terrorism may be the
product of violent Islamism, but nonviolent Islamist groups play an
important role in radicalization. By inciting hatred against non-Muslims and
the West, and by offering political and theological justification for
violence (without directly advocating it), lawful Islamism encourages young
Muslims to view themselves as enemies of the societies they live in. An
effective counter-extremism program would eventually force lawful Islamist
groups such as CAIR to face the kind of questions it does not want the
American public to ask. By all means, we must strive to protect the civil
liberties of all Americans, including Muslim Americans. But that does not
mean abandoning at-risk youth to the dangers of radicalization, for fear of
being called bigots by Islamist organizations. CAIR and its allies,
meanwhile, should answer the following questions: if effective
counter-terrorist programs are Islamophobic, then what should we do instead?
Do they seek to defend civil rights, or to provide a smokescreen for
Islamism?
*Oren Litwin is a writer at Islamist Watch, a project of the Middle East
Forum.
Why the Iraqi government is weak in facing corruption
Adnan Hussein/Al Arabiya/March 16/18
Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi insists that Iraq has defeated
terrorism, including ISIS and other militia. However, this is still wishful
thinking as the developments of the past few weeks have clearly
demonstrated. Of course, Abadi wants to have a strong ace up his sleeve
before the parliamentary elections. But Abadi is probably overlooking the
fact that he can hold an even stronger card with him now as the importance
of combating terrorism has waned from public attention. Abadi has pledged
several times that after ending the war against ISIS, his next sacred battle
will be against administrative and financial corruption. Why doesn’t Abadi
put this issue of smuggled funds aside and focus on preventing the ongoing
theft? This will not happen until he and the government threaten to take
action and until corrupt people see these serious and decisive efforts
Inaction and hesitation
We have only heard statements to this effect and are yet to see any action
on this front. It’s clear that there’s hesitation to take the required
measures to limit corruption. Corrupt people are not intimidated in any way
because the government is still lenient towards those who have appropriated
public funds and moved them outside Iraq in the past few years, and those
who are currently embezzling public funds. A few days ago, member of
Parliament Furat al-Tamimi, who represents the Diyala Governorate in
parliament, said smuggling merchandise and not paying custom fees cost the
treasury $1 million a day. Tamimi explained that smuggling is carried out by
manipulating large amounts of products at border crossings to pay less
custom fees or by transferring merchandise without paying fees altogether at
al-Safra customs checkpoint on the Kirkuk-Baghdad road.
Widespread corruption
The MP did not exclude the possibility that “some security officials are
complicit in these smuggling operations.”A few weeks ago, it was reported
that the smuggling of oil from Basra and other southern governorates is
ongoing. There are plenty of other examples on corruption in Diyala, Basra
and other governorates. To justify this slow process towards combating
corruption and recovering the funds stolen during the rule of previous
governments, Abadi claims that the issue is “complicated” and that stolen
funds have been smuggled outside Iraq and it’s not easy to recover them. Why
doesn’t Abadi put this issue of smuggled funds aside and focus on preventing
the ongoing theft? This will not happen until he and the government threaten
to take action and until corrupt people see these serious and decisive
efforts making life difficult for them. All we hear is the old official
refrain from fighting corruption. We are sick of these statements which do
not intimidate corrupt people who rather find them laughable!
The early disputes between al-Shirazi family and Iran
Hassan Al Mustafa/Al Arabiya/March 16/18
We met with Ayatollah Sayyid Muhammad al-Shirazi at a nondescript house in a
narrow alley near the street of ChaharMardan in Qom in 1994. I was part of a
group of men visiting from eastern Saudi Arabia. The purpose of the visit
was to meet Shirazi, the controversial figure who at that time was under
house arrest due to disputes between him and the Iranian authorities.
Shirazi talked about the importance of writing and said it was important for
the youth to read and spread intellectualism, as many of the wars throughout
history were caused due to lack of awareness and lack of reading.
I disapproved of what he said then but did not say anything. At that time, I
thought his vision was naïve as how can the world change only through books,
without fighting and without a blazing revolutionary spirit? Before we left,
Shirazi’s companions gifted us books. We didn’t notice any heightened
security presence as we left his house where he held some classes and
received people. Although he was under house arrest for a long time, people
who often saw him said he never insulted the former supreme guide, Khomeini,
or the current one, Ali Khamenei, although his relations with them were not
good
There was a small Hussainia (congregation hall for Shiite commemoration
ceremonies) next to his house. In 1987, it was packed with a group of
refugees that included many children. A person who was there at the time
narrated to me what happened when a missile fell nearby.
