LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
May 22/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

 

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 http://data.eliasbejjaninews.com/newselias18/english.may22.18.htm

 

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Bible Quotations
I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory
Letter to the Ephesians 03/01-13: "This is the reason that I Paul am a prisoner for Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles for surely you have already heard of the commission of God’s grace that was given to me for you, and how the mystery was made known to me by revelation, as I wrote above in a few words, a reading of which will enable you to perceive my understanding of the mystery of Christ. In former generations this mystery was not made known to humankind, as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit: that is, the Gentiles have become fellow-heirs, members of the same body, and sharers in the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Of this gospel I have become a servant according to the gift of God’s grace that was given to me by the working of his power. Although I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given to me to bring to the Gentiles the news of the boundless riches of Christ, and to make everyone see what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things; so that through the church the wisdom of God in its rich variety might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. This was in accordance with the eternal purpose that he has carried out in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have access to God in boldness and confidence through faith in him. I pray therefore that you may not lose heart over my sufferings for you; they are your glory."
 
Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on May 21-22/18
Video/Secretary Pompeo Delivers a Speech on a New Iran Strategy/Agencies/May 21/18
Pompeo Demands Iran Withdraw Forces From Syria, End Support for Hezbollah and Hamas/Amir Tibon (Washington)/Haaretz/ May 21, 2018
Iran's Leaders at War with Western Civilization/Why is the West Putting Up with It?/Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/May 21/18
Iran, North Korea, and the U.S./Tom Quiggin/Gatestone Institute/May 21/18
Pro-Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Shaft Palestinians and Human Rights/Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 21/18
What did Putin mean by withdrawing 'foreign armed forces' from Syria/Al Monitor/Week in Review/May 21/18
New Nukes is Good Nukes for Pentagon/Walter Pincus/The Washington Post/May 21/18
Political earthquake in Iraq threatens to thwart Iran’s plans/Yochanan Visser/Israpundit/May 21/18
New Nukes is Good Nukes for Pentagon/Walter Pincus/The Washington Post/May 21/18
Forget New Robots. Keep Your Eye on the Old People/Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg View/May/ 21, 2018
The Battle against Iran’s Behavior
Ghassan Charbel//Asharq Al-Awsat/May 21/18
Awaiting Iraq’s New Leader/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 21/18

Titles For Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on May 21-22/18
Video/Secretary Pompeo Delivers a Speech on a New Iran
Pompeo Demands Iran Withdraw Forces From Syria, End Support for Hezbollah and Hamas/A
U.S. to Put 'Unprecedented Pressure' on Iran, Asks It to 'Withdraw Forces' from Syria
Netanyahu Hails U.S. Policy on Iran, Calls on World to Back
Syria Army Declares Capital, Outskirts 'Completely Secure'
Conflicting European Reports on New Deal with Iran
EU Could Compensate Firms Targeted by US Sanctions over Iran
Syrians in Raqqa Mark Relaxed Ramadan
Around 300 Israeli Settlers Break into Al-Aqsa Mosque
UAE Approves 10-Year Visas for International Investors, Professional Talents
Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Houthi Ballistic Missile Fired at Jazan

 Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May on May 21-22/18
Hezbollah Raises Portfolios Threshold
Aoun meets Maronite patriarch as new govt set to form/Rai: New government must fight corruption
Saudi Embassy’s Iftar Brings Lebanese Leaders Together
Report: Lebanon Expels BBC Journalist For Reporting From Israel
Report: Decisive Week Ahead as Parliament Term Ends Midnight, New Govt. Forms
Cabinet Holds Last Session as Aoun Asks PM to 'Brief Lebanese on Achievements'
Report: Hopes that Hariri-Jumblat Meeting 'Will Still Happen'
Govt. OKs 3-Year Extension for Power Ships as Cost Slashed
Geagea Says Lebanese Forces Won't Vote for Berri
Senior Officers from UK Defense College Visit Lebanon
Qaouq: Saudi Doesn't Want Hizbullah in New Govt.
Labaki returns from Cannes after winning jury prize for her "Capharnaum" movie
Lebanon's Cabinet appoints Malek Shamas Military Council member
Berri, interlocutors tackle current developments
Army Chief arrives in Australia, meets Armed Forces Commander
Moody's: Lebanon Among Countries Most Exposed to Interest Rate Shock
 
Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on May 21-22/18
Hezbollah Raises Portfolios Threshold
Beirut - Caroline Akoum/Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/As the race for cabinet portfolios accelerates before the appointment of a new Prime Minister, “Hezbollah” has made new demands on political and service portfolios, contrary to its previous shares in governments since 2005.
Observers have raised several questions regarding Hezbollah’s change of policy in light of regional and international developments. Hezbollah opponents link this change to rising sanctions against the party and its leaders, while supporters say the party’s decision is merely internal and linked to the fight against widespread corruption in all state institutions. The party needs “services portfolios” to meet popular demands in impoverished areas such as Ras Baalbek and Hermel in the Bekaa Valley. Lebanese Forces newly elected deputy Wehbi Qatisha described Hezbollah’s ministerial demands as efforts to avoid the sanctions enforced on its leaders and its ally Iran. “Instead of increasing its demands, Hezbollah should facilitate the cabinet formation,” he said. However, member of Hezbollah’s parliamentary bloc Walid Succariyeh told Asharq Al-Awsat that in the past, the party was mainly focusing on its resistance to Israel and on fighting terrorism. “Now, the party needs to effectively start participating in the internal political process by receiving main portfolios,” he said. Hezbollah is demanding a services portfolio such as the energy or the public works Ministries to silence voices that emerged before the parliamentary elections, particularly in the Bekaa area, to demand more development projects. However, Qatisha rejected Hezbollah’s justifications, saying that while it claims fighting terrorism, the party was securing the departure of extremists from the Lebanese border to Syria in air-conditioned buses, in reference to a deal brokered by the party in August last year to evacuate ISIS militants from their enclave on the Syria-Lebanon border. According to Qatisha, the party’s “strong” participation in the new cabinet would complicate internal matters, unless it decides to change its policy and work for Lebanon’s interest instead of Iran.

Aoun meets Maronite patriarch as new govt set to form/Rai: New government must fight corruption
The Daily Star/May 21, 2018/BEIRUT: Maronite Patriarch Beshara Rai met Monday with President Michel Aoun at Baabda Palace, with the former urging Lebanon’s new government to “meet the challenges” facing the country, including rampant corruption. “I appeal to all political forces to facilitate the formation of a government that will meet the challenges posed politically, economically and financially,” Rai said in televised comments following the sit-down, citing corruption as a key issue. The current Parliament is scheduled to dissolve Monday, making way for the newly elected government to form. Rai’s comments Monday echo a sermon he made one day previously at a public Mass in Bkirki, where he stressed the need for the new government to combat corruption. "We are in a state of economic and financial emergency," Rai said Sunday. "All of the countries that supported Lebanon in the Rome, Paris and Brussels conferences are watching us, and they are waiting for officials and politicians to carry out reforms to treat this state of emergency," the patriarch said, referring to a series of conferences in March and April that gathered monetary support for Lebanon's economic, military and security sectors, as well as funds for coping with an influx of Syrian refugees. Rai’s sit-down with Aoun came after the president met earlier Monday morning with Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh, who spoke in a radio interview Sunday against recent U.S. sanctions against Hezbollah, which he said might hamper the new government’s formation. The sanctions, which target high-ranking Hezbollah members “will obstruct the formation of the government,” Hamadeh said in Sunday’s interview. Lebanon “should be distanced from political tension in order to preserve its security and stability,” the education minister added.

Saudi Embassy’s Iftar Brings Lebanese Leaders Together
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/The Saudi Embassy in Beirut brought together most Lebanese political forces at an Iftar banquet, held under the patronage of Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri and with the participation of the advisor at the Saudi Royal Court, Nizar al-Aloula.
Saudi Charge d'Affaires to Lebanon Walid bin Abdullah Bukhari delivered a speech on the occasion, in which he underlined the deep rooted-relations between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Lebanon, which he said would defy all challenges. Hariri, for his part, said that the “Saudi house always brings all the Lebanese together and does not differentiate between them.” “Gulf States have not at any time interfered in our internal affairs, and we are required in return to distance ourselves from meddling in the affairs of sister countries,” he stated.
The ceremony was attended by political, religious, economic and diplomatic figures. Among those present were former President Michel Sleiman, former Prime Ministers Fouad Saniora and Tamam Salam, and Lebanese Forces Party leader Samir Geagea, in addition to Kataeb Party President MP Sami Gemayel, Grand Mufti Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian and Beirut Maronite Archbishop Boulos Matar. Lebanese ministers included Jamal al-Jarrah, Nohad al-Mashnouq, Pierre Bou Assi, Melhem Riachi, Ghattas Khoury and Ali Hassan Khalil. Also present at the Iftar were Director General of General Security Major General Abbas Ibrahim, and Lebanese Press Syndicate Chief Aouni Al-Kaaki, in addition to the ambassadors of Kuwait, France, UAE, Egypt, Oman, Algeria, Morocco, Sudan, Yemen, Tunisia and Palestine. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia wants Lebanon to remain united in facing the challenges and to maintain our Arabism and our commitment to the Taif Agreement,” Hariri said. He also expressed his thanks and appreciation to Saudi leaders for their permanent support to Lebanon, saying: “The Kingdom has always sought stability, safety, development and peace for Lebanon.”
Report: Lebanon Expels BBC Journalist For Reporting From Israel
Jerusalem Post/May 21/18/After the BBC's Mehrdad Farahmand interviewed Avichay Adraee, the head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit, Lebanon expelled him from the country. Lebanon's General Security Directorate expelled Iranian-born BBC journalist Mehrdad Farahmand from the country Sunday night for visiting and reporting from Israel, the Lebanese Al-Akhbar newspaper reported Monday. Farahmand, who has been based in Beirut as a correspondent for the BBC's Persian Service for 12 years, has been reporting from Israel in recent days.  The Lebanese decision came in response to a video Farahmand posted to Facebook Saturday, Al-Akhbar reported. In the video, Farahmand interviews Avichay Adraee, the head of the Arab media division of the IDF Spokesperson's Unit. Farahmand translated into Persian Adraee's message to Iranians that the IDF has no ill will towards Iran's population and inviting Iranians to visit Israel

Report: Decisive Week Ahead as Parliament Term Ends Midnight, New Govt. Forms
Naharnet/May 21/18/The mandate of Lebanon’s parliament --which extended its own mandate for three consecutive times since its election in 2009-- ends at midnight Monday, meanwhile the government gears for its final meeting at Baabda Palace to tackle 59 items before it turns into a caretaker government on Tuesday. The cabinet will convene at the Presidential Palace and will be chaired by President Michel Aoun to discuss several issues including the problematic electricity file, said al-Joumhouria daily. On Wednesday, the new parliament will convene under the most senior MP, Michel Murr, to re-elect AMAL Movement leader Nabih Berri to a sixth term as Parliament Speaker. Upon his re-election as speaker, Berri will move from his parliamentary seat to the presidential platform to run the session to elect his deputy for a full four-year term, added the daily. In the coming hours, contacts and meetings intensify before the parliamentary blocs launch nominations. In this context, the “Strong Republic” bloc (of the Lebanese Forces) will hold a meeting this afternoon to determine its position on the parliamentary and government entitlements, although it nominated MP Anis Nassar as deputy speaker. Both the Strong Lebanon bloc and al-Mustaqbal bloc (of PM Saad Hariri) are expected to determine their position on Tuesday. As soon as the parliamentary entitlement ends, the attention will be drawn towards the naming of a new premier and the formation of the new government. On Thursday, President Michel Aoun begins the binding parliamentary consultations for naming a premier in preparation for the formation of the next government.

Cabinet Holds Last Session as Aoun Asks PM to 'Brief Lebanese on Achievements'
Naharnet/May 21/18/President Michel Aoun said the Cabinet convenes in a final session on Monday before it turns into a caretaker government by midnight, as he asked PM Saad Hariri to prepare a report briefing the Lebanese on the government’s accomplishments. Aoun’s remarks came during a Cabinet convention which he chaired at Baabda Palace. “After midnight this government turns into a caretaker as per the Lebanese Constitution, and I thank PM Hariri and Ministers for their work. I hope everyone would focus on the livelihood means during the caretaker phase,” said Aoun. The President said the government made a lot of achievements “best of which were an agreement on oil extraction, devising an electoral law in addition to staging the parliamentary elections and approving the State’s budget.”The President asked Hariri to “prepare a report briefing the Lebanese on the accomplishments made by the government during its term.”

Report: Hopes that Hariri-Jumblat Meeting 'Will Still Happen'
Naharnet/May 21/18/A meeting between Prime Minister Saad Hariri and leader of the Progressive Socialist Party MP Walid Jumblat did not take place on Sunday as anticipated, amid hopes that the meeting will still happen, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Monday. Sources from the Center House (of Hariri) and the PSP, told the daily that contacts were made to arrange for the meeting between Mustaqbal Movement leader, Hariri, and Jumblat but “efforts did not lead to the desired ends until late at night.”On the other hand, well-informed sources said the endeavors “will not stop at this point,” assuring that “contacts are ongoing despite the reasons which may have delayed the meeting between the two men."They attributed the reasons to Jumblat’s position as for the nomination of Elie Ferzli as deputy speaker. Jumblat said Sunday during his meeting with Speaker Nabih Berri that he will instruct his bloc's MPs to vote for veteran politician Elie Ferzli for the deputy speaker post. However, Hariri and some PSP deputies reject the notion and consider Ferzli a “friend of the Syrian regime” in Lebanon, said the daily. Jumblat also told the Speaker that the PSP's MPs will vote for Berri in a parliamentary session widely expected to see the Speaker re-elected for a sixth term as head of parliament, a post he has occupied since 1992. Ferzli, who is now close to President Michel Aoun, had served as deputy speaker in the past.

Govt. OKs 3-Year Extension for Power Ships as Cost Slashed
Naharnet/May 21/18/The government on Monday approved a three-year extension for the contracts of the Turkish power-generating ships, as the energy minister lamented that there was an alleged plot to obstruct his electricity plan prior to the parliamentary elections. “The decisions that were taken in this session and in the previous sessions indicate that all the talk about the electricity file has gone with the wind,” Energy Minister Cesar Abi Khalil announced after Cabinet's last session ahead of turning into a caretaker cabinet. “A three-year extension has been approved for the power ships that are currently present in Lebanon, which also indicates that all the previous maneuvers were aimed at blocking the electricity plan before the elections,” Abi Khalil added. “We have negotiated over the power ships and we have managed to obtain cost cuts for the next three years and additional 200 megawatts for free,” the minister announced. According to information obtained by LBCI television, the Energy Ministry has reached an agreement with the Turkish Karadeniz Energy Group on dispatching a third ship to Lebanon's coast within a month in order to generate the additional 200 megawatts.

Geagea Says Lebanese Forces Won't Vote for Berri
Naharnet/May 21/18/The MPs of the Lebanese Forces' Strong Republic bloc will cast blank ballots in the vote to pick a new parliament speaker, LF leader Samir Geagea announced on Monday. Geagea noted, however, that MP-elect Qaysar al-Maalouf will not abide by the bloc's decision. “This is a continuation of the party's historic stance in this regard,” Geagea said after a meeting for the LF's new parliamentary bloc. “Everyone knows how much we respect Speaker Nabih Berri and how we agree with him on several issues, that's why our blank vote is not against Speaker Berri but rather in line with our strategic stance,” the LF leader explained. He also announced the bloc's nomination of its member Anis Nassar for the deputy speaker post, urging all other blocs to “vote for Nassar given what he represents at the political level.”The Strong Republic bloc also decided to “unanimously endorse PM (Saad) Hariri for the premiership of the new government.”Responding to a reporter’s question, Geagea noted that the LF has not coordinated its stance on the blank ballots with the Free Patriotic Movement, noting that “the FPM might vote for Speaker Berri.”

Senior Officers from UK Defense College Visit Lebanon
 Naharnet/May 21/18/An international delegation of fifteen senior military officers from the British Royal College of Defense Studies (RCDS) has visited Lebanon for one week, the British embassy in Beirut said on Monday. The delegation, led by Major General Craig Lawrence, visited Lebanon to “learn about the political, economic, security, and social challenges facing Lebanon and how these might relate to regional and international stability,” the embassy said in a statement. RCDS is a UK based course for military officers and senior government civil servants from the UK and allied nations. The aim of the course is to instruct members in defense and international security matters. “As part of their overseas study tour, the RCDS delegation of Colonels and Brigadiers from the UK, Germany, Ghana, Japan, Canada, Netherlands, Chile, Colombia, China, India, and Uganda have met with President Michel Aoun, Defense Minister Yaccoub Sarraf, LAF (Lebanese Army) Commander General Joseph Aoun and industrialists and businessmen from across Lebanese society,” the embassy announced. They “saw firsthand how the UK supports Lebanon and the Lebanese Armed Forces during a visit to the 4th Land Border Regiment at Baalbek,” it added. Through meetings with prominent members of the business community, they hope to understand “how Lebanon can move the economy forward towards success,” the embassy said. The officers also visited the headquarters of the U.N. Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in Naqoura and met with the Force's Commander Maj. Gen. Michael Beary to talk about “some of the challenges the U.N. faces in conducting a large U.N. mission in a volatile part of the world.” Welcoming the course to Beirut, British Ambassador Hugo Shorter said: “It is a privilege to host top military officers from the UK and the world as part of their Royal College of Defense Studies study tour in Lebanon. Their visit to Lebanon is another example of the strategic importance that Lebanon has in anchoring regional stability, and the security challenges it faces as it counters extremism and unrest.”“We’re proud of our strong defense links with Lebanon and I am certain that the officers' experience will be like no other in the region,” Shorter added.

Qaouq: Saudi Doesn't Want Hizbullah in New Govt.
 Naharnet/May 21/18/A senior Hizbullah official on Sunday accused Saudi Arabia of seeking to keep his group out of the new Lebanese government.
"Saudi Arabia's declared and undeclared wish is to see Hizbullah outside the new Lebanese government, but the coming days will prove that the Saudi regime is weaker than being able to prevent Hizbullah from joining the government with proactive ministers," Hizbullah Central Council member Sheikh Nabil Qaouq said. He stressed that "Lebanon is not the right arena for Saudi Arabia to achieve gains at the expense of the resistance," adding that "the Lebanese arena will remain immune to Saudi diktats and orders." The Hizbullah official also charged that "the same as Saudi Arabia interfered in the parliamentary elections, today it is involved in efforts to form a parliamentary front aimed at confronting and besieging the resistance in order to weaken it and exhaust it."

Labaki returns from Cannes after winning jury prize for her "Capharnaum" movie
Mon 21 May 2018 /NNA - The Lebanese filmmaker Nadine Labaki arrived a while ago at Beirut Rafic Hariri International Airport coming from Cannes, after winning the jury prize for her "Capharnaum" movie at the Cannes Film Festival.

Lebanon's Cabinet appoints Malek Shamas Military Council member
Mon 21 May 2018/NNA - The Council of Ministers appointed Brigadier General Malek Shamas as director of the Military Administration and member of the Military Council after being promoted to the rank of Major General

Berri, interlocutors tackle current developments
Mon 21 May 2018/NNA - House Speaker, Nabih Berri, on Monday received at his Ain Tineh residence US Ambassador to Lebanon, Elizabeth Richard, with talks reportedly touching on most recent developments in Lebanon and the broad region. Speaker Berri then met with Syria's Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdel Karim Ali, who congratulated him on the recently held legislative elections. Talks reportedly dwelt on the current situation in Lebanon and the region, notably Syria's successful accomplishments in the face of terrorism. This afternoon, Berri met with former Prime Minister, Tammam Salam, who congratulated the Speaker on the recently held legislative elections, saying "such a long awaited constitutional deadline strengthens our democratic system and thus our state."Salam called for the formation of an effective national accord government, calling on all the political forces to rise above narrow calculations in the Cabinet formation process. "National accord is the key to Lebanon's continuity and immunity," Salam corroborated.

Army Chief arrives in Australia, meets Armed Forces Commander
Mon 21 May 2018/NNA - Army Commander, General Joseph Aoun, and the accompanying delegation arrived in Australia on a two-day official visit to meet with military and civilian officials to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation between the two armies. Aoun was received at the airport by a number of senior officers in the Australian armed forces, and the Australian military attaché in Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt, Colonel Christopher Buxton. A ceremony was held at the Australian Ministry of Defense in which military honors were made to welcome General Aoun, in the presence of the Australian Armed Forces Commander Marshal Mark Binskin. General Aoun held a meeting with Marshal Binskin, with talks touching on military affairs and cooperation prospects between the two armies. The Army Chief then visited the War Museum and the Memorial of the Martyrs of Australia, where he was welcomed by Protocol Commissioner Sarah Haichman. Aoun inspected the military equipment used by the Australian Army in its battles during World Wars I and II. After the Australian anthem performed by students from various Australian states, Aoun and Binskin placed a wreath on the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and then a minute of silence was observed for the souls of the martyrs. In the evening, Marshall Banskin hosted a dinner banquet in honor of General Aoun and the accompanying delegation, in the presence of the Lebanese Ambassador and a number of senior Australian military leaders.

Moody's: Lebanon Among Countries Most Exposed to Interest Rate Shock
Kataeb.org/Monday 21st May 2018/Sovereigns with relatively short average maturity of debt and weak debt affordability are generally the most exposed to a larger than expected rise in borrowing costs, Moody's Investors Service warned in a report last week. "The sovereigns most vulnerable to an interest rate shock are generally low rated, with shorter maturities and weak debt affordability," said Elisa Parisi-Capone, a Moody's Vice President -- Senior Analyst and co-author of the report. "In our view, exposure to a shift in financing conditions is highest for Lebanon (B3 stable), Egypt (B3 stable), Pakistan (B3 stable), Bahrain (B1 negative) and Mongolia (B3 stable). Sri Lanka (B1 negative) and Jordan (B1 stable) are also highly exposed.""Moody's central forecast is that the anticipated tightening of global financing conditions will be gradual. However, financing conditions could tighten more rapidly than Moody's currently assumes, either globally or for specific sovereigns," the report noted. In a study of 125 rated sovereigns, Moody's analysed the sensitivity of sovereign fiscal metrics to two hypothetical interest rate shocks, one moderate and gradual and one severe and more immediate. Both shocks are assumed to be sustained over four years. Moody's concludes that a moderate shock would generally be manageable, with limited impact on sovereigns' debt affordability and debt burdens other than for those which already exhibit very low fiscal strength. A severe shock would pressure a broader set of ratings.

 Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on May 21-22/18
فيديو/خطاب وزير خارجية أميركا من مؤسسة هاريتج حول ايران والعقوبات الأميركية على نظامها
Video/Secretary Pompeo Delivers a Speech on a New Iran Strategy/Agencies/May 21/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64824/%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AF%D9%8A%D9%88-%D8%AE%D8%B7%D8%A7%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D8%AE%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%AC%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A3%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A7-%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A4%D8%B3%D8%B3%D8%A9/

Pompeo Demands Iran Withdraw Forces From Syria, End Support for Hezbollah and Hamas
وزير خارجية أميركا:على إيران الإنسحاب من سوريا ووقف دعمها لحزب الله وحماس
Amir Tibon (Washington)/Haaretz/ May 21, 2018
In first major speech as U.S. secretary of state, Pompeo threatens Iran with 'strongest sanctions in history'
WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo demanded Iran withdraw its forces from Syria and end its support for Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad in his first major address as U.S. secretary of state on Monday. "Today, we ask the Iranian people - is this what you want your country to be known for? The United States believes you deserve better," Pompeo said. Pompeo said that the U.S. is prepared to re-establish relations with the regime and "happily" support it when they see "tangible and sustained shifts" in Iranian policy. The U.S. expects "major changes" in any new deal – with stipulations listed to ensure that "Iran never acquires a nuclear agreement. Pompeo's list of demands – which he admits is "pretty long" with "very basic requirements," includes demanding that "Iran's nuclear aspirations not be separated from the overall security picture"; that Iran must declare all past nuclear programs; must stop "stop enrichment and never pursue plutonium reprocessing"; and "provide unqualified access to all sites through the entire country." Regarding the Middle East, the U.S.'s list includes releasing "all U.S. Citizens as well as citizens of our partners and allies"; the end of "support to Hezbollah, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad"; and that "Iran must end its threatening behavior against neighbors, including threats to destroy Israel and attacks on Saudi Arabia." "America's commitment to the strategy President Trump put down last year remains, and it will now be executed outside of the JCPOA. We will insure Iran has no path to a nuclear weapon, not now, not ever," Pompeo added. "We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime. New sanctions are coming." The secretary of state warned that "the regime will have no doubts about our seriousness. This is just the beginning. It will be painful if the regime doesn't change its course. It will be the strongest sanctions in history. Iran will be battling to keep its economy alive." Pompeo added that "we will ensure freedom of navigation in the waters of the region. Iran will never again have carte blanch to dominate the Middle East. We will also advocate tirelessly to the Iranian people. The regime must improve how it treats its citizensز "Here in the West, President Rohani and Foreign Minister Zarif are often treated differently. 'If only they could control, things would be great.' Yet they are your elected leaders. Are they not the most responsible for your economic struggles?" Pompeo continued.
He added that protests in Iran in recent months "show that the Iranian people are deeply frustrated." Pompeo said that, due to government mismanagement of economic resources, "People are angry at the regime that keeps for itself what it steals from the people." "The leadership of the country is running scared," he said. Pompeo added that the U.S. would continue with their plan to impose sanctions on Iran regardless of potential economic conflict with EU allies, some who hope to keep the JCPOA agreement in place. "Our reimposition of sanctions will post financial and economic challenges to some of our friends," Pompeo said. "They may decide to keep their old nuclear deal going with Tehran. That is their decision to make, but they know where we stand." America's commitment to the strategy President Trump put down last year remains, and it will now be executed outside of the JCPOA. We will insure Iran has no path to a nuclear weapon, not now, not ever," Pompeo said. Pompeo presented his approach during a speech Monday at the conservative Heritage Foundation. The speech comes a week after Trump announced he was pulling out of the deal struck by President Barack Obama, Iran and world powers. Europeans allies had pleaded with Trump not to scuttle that deal.
AP contributed to this reportظHaaretz Correspondent

U.S. to Put 'Unprecedented Pressure' on Iran, Asks It to 'Withdraw Forces' from Syria
Agence France Presse/Associated Press/Naharnet/May 21/18/The United States will increase the financial pressure on Iran with the "strongest sanctions in history," after Washington pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal with Tehran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Monday. "We will apply unprecedented financial pressure on the Iranian regime. The leaders in Tehran will have no doubt about our seriousness," Pompeo said in his first major foreign policy address since moving to the State Department from the CIA. "The sting of sanctions will only grow more painful if the regime does not change course from the unacceptable and unproductive path it has chosen for itself and the people of Iran," he added in the speech at the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank. "Iran will never again have carte blanche to dominate the Middle East," he said in outlining the new U.S. strategy on handling the Islamic regime, including 12 tough conditions from Washington for any "new deal" with Tehran. Pompeo's list of 12 tough requirements included many that Iran is highly unlikely to consider. He said Iran must "stop enrichment" of uranium, which was allowed within strict limitations under the 2015 deal. Iran must also allow nuclear "unqualified access to all sites throughout the country," Pompeo said, alluding to military sites that were off-limits under the 2015 deal except under specific circumstances. To that end, he also said Iran must declare all previous efforts to build a nuclear weapon, reopening an issue that the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency has already deemed a closed matter. Pompeo also demanded that Iran cease from a range of activities throughout the Middle East that have long drawn the ire of the U.S. and its allies. He said Iran must end support for Shiite Houthi rebels in Yemen, "withdraw all forces" from Syria, halt support for its ally Hizbullah and stop threatening Israel. Iran must also "release all U.S. citizens" missing in Iran or being held on "spurious charges," he said. At the same time, Pompeo offered Iran a series of dramatic potential U.S. concessions if it agrees to make "major changes." Under a new agreement, the U.S. would be willing to lift all sanctions, restore full diplomatic and commercial ties with Iran, and even support the modernization of its economy, Pompeo said.
"It is America's hope that our labors toward peace and security will bear fruit for the long-suffering people of Iran," Pompeo said.

Netanyahu Hails U.S. Policy on Iran, Calls on World to Back
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 21/18/Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday hailed the United States' policy on Iran and urged the rest of the world to follow suit. "The U.S. policy is correct. Iran is spreading aggressively throughout the Middle East. It aspires to achieve nuclear weapons by various means," Netanyahu said as he met Paraguayan President Horacio Cartes in Jerusalem."We call on the entire international community to join this American position," Netanyahu added.

Syria Army Declares Capital, Outskirts 'Completely Secure'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/May 21/18/Syria's army said Monday it has "completely" secured the capital Damascus and its outskirts after ousting the Islamic State group, marking a major milestone in the country's seven-year war. "The Syrian army announces today that Damascus, its outskirts and surrounding towns are completely secure," a military spokesman said on state media. The development came after troops had captured a southern portion of Damascus including the Palestinian refugee camp Yarmuk from IS, he said.

Conflicting European Reports on New Deal with Iran
Washington and London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/As Iran prepares for a new round of negotiations with the remaining parties of the nuclear deal, there were conflicting European reports on a European, Russian and Chinese plan aimed at discussing a new agreement that includes economic incentives for the Iranian government in exchange for reducing its regional threats and stopping missile development. Three European diplomats denied offering Iran a package of financial aid in return for concessions on its regional threats and ballistic missiles. This came hours after German newspaper Welt am Sonntag cited an unnamed senior EU official as saying there were also discussions about a possible new pact between Iran and world powers that would cover the same ground as the 2015 deal but with some additions. The officials will meet in Vienna in the coming week under the leadership of senior European Union diplomat Helga Schmid to discuss the next steps after the May 8 decision by US President Donald Trump to pull out of the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran, the Welt am Sonntag newspaper said, citing senior EU sources. The newspaper said that Germany, France, Britain, Russia and China will participate in the meeting, but the United States won’t be present. The new agreement would preserve the terms of the deal, but with some additions to appease the United States. These could include provisions to address US concerns over Iran’s ballistic missile program and Tehran’s support for armed groups in the Middle East, the source said.
“We have to get away from the name ‘Vienna nuclear agreement’ and add in a few additional elements. Only that will convince President Trump to agree and lift sanctions again,” the senior EU official told the paper. Such an agreement could in the future include financial aid for Iran, the report said. The newspaper said that officials are looking for a new approach, because they understand that it will be difficult for European companies to overcome the new US sanctions.
Previously, Tehran rejected requests to curb its ballistic missile program or regional role. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to reduce its nuclear program in return for lifting most of the Western sanctions. One of Trump's main complaints is that the agreement does not include Iran's missile program, nor does it include Tehran’s support for armed groups in the Middle East, considered terrorist by the West. Three EU sources who were part of negotiations to keep Trump from quitting the nuclear deal denied news that the meeting would offer Iran financial aid in exchange for concessions, according to Reuters.EU energy commissioner sought to reassure Iran that the EU was committed to salvaging the nuclear deal and boosting trade with Tehran. Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi said Iran’s current negotiations with the EU over the JCPOA don’t cover any issue beyond the nuclear deal. Qassemi on Sunday dismissed “baseless" reports by certain Western media which quoted anonymous diplomatic sources as saying the EU has offered new packages of incentives to Iran in return for clinching a new nuclear deal. “The reports are aimed at creating a smear campaign against Iran and undermining the ongoing negotiations between the Islamic Republic and the remaining parties to the Iran nuclear deal,” he said. The spokesman went on to say that as a committed party to the JCPOA, following the unilateral, illegal and scandalous withdrawal of the US from the multi-national agreement, Tehran will remain in the deal as long as the remaining sides acknowledge Iran’s rights under the accord. “In response to the requests of the other sides to remain in the nuclear deal, the Islamic republic has made it clear that it will remain in the deal only if the other sides explicitly acknowledge and protect Iran’s full right under the JCPOA,” he said. On Tuesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Mohammed Javad Zarif indicated that Iran and European powers have made a good start in talks over how to salvage the deal but much depends on what happens in the next few weeks. "We are on the right track.. a lot will depend on what we can do in next few weeks," Zarif said after a meeting with the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany and the European Union's foreign policy chief. Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on state television that the joint commission will be held at Iran’s request, and without the United States, to discuss the consequences of Washington’s withdrawal, and how the remaining countries can keep their commitment to the deal.

EU Could Compensate Firms Targeted by US Sanctions over Iran
Paris - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/France is looking to see if the European Union could compensate European companies that might be facing sanctions by the United States for doing business with Iran, said French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire on Sunday. Le Maire referred to the 1996 EU rules, which he said could allow the EU to intervene in this manner to protect European companies against any US sanctions, adding that France wanted the EU to toughen its stance in this area. In 1996, the United States tried to penalize foreign companies trading with Cuba, but the EU forced Washington to back down by threatening retaliatory sanctions. European firms doing business in Iran face sanctions from the US after President Donald Trump withdrew from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran. "Are we going to allow the United States to be the economic policeman of the world? The answer is no," Le Maire told C News TV and Europe 1 radio on Sunday. On Saturday, the European Union's energy commissioner sought to reassure Iran that the EU was committed to salvaging the nuclear deal with major powers despite Trump's decision to withdraw from it and reinstate sanctions.
During his visit to Tehran, EU Commissioner, Miguel Arias Canete said the EU, which was once the biggest Iranian oil importer, is interested in boosting trade ties with Tehran. “We have sent a message to our Iranian friends that as long as they are sticking to the (nuclear) agreement the Europeans will... fulfill their commitment. And they said the same thing on the other side,” Canete told reporters after talks with Iran’s nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi. Since Trump’s announcement of the US exit on May 8, EU leaders have pledged to try to keep Iran’s oil trade and investment flowing, but admitted that it will be a difficult task. “The ball is in their (EU leaders) court,” Salehi said, adding: “We hope their efforts materialize.”Trade between Iran and EU reach 20 billion euros. In 2017, Iran bought 10 billion euros worth of goods from EU. The six major importers from Iran in the EU are: Spain, France, Italy, Greece, the Netherlands and Germany. Iran produces 3.8 million barrels of oil per day, of which 70 percent is bought by China and 20 percent by Europe. Iran also has the second largest gas reserves in the world, but most of its production is for domestic consumption. Exports are minimal due to a lack of necessary infrastructure.