“A small group of us were with Shirazi. An Afghani cleric was with us too.
We suddenly heard siren sounds. Seconds later, the entire place shook and
children began to scream. Iraqi forces had shelled Qom and a missile fell
nearby,” he said. This was during the first Gulf War. “The Afghani cleric
felt very afraid and began to scream ‘Oh God, Oh God,’ but Sayyid Shirazi
calmly comforted the children,” he added. The incident is significant
considering what happened afterwards as Shirazi left Qom, which embraces the
Hawza (seminary), and left to Mashhad as advised by those close to him as
they feared for his life. They advised him to go to Mashhad considering its
“sacred” status for the Shiites and since late Iraqi President Saddam
Hussein promised not to shell it because the shrine of Ali al-Ridha, the
eighth Shiite imam, was there. Shirazi’s departure to Mashhad upset the
Iranian authorities. They saw this as a “negative” move and thought it
would’ve been better if he had stayed in Qom and raised the people’s morale.
On October 26, 1980, Iraqi forces invaded the Iranian city of Khorramshahr.
Around 575 days later, on May 24, 1982, Iranian forces restored the city.
This made Shirazi call for ending the war between Baghdad and Tehran
considering that the Iranian regime had regained control of all the lands
which Iraq had occupied. Imam Khomeini, however, refused to do so.
Shirazi’s change of heart
Shirazi, who met Imam Khomeini in Iraq in 1965, was a supporter of the
Islamic Revolution in Iran when Khomeini had called for it. He believed in
the theory of the ‘guardianship of the jurist’ and traveled to Iran
following the revolution’s victory in 1979. However, Shirazi always advised
his supporters to maintain their independence. Shirazi was an untraditional
reference. His supporters had political parties and religious and charity
organizations inside and outside Iran and in Arab Gulf countries. He thus
had his own political and religious ambitions - especially that Shiite
references always had their traditions which are based on independence from
political regimes. The two conflicting logics caused tension between
Shirazi’s office in Qom and the authorities, specifically with Ettela’ at,
i.e. the Iranian intelligence service. The former wanted to maintain his
independence and not submit to any authority that might limit his freedom
and restrain his activity, while the latter wanted the state to impose its
influence under the pretext of imposing the system on everyone. The
authorities simply believed that Shirazi’s office should submit to Iranian
law that governs society’s different categories.
This tense relation began to escalate until things took a turn for the worse
in 1984, affecting relations between Shirazi and Khomeini. Shirazi then
renounced the theory of the ‘guardianship of the jurist’ and adopted the
theory of ‘shurat al-fuqaha’ as he believed that Khomeini had monopolized
major decisions in the country. During the last years of Khomeini’s rule,
Iranian authorities put Shirazi under house arrest due to his critical
statements against the regime’s domestic policies and following the
repercussions of the case of Shiite cleric Mehdi Hashemi, who was executed
in 1987. Hashemi was the head of the Liberation Movement Bureau of the
Revolutionary Guards. A number of groups which followed Shirazi as a
reference were part of these liberation movements.
Scions take on the regime
Shirazi remained under house arrest until he died in Qom in 2001. Although
he was under house arrest for a long time, people who often saw him said he
never insulted the former supreme guide, Khomeini, or the current one, Ali
Khamenei, although his relations with them were not good. According to his
visitors, he used to say: “Allah have mercy on a man who shows me my
faults.” Some of his family members though did not stick to this rhetoric.
For example, Ayatollah Sadiq Hussaini Shirazi’s son Sayyid Hussein Shirazi
compared Khamenei to “the pharaoh” earlier this month resulting in his
arrest.
Brawls during Sayyid Muhammad al-Shirazi’s funeral further worsened the
already tense relation between al-Shirazi’s family and Tehran. One of those
who attended the funeral told me that security forces intervened to bury the
body at the Shrine of Fatima in Qom, contradictory to the family’s wishes as
Shirazi had asked to be buried in his house so his remains can be
transferred to Iraq if the regime ever shifts there. An Iranian opposition
reporter told me that the authorities did not prevent the large crowds of
people from attending the funeral.
Shirazi family’s “belligerent” and critical tone towards Tehran’s policy
began to escalate. Sayyid Morteza Shirazi, the son of late Sayyid Muhammad
al-Shirazi, was very critical of government policies. He was actually
detained once and his supporters say he was humiliated and tortured. His
uncle Ayatollah Mujtaba Shirazi, who lives in London and who is viewed as a
radical figure, adopted an insulting rhetoric towards Iran’s politicians and
their supporters and is never hesitant of using obscene language towards his
political rivals and opponents from different Islamic sects.