 Syrians in Raqqa Mark Relaxed Ramadan
Raqqa (Syria) and London - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/Ahmad al-Hussein can now choose to observe a relaxed Ramadan, without the rigid regulations imposed by ISIS that was ousted from the northern Syrian city of Raqqa in October. "We used to fast in fear, but now it's out of faith," the stonemason, a resident of Raqqa, tells AFP. "Those that didn't fast were locked in an iron cage in a public square, under the sun and in front of everyone, to serve as an example," recalls Hussein, in his forties. Hussein says he is excited to resume one custom in particular: gathering around the television with his family to watch month-long drama series aired specially during Ramadan. Young men gather at a restaurant in the city center, sipping on chilled fruit juices under the scorching sun. An employee carefully slices slabs of meat that will be barbecued for juicy sandwiches. "During ISIS' reign, we could only open our restaurants two hours before breaking the fast," says owner Dakhil al-Farj. Anyone seen eating during the day was arrested by the hisbah, or religious police, he recalls. "Now, we start serving customers at 10 am. People are free. Those that want to fast do, and those that don't are also free not to," Farj says.
Nadia al-Saleh, a resident, shuffles into a bustling bakery to pick up maarouk, a brioche-like pastry covered in sesame seeds that is ubiquitous during Ramadan. "We're buying some pastries to make the kids happy, make them feel the Ramadan spirit," says Saleh. "We're still homeless. We're living with other people, our husbands have no work. Our situation is really tough." But baker Hanif Abu Badih is feeling optimistic. "There's no comparison. Despite all the destruction, people are extremely happy that the nightmare is over," he tells AFP. Under ISIS, he was sentenced to 40 lashes and three days in prison, and his bakery was forced to close for two weeks. Why? One of his youngest employees tried to hide when the hisbah was rounding up men for obligatory prayers. "This year, we are going to fast without ISIS. We're going to live however we want, in total freedom," says Abu Badih. In one street market, Syrians stroll among stalls piled high with fragrant oranges, bananas, bright white cauliflowers, potatoes and deep purple aubergines. Huran al-Nachef, a 52-year-old Raqqa native, will pick up a few tomatoes, cucumbers, and potatoes for a modest meal. "It's all obscenely expensive and there's no work," says Nachef.

Around 300 Israeli Settlers Break into Al-Aqsa Mosque
Ramallah - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/Around 300 Israeli settlers stormed into Al-Aqsa Mosque on Sunday, taking advantage of Jewish holidays, amid tight security measures and Palestinian rejection. The wave of intruders provoked worshipers during the holy month of Ramadan, and almost led to clashes. Settlers have responded to calls by extremist groups to revive the Jewish celebration of the “giving of the Torah”, and tried to perform prayers in the area, but police forces stopped them, fearing the deterioration of the situation.
At the same time, other groups of settlers in the markets outside Al-Aqsa, including Al-Qatanin market, staged provocative Talmudic rituals, and gathered in large numbers to pray in the courtyard of Al-Buraq Wall, the Western Wall of Al-Aqsa Mosque. The prayers came at the invitation of the “organizations of the Temple,” which were strongly involved in the incursions. Settlers were encouraged to storm into Al-Aqsa and shout Israeli chants, two weeks after an Israeli court ruling allowed settlers to chant “the People of Israel will live” inside the mosque as this is a patriotic not religious declaration, according to the Israeli judge. Settlers’ incursions come in violation of an agreement between Israel and Jordan - the custodians of Islamic holy sites - which defines the number of Jews intending to visit Al-Aqsa Mosque and prevents them from performing any prayers or religious rites. The agreement is known as the status quo, since the Israeli occupation of the eastern part of Jerusalem in 1967. However, the incursions continue despite the warning of the Palestinian Authority and Jordan of a significant deterioration in the situation because of the provocation against the Muslims.

UAE Approves 10-Year Visas for International Investors, Professional Talents
Dubai - Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018 - 08:45/The United Arab Emirates announced on Sunday a number of sweeping changes to its residency system that will make doctors, engineers, specialists working in medicine, science, research and technical fields and their families eligible for long-stay visas. During a session chaired by Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the UAE cabinet adopted a new system of entry visas for investors and professional talents, providing them with a long-term visa for up to 10 years. The new system will increase the chances of attracting investors and competencies to the UAE and thus increase the country's economic competitiveness globally, with global investor ownership expected to reach 100 percent by the end of the year. The system will grant investors and talents up to 10-year residency visas for specialists, as well as five-year residency visas for students studying in the UAE and 10-year visas for exceptional students. "The UAE will remain a global incubator for exceptional talents and a permanent destination for international investors," Sheikh Mohammed was quoted as saying by WAM news agency. "Our open environment, tolerant values, infrastructure and flexible legislation are the best plan to attract global investment and exceptional talents to the UAE," he added. The new decision will also review the current residency system to extend the residency time for dependent students after they complete their university studies. This will give them the opportunity to study their practical options in the future. The government also approved a resolution on the Hajj and Umrah system, which aims to develop regulations and procedures in line with the electronic pathway program for pilgrims in Saudi Arabia, which includes Hajj permits and permit-granting regulations. The Cabinet also approved the restructuring of the Board of Trustees of the Emirates Diplomatic Academy under the chairmanship of Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and Chairman of the Board of Trustees Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan. The re-formation of the UAE Committee for the Coordination of Foreign Humanitarian Assistance was also approved during the session. The committee is headed by Minister of State for International Cooperation, Reem al-Hashemi and will coordinate and organize the UAE's humanitarian response to all international humanitarian crises and situations.

Saudi Air Defenses Intercept Houthi Ballistic Missile Fired at Jazan
Asharq Al-Awsat/Monday, 21 May, 2018/Saudi air defenses intercepted on Monday a ballistic missile fired by the Iran-backed Houthi militias against the Kingdom, reported the Saudi Press Agency. Arab coalition spokesman Colonel Turki al-Maliki announced that the missile was fired from Yemen’s Saada region towards Saudi Arabia’s Jazan city. The missile, which was fired at populated regions, was intercepted by the air defenses and its shrapnel landed in residential areas. No one was injured in the incident. Maliki condemned the attack, saying that it proves Iran’s ongoing involvement in supporting the Houthi militias with weapons in clear and blatant violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions 2216 and 2231. He accused them of threatening the security of Saudi Arabia, the region and the world, adding that firing rockets at populated areas was a violation of International Humanitarian Law.

 Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sourcpublished on May 21-22/18
Iran's Leaders at War with Western Civilization/Why is the West Putting Up with It?
 قادة إيران هم في حرب مع الحضارة الغربية والسؤال هو لماذا الغرب متساهل معهم إلى هذا الحد
Giulio Meotti/Gatestone Institute/May 21/18
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/64814/giulio-meotti-irans-leaders-at-war-with-western-civilization-why-is-the-west-putting-up-with-it-%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86-%D9%87%D9%85-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%AD/
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12293/iran-western-civilization
The archipelago of political Islam in Europe, from Tariq Ramadan to the Muslim Brotherhood, revolves around the orbit of the Qatar-Iran axis. Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood openly sided with Khomeini's revolutionaries as they overthrew the Shah, and now threatens Saudi Arabia and the UAE and others in the region.
After the revolution, for the first time, the Iranians declared war on their own cultural life: theaters were closed, concerts were banned, entertainers fled the country, cinemas were confiscated, broadcasting was forbidden.
Will Europe – the cradle of Western culture and civilization – open its eyes and stop regularly taking the side of the Iran's tyrannical ayatollahs?
The United States just withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal. The move is fully justified not only on the grounds security, but primarily because Iran's Iranian Khomeinist revolution is a deadly and propulsive ideology that the West cannot allow to become a nuclearized one.
At the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, everything changed when Said and Sharif Kouachi murdered 11 people in its Paris office. Among the texts recovered on the Kouachi brothers' laptop was the Iranian call for death against the novelist Salman Rushdie, calling it "fully justified". The killers were inspired by Ayatollah Khomeini's deadly edict against Rushdie. The bloodbath at Charlie Hebdo is one of the poisoned fruits of the Islamic Republic. The Iranian ayatollahs fear the allure of Western culture. That is why, since 1979, they are at war with it.
Never, before Ayatollah Khomeini's rise to power, was a writer forced to live under the threat of deliberate murder, with a bounty on his head, for criticizing Islam. Before the Iranian Revolution, no Arab writer was marked for death. Since Khomeini, murdering literary dissidents has become a routine: the Algerian writer Tahar Djaout, the Egyptian intellectual Farag Foda, Turkish writers murdered in Sivas, and recently butchered bloggers from Bangladesh. The fatwa against Rushdie was one of Iran's most successful attacks on Western civilization and efforts to intimidate the West.
U.S. flag-burning and chanting "Death to America" became common in the Middle East only after the Iranian takeover of the US embassy in Teheran. When Donald Trump pulled the US out of the nuclear deal, Iranian MPs in their Parliament burned the American flag. In the last few months, Iranian girls who took off their veil were arrested and beaten. It was Iran that made chador a symbol of political Islam. A woman wrapped in a black chador, the most severe form of hijab, has become one of the most visible images of the Islamic Republic.
Women never used to be covered in Egypt, Syria Afghanistan, Turkey, the Maghreb. Khomeini changed all that; he called it the veil "a flag of the revolution". It is not a coincidence that 1989 was not only the year of Rushdie's fatwa, but also when in France started the Islamic scarf controversy. A school principal told three Muslim teenagers that they could not attend high school in Creil due to the France's Contitutional commitment to secularism. The Islamic community started to fight for the right to veil their girls at schools. "We will keep it until we die", the Islamic fundamentalists in France chanted.
The hijab was first distributed by the Iranian embassy in Algiers. In Tunisia, the secular government was excommunicated by the Iranian fundamentalists after 1981, when the Tunisian government issued a circular prohibiting the use of a hijab in schools and public offices. In recent years, Iran has also managed to impose the hijab on a large number of European leaders and ministers visiting the country, thereby placing them in a humiliating state of cultural and symbolic subjugation.
The Iranian ayatollahs were the first formally to persecute the Christian populations in the Middle East. Today, Iran is on list of Open Doors' ten worst countries for Christians. The idea of attacking Jewish communities around the world is also an Iranian invention: in 1992 and 1994, the Jewish community and the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires were blown up. Until Iran's Revolution, no country had promoted a false Holocaust denial.
The archipelago of political Islam in Europe, from Tariq Ramadan to the Muslim Brotherhood, revolves around the orbit of the Qatar-Iran axis. The Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood openly sided with Khomeini's revolutionaries as they overthrew the Shah, and now threatens Saudi Arabia and the UAE and others in the region.
In the early years of the Revolution, a ferocious puritanism hit the nation. Thousands of "prostitutes", drug addicts and homosexuals were executed. In public places, revolutionaries attacked people who did not respect the stringent new codes of dress and behavior. Then, there were no Taliban, no ISIS, no Boko Haram. Since the Iranian Revolution, the idea of including sharia in national laws has spread throughout the Islamic world. After the revolution, for the first time, the Iranians declared war on their own cultural life: theaters were closed, concerts were banned, entertainers fled the country, cinemas were confiscated, broadcasting was forbidden.
The idea of using children as human bombs originated in was also advanced by Iran. As the German scholar Matthias Küntzel wrote, "Khomeini was the first to develop a full-blown death cult". During the Iran-Iraq war, the Ayatollah Khomeini imported thousands of plastic keys from Taiwan. The ayatollah sent these Iranian children through the Iraqi minefields in the direction of the enemy, to open a gap with their bodies. Before each mission, Iranian children were given a key to hang around their neck; they were told it would open the doors to paradise.
Since then, the baby suicide bombers made their appearance in Gaza, Iraq, Syria, Nigeria and Afghanistan.
The fatwas against "blasphemous" writers, the veiling of women, the attacks against Jews worldwide, the persecution of Christians, the abuse of children, the imposition of Islamic law... All these have been the poisoned fruits of Khomeini's revolution and the most direct challenges to the central features of the Western civilization. Will Europe – the cradle of Western culture and civilization – open its eyes and stop regularly taking the side of the Iran's tyrannical ayatollahs?
*Giulio Meotti, Cultural Editor for Il Foglio, is an Italian journalist and author.
© 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.

Iran, North Korea, and the U.S.
Tom Quiggin/Gatestone Institute/May 21/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12338/iran-north-korea-us
In October 2107, the USS Michigan again made a port call that was made public. The message to North Korea and to President Kim Jong-un was: We are here. In your back yard.
Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC), which has grown powerful and wealthy, controls a large segment of Iran's economy. To what degree they are independent of the political leadership is not clearly understood -- especially if the economy should suffer an unfortunate downturn.
For those wishing to understand the emerging role of the United States in the Middle East, especially regarding the ever-expanding role of Iran, watch North Korea. The long-term effects of U.S. President Donald Trump's aggressive posture toward the Hermit Kingdom are not yet clear, but change has occurred. For the first time in 68 years, a leader of North Korea, Kim Jong-un, walked across the border to South Korea. In a region of the world where maintaining face is paramount, this was possibly seen as a sign of submission.
Insights on how President Trump will deal with Iran and its nuclear weapons program can be gained from examining how he dealt with North Korea. North Korea and Iran have exchanged technology programs and have actively sought to assist each other in weapons programs.
President Trump, throughout his administration, has been focussed on North Korea and has expended considerable financial and political capital on the issue. This effort is aimed at three North Korean programs that create regional and global instability: nuclear weapons, an electromagnetic pulse weapons capability and the missile programs that make delivery of these weapons possible. A host of other international actors would also undoubtedly love to see these programs dismantled.
At the same time, an expansionist Iran continues further to destabilize the Middle East. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Oman, Morocco and Israel, to name just a few countries, are facing Iran and its proxy states, such as Qatar, and could understandably nervous about becoming the next Yemen. Iran's programs threaten them, as well as Iran's own exasperated citizens.
Iran's expansionist mode was propelled even further by the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a personal agreement that former President Barack Obama made with Iran, but never signed by the regime.
In short, the deal gave Iran a huge amount of cash and lifted of some sanctions in exchange for Iran agreeing to roll back parts of its nuclear program. The deal appears to favour Iran with no discernable change in outlook on their weapons and missile programs, and legitimates its nuclear breakout capability in just a few years.
Now what?
North Korea
It is possible that President Trump might accomplish what other American Presidents have not: that North Korea may be willing to denuclearize verifiably – give up all its missiles and chemical weapons -- in exchange for having the country brought into the 21st Century.
That a possible "complete denuclearization" of the entire Korean Peninsula may occur is a shift unthinkable only a year ago. North Korean President Kim Jong-un has stated that he will blow up the nuclear site tunnels in his country before the next round of negotiations. Whether this grand gesture is driven by a fundamental desire for progress, or whether the nuclear test site has lost its value due to an internal physical collapse of the site, is not clear. Either way, it is a step ahead.
Why would North Korea's President take the unprecedented step of stepping across the North/South border? One reason, ignored in much of the discussion, is that where previous talks with North Korea over the last several decades worked on carrot and stick negotiations, this time President Kim Jong-un may have been persuaded to the table by a fear for his political future.
Although much discussion exists about President Trump being unpopular and out of control, a careful reading may suggest otherwise. From an intelligence and military analysis point of view:
North Korean President Kim Jong-un leads a brutal dictatorship and maintains himself in power through cronyism, pure violence and fear – possibly even more so than his father or grandfather. While this kind of leadership gives him power, it also makes him fragile. Lacking much in the way of a popular power base, he can be, as all dictators are, fearful of overthrow by those closest to him, particularly if his ability diminishes to keep his supporters in the style to which he has accustomed them.
The second factor is that President Trump has made a series of highly unusual moves, many of which have not been examined or appreciated in what appears a hyper-partisan mainstream press.
The mainstream media has reported much about the deployment of American aircraft carriers in the region and well as B1-B , B2 and B52 bombers -- part of the coverage about traditional ground and air military exercises.
In March of 2017, however, the South Korean press reported that the SEAL TEAM 6 was in South Korea. These reports suggested joint military drills, simulating the kidnapping, or a decapitation strike, aimed at North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. SEAL TEAM 6, incidentally, is the same group that killed Osama Bin Laden, hiding in Pakistan. Such announcements are rare; one wonders who were the real intended recipients of the message.
In April of 2017, the submarine USS Michigan docked in South Korea and the port visit made public. The true import of this event was missed by many. In plain language, the USS Michigan is a huge submarine powered by a nuclear reactor with a massive weapons capability. In its early form as a ballistic nuclear missile carrying submarine, it could, quite literally, destroy continents with its 24 Trident missiles, each with between 8 and 12 warheads. The USS Michigan has now been converted to a guided-missile carrying submarine, which can carry 154 Tomahawk cruise missiles with a variety of warheads. The USS Michigan also has two silos that can deploy mini-submarines, each of which can deliver a complete SEAL Team and an extensive array of equipment.
The submarine service is highly secretive. The security surrounding nuclear-powered and nuclear- weapons-capable submarines is understandably exorbitant. The security around the deployment of special forces on these submarines is even greater. Yet, in October 2107, the USS Michigan again made a port call that was made public. The message to North Korea and to President Kim Jong-un was: We are here. In your back yard. You could be escorted from power, as was Haiti's former "president for life," Jean-Claude "Baby Doc" Duvalier.
Concessions of the Past
North Korea, under its two previous presidents, may have grown used to extracting concessions from the rest of the world – acts sometimes referred to as extortion or blackmail. By simply yelling and making threats, North Korean leaders were able to get money, influence, and exceptional treatment (read: countries looking the other way) for its nuclear program. When President Kim Jong-un tried this same approach on the United States last year with a series of demands and missile launches, concessions were not offered. When the North Korean president threatened the U.S. and others by saying his nuclear weapons program was complete and his launch button within reach, President Trump responded: I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!
What has this to do with Iran?
When you look at human rights issues, Iran, a theocratic dictatorship, is listed as one of the worst countries to live in. Women have been crushed into submission, and gays face persecution by the state,. In addition, Iran's own citizens are subjected to sham trials, tortured and killed.
Iran is listed in the U.S. as among the world's leading state supporters of terrorism and has been a key figure in supporting President Bashar Assad of Syria, who has been bombing his own people with chemical weapons.
At the same time, its oil-based economy is suffering and the population is increasingly outraged as seen in a recent series of demonstrations.
As with North Korea, the senior leadership is kept in power through fear and terror.
The Supreme Guide of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, also known as "The Jurist," is kept in power by the Council of Guardians. The muscle is provided by Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC). Subordinate to the IRGC, at least nominally, is the Qods Force, a sort of overseas special forces unit. The Qods Force has been listed as a terrorist entity by Canada, and the USA. Egypt included the Qods Force on a list of nominations for terrorist entities operating in Syria. The al Qods force is also believed to have operated in the Middle East, Sudan, South Asia and Western Europe.
The IRGC, which has grown powerful and wealthy, controls a large segment of Iran's economy. To what degree they are independent of the political leadership is not clearly understood -- especially if the economy should suffer an unfortunate downturn.
Although lifting sanctions on Iran has benefitted the country, the IRGC has apparently been a major beneficiary: much of the new money has been diverted into upgrading the IRGC's military capabilities . It remains unclear what, if any, benefits have accrued to the general population of Iran since the 2015 signing of the nuclear deal. The population has apparently not outwardly felt any tangible benefits despite higher levels of oil exports and economic growth.
North Korea and Iran
There are not many unstable states that can currently threaten global stability and, in particular, American interests. Among those that can are North Korea, Iran and Pakistan. Russia, a relatively stable major nuclear power, falls into a category of its own.
The Trump Doctrine, if it can be called that, for dealing with emerging nuclear power states, is itself emerging. Financial pressure will be applied through sanctions. Military force will be threatened, and the survival of the regime will be called into question. In Iran, the real power figures are the Ayatollah Khamenei, President Rouhani and the two men who run the IRGC: Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari and the commander of the Quds Force, Major General Qasem Soleimani. With the Iran Deal on the rocks, these are the figures who are most likely to feel their lives disrupted.
Based on this precedent, it is not surprising to see press articles already suggesting that General Soleimani has been "green lighted" for assassination.
What can one asses from all of this? Either you work with President Trump or you might be personally inconvenienced, so to speak.
The second message is to the Ayatollah Khamenei of Iran. If Iran continues its present path of expansionism, the results might not be agreeable. Cooperate, and things could improve.
Many observers, critical of President Trump and his approach, claim Trump and his administration lack consistency and do not have a clear message. Seen differently, unpredictability can be of use.
For whatever reason, President Trump is one of those people who seems to enjoy operating in a state of unpredictability, or is willing to create some to exploit the uncertainty associated with it. He is a builder and a real estate developer, which means he wants to see results in real time as well has envisioning a long-term outlook.
What can one conclude from all of this? First, North Korea is a warm up. The main target is Iran.
Second, combined with, cyber power, financial sanctions, a new style of diplomacy, traditional forms of warfare -- "the continuation of policy by other means," as to Carl von Clausewitz pointed out -- is emerging. The leaders of fragile dictatorial states with limited popular support may be facing a multi-front series of attacks, kinetic and cyber, as well as assurances of bewilderment if they continue to threaten global order. They should not be sleeping well at night.
Tom Quiggin is a former military intelligence officer, a former intelligence contractor for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and a court appointed expert on jihadist terrorism in both the Federal and criminal courts of Canada. He is the author of SUBMISSION: The Danger of Political Islam to Canada – With a Warning to America, written with co-authors Tahir Gora, Saied Shoaaib, Jonathon Cotler, and Rick Gill with a foreword by Raheel Raza. The book is available on Amazon.com in both paperback and Kindle versions. He is also the primary contributor to the QUIGGIN REPORT podcast.
N.B. This article is based in part on the Quiggin Report Podcast #8 Playing Chess: Donald Trump, North Korea & Iran. This podcast can be heard on Patreon or on SoundCloud, Stitcher and iTunes.
© 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.