The Shirazi succession
Sayyid Sadiq Shirazi succeeded his late brother Muhammad as reference in
2001. Sayyid Sadiq was well-known for being distant from politics and for
being interested in religious matters and jurisprudence in general. He
lacked the intellectual presence his brother had, so he was more of a
classical reference. He returned to the scene again earlier in March, when
his son Hussein was detained after the Special Clerical Court summoned him.
These are only few simple details of the conflict over power and influence
between Al-Shirazi and the authorities in Iran. The appetite of Al-Shirazi
family and its political, charity and economic wings to expand and gather
more supporters was decisively addressed by Tehran which tried to impose the
authority of “the state” and prevent any opposing voices that speak out
against the ‘guardianship of the jurist’ from becoming strong or
influential. Several factors further complicated this conflict which is much
more than a few observers see as a mere dispute between two religious
references.
Iran was not innocent and Al-Shirazi family did not hide its ambitions which
exceeded its actual size in the Shiite community. Iranian security forces
did not stand idle as opposing voices became stronger without being
deterred.
Do the Shirazis constitute one movement? I’ll discuss this in the next
series of articles which will highlight the Shirazi family that has occupied
the Shiite public opinion for decades!
Saudi Arabia and the US: A common cause, common destiny
Faisal Al-Shammeri/Al Arabiya/March 16/18
We are on the eve of a visit by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the
United States. It can be reasonably articulated that this is perhaps the
most significant visit to Washington in recent memory. The earlier visit of
President Trump to Riyadh came at a critical juncture in the relationship.
Simply put, a gap had opened in the viewpoints of long held, mutual
strategic interests. The visit of President Trump had not only closed these
gaps, but the subsequent policy decisions and implemented actions of
Washington allowed for not only a reestablishing of mutually ascribed
strategic interests, but the possibility of significantly deepening them
even further. We stand on the cusp of a new, dynamic, prosperous era, while
at the same time staring directly into the midst of a dangerous array of
characters who wish to deny the majority of the world the chance to see this
peace and prosperity
The US is a considerably older country than the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, but
Riyadh has been a partner of the highest order from the very moment that the
US emerged as a global superpower. In this aspect, Riyadh is unique among
all other strategic partners Washington has had including nearly the
entirety of NATO, or for even that matter, the United Kingdom. Since the
meeting of King Abdulaziz al-Saud onboard the U.S.S. Quincy and the signing
of the initial charter of the United Nations in San Francisco, these two
countries have been intertwined in a “Special Relationship” of its own.
Outside of the “Five Eyes” coalition of countries, there are very few
nation-states that have the quality and depth of relationship that the US
and Saudi Arabia enjoy.
Challenges ahead
It is with a sober assessment of the facts that the geopolitical conditions
currently in existence collectively represent one of the most serious
challenges both nations have faced in recent memory. Iran, Syria, North
Korea, terrorism, proliferation of ballistic missiles, nuclear weapons,
exporting of radical and destabilizing entities are just a few of which
there are many more prominent examples in existence. Like the 1930’s and the
period leading up to World War II, the world once again sees a coalition of
revisionist powers who do not hesitate to state their claim to destroying
the status quo. World War II in Asia began not at Pearl Harbor, but 10 years
earlier in Manchuria. World War II in Europe began in Poland, but the
incubator that preceded its creation, the Spanish Civil War, began well
before September 1939. The revisionist powers of the 1930’s where not
addressed and identified for who they really were until it was far too late.
And this cost the lives of tens of millions. And today there are a similar
set of conditions that even when taking into account, the context is
strikingly familiar. Saudi Arabia not only wishes to see that these
challenges are addressed, but shares an aspirational vision of a peace
dividend for all, a prosperous citizenry in both countries, a dynamic global
economy, and its role in the 21st century as it is clearly articulated in
Vision 2030.
Riyadh in the forefront
As the leader of the Muslim and Arab World, while sitting at the very
crossroads from Africa to Central Asia, and from Europe to South Asia and
beyond, Riyadh stands on the eve of becoming a global power of the first
order. This could not have happened without Washington and its decades long
support, even in challenging periods for both. For that we are, and always
will be, grateful. With Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman representing the
kingdom, it also marks a turning point. It is his first visit to the US as
the leading figure of the delegation from Saudi Arabia. His persona
represents quite literally one of the youngest nation-states on the planet.
It is difficult to see daylight between his aspirations for Saudi Arabia
from those Saudi citizens who are aged 40 and under. Or for that matter the
older generation, who like anybody anywhere else, wants to see the next in
line have it better than they did.
The crown prince, like this younger generation, is globally focused, and
prepared to offer a deep well of dynamic talents to reshape the world.
Although it is hard to determine the course of future events and the manner
in which they will emerge, it seems that the year ahead could be unusually
interesting on many fronts. Whatever, and wherever, those challenges may be
there is no question about the resolve of Riyadh to stand with Washington,
or vice versa, to present solutions that lead to peace, prosperity, and
stability. You cannot have national, or regional, security without economic
security. Both are intertwined and impossible to separate.
Cooperating on all fronts
Riyadh and Washington both desire economic security for the Middle East and
the Muslim world. A Middle East and Arab world proliferated with prosperity
instead of radicalism is absolutely essential. Riyadh and Washington also
share this viewpoint. However, you cannot have a regional peace, or a
widespread regional prosperity, in the face of revisionist powers.
It is hard to lay a foundation for peace, prosperity, and stability without
the acknowledgment of the revisionist actors and their efforts. Riyadh and
Washington acknowledge them and their efforts. We stand on the cusp of a
new, dynamic, prosperous era, while at the same time staring directly into
the midst of a dangerous array of characters who wish to deny the majority
of the world the chance to see this peace and prosperity. The relationship
between the US and Saudi Arabia will be one of the most central, and vital,
themes on the global stage during this journey.
Trump versus Obama: Achievements, statistics speak for
themselves
Ahmad al-Farraj/Al Arabiya/March 16/18
Many dream of isolating President Donald Trump, for example, from within the
US, the Democrats, particularly of the ‘far left’ variety that believes
Obama was the best president ever. Then there are foreign regimes, namely
the clerical regime in Tehran which found its dreams coming true during the
presidency of Obama and hoped he would remain president for life.
And let us not forget the Hamad regime in Qatar, whose strength and support
quickly withered with Obama’s departure. In their war against Trump, the
Democrats and the Iranian and Qatari regimes are backed by a massive media
push, led by the iconic CNN alongside the US leftist stronghold, MSNBC.
The New York Times provides these two channels with all the reports and
articles they need. This internationally recognized newspaper which has
expended all of its resources in its war against Trump had, for eight years,
praised nearly every measure taken by Barack Obama, and only shyly
criticized him.
Within one year, Trump has been able to restore the alliance between America
and its allies in the Gulf. This alliance had reached its lowest point
during Obama's term, which resulted in the rise of the threat of ISIS and
other groups
Whatever these media outlets miss, The Washington Post finishes off with nit
picking and outrageous bias. This doesn’t mean that I am a defender of
Trump, or that he hasn’t done anything wrong. He has and still commits many
mistakes and has made it easy for his opponents to criticize him due to his
narcissism and stubbornness.
Eight years versus a year and a half
However, let us put aside the leftist media coverage of Trump for now and
look at the achievements of the two presidents, Obama versus Trump. Where
Obama spent eight years in the White House, Trump has only spent a year and
a half until now.
Records show that Obama struck the nuclear deal with Iran, supported Arab
revolutions and sought to strengthen the Muslim Brotherhood – which he
failed to achieve at the last moment – so it can rule the Arab world. The
results of all these decisions and policies are apparent today, especially
in Lebanon, Libya and Syria. Within one year, Trump has been able to restore
the alliance between America and its allies in the Gulf. This alliance had
reached its lowest point during Obama's term, which resulted in the rise of
the threat of ISIS and other groups. One can only recall the ISIS of last
year and what it has been reduced to now. Trump also adopted a tough policy
to address Iran’s expansionist approach and insists on redrafting the
nuclear agreement. This has contributed to the rapid developments in Syria.
In a surprising move, Trump is also going to meet with the leader of North
Korea which is potentially a turning point for resolving a serious crisis in
a critical part of the world. In the United States, figures show that the
unemployment rate has dropped to an unprecedented level. Trump has also
convinced some major US companies to transfer their factories and businesses
to the US. These are numbers and numbers do not lie. In a nutshell, I do not
side with Trump, neither am I against Obama. However, I am not deluded by
the misinformation of the leftist media. I look at the achievements and
figures, then I make up my mind and so should everybody.