Pro-Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Shaft Palestinians and Human Rights
Bassam Tawil/Gatestone Institute/May 21/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/12337/palestinians-human-rights-organizations
In each case, Palestinian Arabs living in PA-controlled areas were suspected of collaborating with Israel -- a "crime" that can include anything from warning authorities of impending acts of terrorism to selling land to Jews.
All told, 13 of 15 "human rights organizations" proved that they are, in fact, dedicated to defaming the State of Israel, and have no real interest in defending human rights.
Only two organizations -- The Committee for Prevention of Torture and Physicians for Human Rights -- offered assistance of any kind.
Ironically, help also came from two unexpected sources: Honenu, a legal aid society most often associated with right wing causes, and Regavim, a think-tank and lobbying group that regularly finds itself in court as a means of protecting Israeli sovereignty.
During the past 14 years, dozens of lawsuits have been filed in the Israeli judicial system by Arabs who have fled the Palestinian Authority (PA) and were given refuge in Israel. The sheer volume of cases and their remarkable similarity led the Israeli justice system to combine them and hear them as a unified case, heard in Jerusalem District Court, Justice Moshe Drori presiding, in 2017.
In each case, the victims, Palestinian Arabs living in PA-controlled areas, were suspected of collaborating with Israel -- a "crime" that can include anything from warning authorities of impending acts of terrorism to selling land to Jews.
These suspected "collaborators," after their abduction by the Palestinian Police, were imprisoned in the PA's dungeons and subjected to unspeakable torture. In their testimony before the court, the victims described brutal beatings, broken teeth, sexual assault, exposure to extreme heat and cold, being forced to sit on broken glass bottles, being hung repeatedly in various positions, and "medical treatment" by the Palestinian Authority's prison doctors that included injections of urine directly into their veins. In many cases, suspected collaborators were executed outright; other times, they were tortured to death and their family members raped and tortured. Even infants were not spared. These methods remain in force; this is how the Palestinian Authority deals with anyone suspected of cooperating with Jews: Death or torture.
During the trial, attorney for the Palestinian Authority changed their defense. First, they denied any involvement; later admitted that their police force had indeed "made arrests." They also tried to claim that due process had been adhered to throughout the period of incarceration.
A few months ago, Justice Drori found the Palestinian Authority directly responsible for the imprisonment and torture or murder of the 52 Palestinian plaintiffs, and required the PA to compensate the victims accordingly. In his decision, Justice Drori pointed to the overwhelming and incontrovertible evidence of torture, and the shocking similarity between the victims' testimony, which covers nearly 2,000 pages.
Pictured: The Jerusalem District Court, where Justice Moshe Drori recently found the Palestinian Authority directly responsible for the imprisonment and torture or murder of the 52 Palestinian plaintiffs, and required the PA to compensate the victims accordingly.
To collect compensation from the Palestinian Authority, however, the victims are required to submit a variety of medical and psychological assessments -- tests often expensive to run and which the Palestinians cannot afford. To help their clients, the Palestinians' attorneys, Barak Kedem and Aryeh Arbus, applied to 15 human rights organizations for assistance -- a "Who's Who" of human rights activism in the Israel-Arab conflict that are always the most vocal in the struggle against the Israeli "occupation," and regularly condemn the plight of Palestinian and Israeli Arabs under Israeli "occupation." These organizations are the greatest activists against demolition of homes belonging to terrorists' families, and the leaders of the fight against the "oppression" of Arabs by the Israel Police and the IDF, which they refer to as "occupation forces."
Each of the human rights organizations approached benefit immensely from the extremely generous support of foreign governments and charities such as the New Israel Fund and other well-known "liberal" foundations. The response the attorneys received speaks volumes:
The New Israel Fund, B'Tselem, Rabbis for Human Rights, and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel were among the groups that completely ignored the pleas of the Palestinian plaintiffs. These organizations, not known for their reticence, were suddenly mute.
Yesh Din expressed "feelings of anger and pain," but explained that they cannot help because they "represent victims of violations only when they are harmed by Israeli authorities or Israeli citizens."
Another well-known NGO, Adalah, stated that they "only help Palestinians who are suing the State of Israel."
Amnesty International replied that their organization "does not have the professional tools to address the needs of these refugees."
All told, 13 of the 15 "human rights organizations" proved that they are, in fact, dedicated to defaming the State of Israel, and have no real interest in defending human rights. Only two organizations -- The Committee for Prevention of Torture and Physicians for Human Rights -- offered assistance of any kind.
Ironically, help also came from two unexpected sources: Honenu, a legal aid society most often associated with right wing causes, and Regavim, a think-tank and lobbying group that regularly finds itself in court to protect Israeli sovereignty. Apparently, these two organizations actually believe that "human rights" is more than a battering ram to be used to defame Israel.
The case of these 52 victims of Palestinian Authority torture is a cautionary tale about the type of state one can expect PA President Mahmoud Abbas and his henchmen to create if they are given the chance. It is also a sad but eye-opening lesson in the cynical use of the mantra of "human rights" as the sheep's clothing worn by the wolves who seek to tear real human rights -- and the countries and organizations that actually do care about them -- to shreds.
*Bassam Tawil is an Arab 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.

What did Putin mean by withdrawing 'foreign armed forces' from Syria?
Al Monitor/Week in Review/May 21/18
ARTICLE SUMMARY
Netanyahu leaves his troubles behind.
REUTERS/Sergei KarpukhinRussian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint news conference with German Chancellor Angela Merkel following their meeting in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, Russia, May 18, 2018.
Putin’s diplomatic surge on Syria
Maxim Suchkov writes May 10 that “one shouldn’t be surprised to see a high-level visitor or two from Syria or Iran to Russia rather soon,” after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Moscow the previous day.
So no surprise for Al-Monitor readers that both Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad have since come calling in Russia.
Last week, we described in this column Vladimir Putin’s role as "go-to" mediator between Iran and Israel. The US withdrawal from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) may have, inadvertently, strengthened Putin’s hand. Moscow’s good offices are, for now, the only diplomatic venue available where both sides can pass messages and expect them to be faithfully delivered. Russian diplomacy has since shifted into even higher gear on Syria.
Hamidreza Azizi writes, “Iran’s decision not to widen the scope of its confrontation with Israel in Syria could be interpreted as another component of Tehran’s approach in the face of the West’s new activism. As such, Iran does not see any need for an escalation, since by maintaining close cooperation with Russia it sees the Israeli issue as something manageable down the road. This derives mostly from the view that if Russia finally takes new steps to enhance the Syrian military’s defense capabilities, and especially by providing it with S-300 air defense systems, Iranian forces in Syria would be far less likely to face Israeli attacks in the future. At the same time, Iran is trying not to provoke Moscow to take Israel’s side, thereby preserving a meaningful level of distance between the Russian and Israeli positions.”
Assad’s meeting with Putin in Sochi on May 17 came two days after diplomats from the Astana parties — Russia, Turkey and Iran — concluded their latest round of consultations on Syria. While the follow-through is what counts, the words coming out of the Putin-Assad summit reveal hints of a potential breakthrough on two fronts, as well as a needed boost for UN Syria envoy Staffan de Mistura.
Suchkov reports, “Arguably the most important outcome of the meeting is that Assad has finally embraced the need to form a committee tasked with drafting a Syrian Constitution. Assad had opposed the idea, for fear of eventually losing power or being traded off, ever since its adoption in January at the Syrian National Dialogue Congress in Sochi. Moscow has advocated the idea as the best tool to navigate the conflict into the politico-diplomatic domain (and one that would allow it to maintain influence over the process).”
Assad said after meeting Putin, “We focused on the issue of the Constitutional Committee that should be established following the results of the Syrian National Dialogue Congress. We expect to start the corresponding work with the UN. I have confirmed to President Putin today that Syria will send the list of its delegates to the Constitutional Committee to discuss amendments to the current Constitution. It will be done as soon as possible."
Assad’s seemingly long-awaited concession to Russian efforts to establish a Constitutional Committee was not the only possible game changer. “The most intriguing takeaway from the meeting,” Suchkov reports, “are perhaps Putin’s remarks about the foreign military presence in Syria: 'We proceed from the assumption that in view of the significant victories and success achieved by the Syrian army in its fight against terrorism, and the start of a more active phase of the political process, foreign armed forces will be withdrawing from the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.'”
What is not known is whether the Trump administration will recognize and seize the prospect of Russian mediation, at a time when Iran is on defense and the Syrian people may be catching a glimmer of hope that this terrible war may actually be winding down.
Is Netanyahu on a winning streak?
Ben Caspit writes, “Despite the intense demonstrations and large number of victims, euphoria has swept Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Israel in recent days. Netanyahu has never enjoyed such a positive week in his entire career, not even when he scored his greatest political victories. It began with the now-famous presentation in which he showed the world the Iranian nuclear archives stolen by Mossad in the heart of Tehran and brought to Tel Aviv. It continued with President Donald Trump’s announcement that he was abandoning the nuclear agreement with Iran, a proclamation that aroused immense joy in Israel. That was followed by the day of warfare between Israel and Iran, in which the Iranians were unable to inflict any damage on Israel but instead absorbed a strong blow to the infrastructures it had built over the last months on Syrian territory. On the night of May 12, a young Israeli singer won the Eurovision song contest. After conquering Europe, Netta Barzilai drew tens of thousands of Israeli celebrants to Rabin Square in Tel Aviv for a giant celebration May 14. Meanwhile, the US Embassy moved from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem on May 14 in a ceremony described as “messianic” by some on Israel’s secular, liberal left. Netanyahu rose to heights he had never before attained. The criminal investigations against him have been almost totally forgotten, and he seems more unbeatable than ever.”
Akiva Eldar adds, “The killing of dozens of Arabs and wounding of thousands of others did not prevent masses of jubilant Israelis from gathering on Rabin Square in Tel Aviv to celebrate their singer's victory. After all, are we Israelis to blame that Hamas sent its people to kill Israelis? Israel Defense Forces spokesman Brig. Gen. Ronen Manelis' message that Hamas was the one 'killing Gaza' gets across, and how. Some 83% of Jewish Israelis support the IDF’s live fire policy on the Gaza border. … In their ham-fisted attempt to unlink the distress of Gaza’s 2 million Palestinians from the recent series of anti-Israel demonstrations, the narrative of Israeli government and military officials has Hamas enticing women and children to storm the fence for a pittance (up to $100), funded by Iran. How desperate and hopeless does a person have to be to endanger his or her life for small change? How obtuse do Israeli leaders have to be to ignore the threat of the Gaza pressure cooker blowing up in Israel’s face?”
According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, 110 Palestinians have been killed and more than 2,500 wounded since the start of mass protests at the Gaza-Israel border March 30.
“Netanyahu could have envisioned two sorts of moves concerning Gaza,” Caspit continues. “He could have encouraged the Palestinian Authority to come down from its tree and grasp the reins of civil administration in Gaza, or, alternately, he could have championed indirect negotiations with Hamas over a long-term cease-fire. Given the current state of affairs, however, it is difficult to imagine Netanyahu leading any sort of meaningful reconciliation process vis-a-vis Hamas, which over the last few months had dispatched several proposals in this vein in Israel’s direction but did not receive an answer.”
Shlomi Eldar explains that there may be a method to what appears to be the madness of Hamas leaders in promoting these bloody demonstrations. He quotes a Hamas source as saying, “Now, understanding how risky the situation has become, the Egyptians are willing to deal with this issue seriously. In parallel, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi ordered the Rafah crossing between Egypt and the Gaza Strip to be left open throughout the Ramadan month. By the time the month of Ramadan finishes, one might hope that Hamas, Egypt and Israel will reach larger understandings."
He writes, “However, an easing of Israeli and Egyptian restrictions and even foreign donor state allocations for the rehabilitation of the Gaza Strip are unlikely to bring about a significant improvement in the lives of Gazans. The humanitarian crisis is so severe that no ad hoc, temporary remedies such as an opening of the border crossings and additional supplies of food and raw materials can help. What Gaza needs is a comprehensive, significant rehabilitation plan. Still, such a plan is not feasible unless the Palestinian Authority (PA) returns to Gaza and assumes responsibility for its residents. This, in turn, cannot be achieved absent a reconciliation between Hamas and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Sinwar has already conceded his organization’s failure to administer life in Gaza, but he and the rest of the leadership are adamant in their refusal to disarm Hamas' military wing — Abbas’ precondition for reconciliation.”
Shlomi Eldar continues, “Hamas has not given up on the prospects of reconciliation with Fatah and the PA. The high number of Palestinian casualties this past week is yet another tool in its effort to convince Abbas that Hamas cannot give up its 'weapons of resistance' and must protect the Palestinians from the Zionist enemy. Adding another pressure point, Hamas Al-Aqsa TV station has been airing a campaign blaming Abbas, too, for the killing of his Palestinian people. Abbas, for those who have forgotten, was the one who imposed sanctions on Gaza that deeply exacerbated the plight of its residents. As far as Hamas is concerned, there is only one way for him to apologize and ask their forgiveness: Lift the sanctions, pay the salaries he withheld from local officials and act like the leader of all Palestinians, not just those under the PA’s rule in the West Bank. In other words, he must quickly assume responsibility for life in the Gaza Strip, without preconditions.”
“For now,” Akiva Eldar concludes, “all we can do is wait for the US president’s promised 'ultimate deal' peace plan between Israelis and Palestinians, and hum along with Netta’s 'Toy' all the way to nowhere.”

New Nukes is Good Nukes for Pentagon
Walter Pincus/The Washington Post/May 21/18
Top Pentagon officials are telling some pretty tall tales in seeking congressional support for a new, low-yield, nuclear warhead to put on a long-range, submarine-launched ballistic missile.
Gen. John Hyten, commander of US Strategic Command, gave the most unusual rationale when he testified on March 20 before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The stated purpose of this new weapon is to deter the Russians from using any of their low-yield nuclear weapons - something Russian President Vladimir Putin has often threatened to do if he ever found himself being overwhelmed by NATO conventional forces, presumably in Western Europe.
The United States and its NATO allies already have about 200 low-yield nuclear bombs deployed in Europe. But Hyten and Pentagon officials say an additional weapon is needed to deter Putin's first use of his tactical nukes, because the aircraft that would deliver our bombs, stealthy as they may be, might not be able to get through Russian defenses. That's where the new submarine-launched weapon would come in.
In Hyten's presentation, should the Russians initiate the use of tactical nukes on the battlefield, the United States would launch one or two low-yield weapons from submarines, not toward the battlefield, where allies might be threatened, but toward targets in Russia.
Here's the most interesting part: How are the Russians going to know the warheads on those incoming missiles are low-yield, and not - like most nuclear warheads delivered by our submarine-launched ballistic missiles - 10 times more powerful than the bombs used to strike Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Hyten's initial response to that question was to tell the senators that from launch to detonation some 30 minutes would elapse.
He then explained: "If somebody does detect that launch, they would see a single missile or maybe two missiles coming. They will realize it is not an existential threat to their country and, therefore, they do not have to respond with an existential threat." By "existential threat" Hyten essentially meant a full-scale first strike by hundreds of US warheads, designed to knock out Russia's ability to respond and perhaps survive as a nation.
In short, Hyten suggested that Putin - or his successor - would wait 30 minutes for the incoming one or two US missiles to hit Russian targets before deciding whether to launch a major nuclear response back at the United States.
Why does Hyten suggest that?
His answer was surprising: "That is what I would recommend if I saw that coming against the United States."
Has any prior STRATCOM commander, or any other US senior government official, announced publicly the United States would ride out any nuclear attack before responding?
Hyten went on to explain, "If we do have to respond, we want to respond in kind and not further escalate the conflict out of control."
He described the new warhead as a "deterrence weapon first, and then a response weapon ... to keep the conflict from escalating worse. It actually makes it harder for an adversary to use [a nuclear] weapon in the first place and if it does use it, it allows you to respond appropriately."
Hyten added, "The key is a rational actor. A rational actor is the basis of all deterrent policy."
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made a simpler claim for developing the new warhead in testimony on May 9 before the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee. He described the scenario Hyten used: Russia, facing defeat in a conventional battle, "would escalate to a low-yield nuclear weapon knowing that our choice would be ... to either respond with a high-yield [nuclear weapon] or surrender - in other words, frankly suicide or surrender, because a nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States would be a disaster for this planet."Suicide or surrender are hardly the only choices, and Mattis should know better. That same day, May 9, Rep. Adam Smith, ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, offered the more traditional understanding of how to deter the Russian low-yield nuclear weapon threat. It came during markup of the fiscal 2019 defense authorization bill.
Smith said, "We don't create this notion that we can just exchange nuclear weapons and as long as they are small it will be OK. It won't be OK." Instead, he suggested, the response to the Russians should be, "We have over 4,000 nuclear weapons, and if you launch one, we will launch ours back at you. And we are not going to sit there and be concerned to make sure that ours isn't bigger than yours when you started this."The Washington state congressman added, "If we send that message, that is a very sufficient deterrent."
The full House Armed Services Committee ended up authorizing $65 million for development of the new low-yield, sub-launched missile and sent the measure on for an eventual vote by the full House. Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee has scheduled taking up the measure this week where it may face more opposition than it did in the House committee. It should.

Political earthquake in Iraq threatens to thwart Iran’s plans
Yochanan Visser/Israpundit/May 21/18
Firebrand anti-Iran control cleric emerging as winner of Iraqi elections.
Iran’s Iraq project is in danger now that a Shiite cleric (sic) is surprisingly emerging as the big winner in the country’s first election since the rise and defeat of Islamic State.
After Iraq’s Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC) released preliminary results of the May 12 election it appeared the Sa’iroun list of the maverick Shi’ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was emerging as the winner with the Iran-backed Badr (Conquest) Party, which is in fact a paramilitary organization, in second place.
Al-Sadr’s Sa’iroun list (marching towards reform in English) consisted of an odd coalition of his Shiite supporters, secularists and the Iraqi Communist Party.
The IEHC reported on Wednesday Sa’iroun won in 6 of Iraq’s 18 provinces while the final results will be released later on Thursday.
After the news of his unexpected win broke al-Sadr made clear he would not form a government coalition with the Badr Party and with former Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Miliki.
This drew the ire of Iran which announced prior to the Iraqi election it would not allow “liberals (secularists) and communists” to govern Iraq.
The Islamic Republic immediately dispatched Qassem Soleimani, the commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, to Bagdad in an attempt to form a new cabinet that would have the approval of the Mullahs in Tehran.
Soleimani is a friend of Hadi al-Ameri the leader of the Badr Party who was Tehran’s preferred candidate to form a new Iraqi government.
Al-Ameri is also one of the commanders of the Hash al-Shaabi umbrella organization of predominantly Iranian-backed Shiite militias in Iraq which was integrated in the Iraqi army at the end of 2016 and was more than instrumental in winning the war against ISIS in the country.
Soleimani is trying to reach consensus about the forming of a Shi’ite dominated coalition, according to an Iraqi official who serves as an intermediary between al-Sadr and other factions.
The firebrand cleric is against Iran’s growing dominance over Iraq and campaigned on a nationalist platform which tapped into growing public discontent with the corrupt political establishment in the country.
Al-Sadr, whose Mahdi militia also fought the U.S. army during the American occupation of Iraq, reacted strongly against Iran’s meddling in internal Iraqi affairs and announced on social media he “rejected any foreign intervention in the efforts to form a new government.”
In another message he announced he would work with others to form a government “as long as they are not occupiers of our country, both for occupation and for domination.”
Soleimani is now trying to form a coalition without Sadr, who hates the Iranians, and works to isolate the Shi’ite cleric but chances are slim he will succeed, according to insiders in Iraqi political affairs.
Al-Sadr on the other hand, is calling upon other factions to meet with him and said his door was open and his hands extended to “ build our Iraq and form a government of honest and patriarchal technocrats.”
The question is now what Iran will do when al-Sadr succeeds to form a government without the Badr Party thereby thwarting Tehran’s plan to turn Iraq into another client state in the Middle East.
The first indication of what might be coming was the bombing of two offices belonging to the Sadr organization and other Shiite groups which are aligned to the Iraqi cleric.
“One bomb exploded at an office of the Saraya al-Salam or military wing of the Sadrist movement. The other bomb struck at an office belonging to a religious organization, Malek al-Ashtar, linked to the Sadrists,” the well informed Anti-War blog reported on Wednesday.
No casualties were reported since the offices were empty at the time of the bombings.
The United States, meanwhile, reacted positively to the preliminary results of the election in Iraq.
State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said she was glad the election had been peaceful and said the fact that the voting had been “relatively free of violence is certainly a pretty amazing feat.”
Nauert said she was confident the Iraqis were “likely to have to form some sort of coalition government,” and indicated the State Department wasn’t much concerned by Iran’s openly meddling in the forming of a government in the war-torn country.
“Iran’s reach” into other countries is “always a concern of ours,” Nauert said adding that the U.S. has “a great deal of trust and faith in the Iraqi people.
Yochanan Visser is an independent journalist/analyst who worked for many years as Middle East correspondent for Western Journalism.com in Arizona and was a frequent publicist for the main Dutch paper De Volkskrant. He authored a book in the Dutch language about the cognitive war against Israel and now lives in Gush Etzion. He writes a twice weekly analysis of current issues for Arutz Sheva.
https://www.israpundit.org/political-earthquake-in-iraq-threatens-to-thwart-irans-plans/?utm_source=phplist3823&utm_medium=email&utm_content=HTML&utm_campaign=ISRAPUNDIT+DAILY+DIGEST++MAY+21%2F18

New Nukes is Good Nukes for Pentagon
Walter Pincus/The Washington Post/May 21/18
Top Pentagon officials are telling some pretty tall tales in seeking congressional support for a new, low-yield, nuclear warhead to put on a long-range, submarine-launched ballistic missile.
Gen. John Hyten, commander of US Strategic Command, gave the most unusual rationale when he testified on March 20 before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The stated purpose of this new weapon is to deter the Russians from using any of their low-yield nuclear weapons - something Russian President Vladimir Putin has often threatened to do if he ever found himself being overwhelmed by NATO conventional forces, presumably in Western Europe.
The United States and its NATO allies already have about 200 low-yield nuclear bombs deployed in Europe. But Hyten and Pentagon officials say an additional weapon is needed to deter Putin's first use of his tactical nukes, because the aircraft that would deliver our bombs, stealthy as they may be, might not be able to get through Russian defenses. That's where the new submarine-launched weapon would come in.
In Hyten's presentation, should the Russians initiate the use of tactical nukes on the battlefield, the United States would launch one or two low-yield weapons from submarines, not toward the battlefield, where allies might be threatened, but toward targets in Russia.
Here's the most interesting part: How are the Russians going to know the warheads on those incoming missiles are low-yield, and not - like most nuclear warheads delivered by our submarine-launched ballistic missiles - 10 times more powerful than the bombs used to strike Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
Hyten's initial response to that question was to tell the senators that from launch to detonation some 30 minutes would elapse.
He then explained: "If somebody does detect that launch, they would see a single missile or maybe two missiles coming. They will realize it is not an existential threat to their country and, therefore, they do not have to respond with an existential threat." By "existential threat" Hyten essentially meant a full-scale first strike by hundreds of US warheads, designed to knock out Russia's ability to respond and perhaps survive as a nation.
In short, Hyten suggested that Putin - or his successor - would wait 30 minutes for the incoming one or two US missiles to hit Russian targets before deciding whether to launch a major nuclear response back at the United States.
Why does Hyten suggest that?
His answer was surprising: "That is what I would recommend if I saw that coming against the United States."
Has any prior STRATCOM commander, or any other US senior government official, announced publicly the United States would ride out any nuclear attack before responding?
Hyten went on to explain, "If we do have to respond, we want to respond in kind and not further escalate the conflict out of control."
He described the new warhead as a "deterrence weapon first, and then a response weapon ... to keep the conflict from escalating worse. It actually makes it harder for an adversary to use [a nuclear] weapon in the first place and if it does use it, it allows you to respond appropriately."
Hyten added, "The key is a rational actor. A rational actor is the basis of all deterrent policy."
Defense Secretary Jim Mattis made a simpler claim for developing the new warhead in testimony on May 9 before the Senate Appropriations defense subcommittee. He described the scenario Hyten used: Russia, facing defeat in a conventional battle, "would escalate to a low-yield nuclear weapon knowing that our choice would be ... to either respond with a high-yield [nuclear weapon] or surrender - in other words, frankly suicide or surrender, because a nuclear exchange between Russia and the United States would be a disaster for this planet."Suicide or surrender are hardly the only choices, and Mattis should know better. That same day, May 9, Rep. Adam Smith, ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, offered the more traditional understanding of how to deter the Russian low-yield nuclear weapon threat. It came during markup of the fiscal 2019 defense authorization bill.
Smith said, "We don't create this notion that we can just exchange nuclear weapons and as long as they are small it will be OK. It won't be OK." Instead, he suggested, the response to the Russians should be, "We have over 4,000 nuclear weapons, and if you launch one, we will launch ours back at you. And we are not going to sit there and be concerned to make sure that ours isn't bigger than yours when you started this."The Washington state congressman added, "If we send that message, that is a very sufficient deterrent."
The full House Armed Services Committee ended up authorizing $65 million for development of the new low-yield, sub-launched missile and sent the measure on for an eventual vote by the full House. Meanwhile, the Senate Armed Services Committee has scheduled taking up the measure this week where it may face more opposition than it did in the House committee. It should.

Forget New Robots. Keep Your Eye on the Old People
Tyler Cowen/Bloomberg View/Monday, 21 May, 2018
Bloomberg asked readers a year ago: “Are you about to be replaced by a robot?” Next the question became a statement: “Robots Are Coming for Jobs of as Many as 800 Million Worldwide.”
Does the real-world experience so far back up the fears? Japan and the US are two of the countries most advanced in robot deployment, and yet both are very close to full employment. To be sure, introducing more software and more robots into the workplace introduces very real problems of training and retraining, but there will always be more work to be done.
Scary as the rise of robots apparently is, perhaps it’s a fixation because it’s actually less scary than the real social issues ahead. One of those is how to integrate growing numbers of elderly into the workplace. More elderly workers will force many people to confront their biases, fears and prejudices, probably leading to a bigger cultural clash than that with the machines.
No matter how much they may disavow explicit age discrimination, many companies try to portray themselves as cool places to work for young people. And indeed these companies are especially interested in hiring younger people: The median age at the hot tech companies ranges from 27 to 31. It’s 38 at IBM and 39 at Hewlett Packard, still young by most standards, but in the tech industry those are viewed as much stodgier places to work. Overall, the median age of American workers is a little over 42.
It is not a surprise that tech companies should have so many younger workers, because younger people probably are on average more in touch with the latest developments in rapidly changing fields, such as programming and software. Younger people also seem more interested in putting in the sometimes crazy hours behind many startups, because they have a higher overall career return from doing so.
Of course, American business is becoming more like the tech sector as more companies are incorporating tech innovations. That development may not favor elderly workers.
Squeamishness about the elderly manifests itself in advertising too. Retirement products and Viagra are exceptions, but so many ads use young actors because companies are image-conscious. Collectively it amounts to a harmful form of age discrimination. These biases toward youth may be a greater problem in America, which typically has prided itself on being a young, dynamic culture, always riding the next wave of change.
There is also a practice, hard to avoid even in efficient workplaces, to reward workers to some extent on the basis of seniority alone. In the longer run that makes elderly workers a potential target for cost-cutting, even if they are doing a good job.
Of course, the age structure of America’s workforce is moving in the opposite direction of these trends. The populations of the US and many other developed nations are aging, and the big surprise has been that older people want to work more than in previous generations. Against many prior expectations, the labor-force-participation rate of older Americans started rising in the 1980s and 1990s. For instance, the labor-force-participation rate for men ages 65 to 69 was 25 percent in 1985 but 37 percent in 2016. By 2020, over one-quarter of the workforce will be over 55 years of age.
I would suggest that the ability to spot, mobilize and deploy older workers is the next biggest source of competitive advantage in the US The sober reality is that many companies should retool their methods to fit better with the experience and sound judgment found so often in older workers. That also will involve a retooling of the glamour notion to valorize the young less and the idea of maturity more. HR departments may have to work harder to help older workers keep up with new technologies.
That prospect doesn’t make for exciting headlines as a robot takeover does. But most of the story of economic success involves such small changes. And do you know which group of workers often understands that best? The older ones.
Of course, some sectors have welcomed elderly workers with open arms. In academia, the practice of mandatory retirement at age 70 has been replaced by permanent tenure, because of changes in the law. This has happened without incidence, though it may bring long-run fiscal problems if more people work through their 80s and beyond. On the bright side, that development might induce a beneficial modification of the tenure system, and a move toward greater contract flexibility. Our willingness to banter about the robot apocalypse is yet another sign that, too often, we just don’t want to confront the issues surrounding the elderly.

The Battle against Iran’s Behavior
Ghassan Charbel//Asharq Al-Awsat/May 21/18
A new difficult and decisive chapter in American-Iranian ties, which have been thorny for four decades, is expected to kick off on Monday with a speech by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. A new difficult and decisive chapter in ties between Iran and Arabs is also set to kick off. It is not unusual to label this chapter as the most dangerous, especially after it became clear that Washington has changed, while Tehran insists that it has not.
US State Department media leaks of the speech are enough to cement the above-mentioned impression. The phase that began with the signing of the Iran nuclear deal in 2015 is over. So too is the extraordinary success that Tehran achieved through negotiations that led to the agreement. This success can be attributed to Iran’s ability to limit the negotiations to its nuclear program and omit its wide attack on the region.
Former US President Barack Obama was obsessed with signing a nuclear deal with Iran, which is why he agreed to exclude tackling the problem of its regional behavior. This excessive keenness reached the extent of the US linking its policy in Syria to succeeding in signing the deal.
The region would not be on the verge of a new difficult chapter had Obama succeeded in reaching a comprehensive deal that eased the fears of regional or neighboring countries of not only Iran’s nuclear ambitions, but its destabilizing policy. Iran has never shied away from boasting about its regional role, with a number of its generals, on several occasions, saying that Tehran now has the first and final say in four Arab countries.
The State Department explained that Pompeo’s first speech on foreign policy will include a “roadmap” on cooperation with US allies in order to deal with “all threats” posed by Iran. It stressed that the US wants to ensure that any new agreement with Tehran would tackle its nuclear program, ballistic missiles, support for terrorists and violent and hostile activities that are fueling the civil war in Syria and Yemen.
This clearly means that Washington will in no way ease nuclear fears and turn a blind eye to destabilizing and roaming militia activity in the region. This also means that showing flexibility in one pending file was not enough to keep others off the negotiations table. It appears that Iran is required to not only change its stance from one issue, but to reconsider its entire policy, meaning its behavior.
The matter of Iran changing its behavior was clearly stated in US President Donald Trump’s May 8 speech in which he announced the withdrawal from the nuclear deal. In justifying his decision, he said that Iran was a state-sponsor of terrorism, was continuing its ballistic missile tests, supporting militias and targeting embassies and American soldiers. He accused Tehran of investing the funds it obtained from the deal in developing its ballistic missile arsenal and supporting terror.
Soon after announcing the withdrawal, Trump signed a presidential order that re-imposed American sanctions linked to Iran’s nuclear program. He also warned any country that helps Iran in its nuclear quest that it too may be slapped with severe US sanctions.
The other signatories of the nuclear deal did not appear to have accepted Trump’s decision. The European side felt that its interests were in danger and that the region will fall into a deeper military abyss. Europe rebelled against the decision and said that it would save the deal through reaching guarantees. Major European companies are, however, leaning towards withdrawing from the deal if it means they will not be shut out of US markets.
The intense consultations between the concerned powers to save the deal have demonstrated that it was very difficult to salvage it in its current structure. The deal must be saved through follow up measures or vows. Countries seeking to save the deal are not acknowledging Iran’s current behavior, especially in regards to its ballistic missile program and armament of militias.
This means that the deal can only be saved by having Tehran accept to change its behavior.
It is clear that we are headed towards a new difficult chapter between Iran, the US, the region and the world. Flareups, such as when Israel openly struck Iranian targets in Syria in retaliation to Iranian strikes against the Israeli-occupied Golan, cannot be ruled out. Russia may have so far succeeded in containing the strikes and consequently avoiding a comprehensive confrontation, but the game could at any moment run away from those holding the reins.
The days to come may likely prove that Iran committed a major error when it believed that the nuclear deal was a victory that demonstrated the United States’ limits and gave Tehran the green light to continue and escalate its behavior. They will prove that putting Iranian rockets in Houthi hands was a grave mistake given the power of the side they are targeting. Tehran may have also misinterpreted the significance of the withdrawal being announced by a president, whose reactions are unpredictable.
Pompeo’s speech will signal the beginning of the battle against Iran’s behavior. For Tehran, it will be more difficult than the battle over its nuclear program. The program itself is part of a policy that refuses to return Iran back into a normal state that cannot control countries near and far and use militias and rockets to spark major upheavals against historic balances of power.

Awaiting Iraq’s New Leader
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Asharq Al-Awsat/May 21/18
The cabinet plays a huge role in Iraq. The prime minister is the decision maker and Iraq itself is a strategically important country for the region. Everyone in the region as well as international powers are waiting for the results of the consultations and bargains between the competing powers to know which party will lead the political process and who the next prime minister will be.
Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr, the leader of the Sairoon Alliance, is the luckiest because he won the largest number of parliamentary seats. Despite his victory, the results of the elections have made an already ambiguous situation even more mysterious as the victor won the largest number of seats however this is not the majority in a parliamentary system that selects a prime minister based on the calculations of the majority of seats formula. The Iraqis may have to wait for weeks before a winner is announced and until then all possibilities are open.
The significance of the term of Haidar al-Abadi, the outgoing prime minister, is that it created a new national situation. Iraq had gone through a phase that lacked (political) weight after Saddam Hussein was toppled and during the time the Americans were in Iraq, and under Maliki’s dictatorial rule. The state and government did not have an identity until Abadi became premier.
The government was weak as a result of the past circumstances, despite that Abadi fought terrorism, prevented the separation of the Kurdistan region and stopped the country’s disintegration. Iraq, like all countries in the region, needs a strong political leader who stands against local militias, political powers and the pockets of terrorism and extremism whether Sunni or Shiite. He must also have the courage to confront Iran’s project, a top priority – albeit the most difficult- for Iraq’s present and future.
The victory of the Sairoon Alliance, which represents the Sadrist bloc, and winning the largest number of seats in these elections which included 7,000 candidates, and the fact that parties which support Iran got the least number of votes, convey the Iraqi people’s message that they are against Iran. They are not against the neighboring country Iran but against General Qassem Soleimani, the Quds Brigade, the Popular Mobilization, the Asa'ib Ahl al-Haq and the rest of the militias which Soleimani planted during the past phase of vacuum in Baghdad to control the state and the country.
The results of the parliamentary elections came as a shock to Tehran. Ali Akbar Velayati, the Iranian supreme guide’s advisor, had stated that Iran is against the Sairoon Alliance, which is pushing towards alliances that help it form a majority and consequently a cabinet.
The current phase is more important for Iraq than the previous stages we’ve witnessed ever since Saddam was toppled. If the Iraqis succeed in reaching an agreement to form a cabinet that enjoys the parliament’s approval and adopts a national agenda, then the coming years will settle sensitive issues pertaining to Iraq’s unity, strengthening the central authority, disbanding militias or integrating them in the armed forces, cutting ties with foreign parties and launching a development project that will be the first since the Iraqi-Iranian war in 1980. This is why selecting a strong prime minister is a popular request and a significant event. However, is this possible given the difficulty in forming a cabinet that must be composed of several political powers?
The consultations are mostly happening with leader of the Sairoon Alliance al-Sadr, who is now leading the political process, which he was one of its critics in the past. Sadr had criticized the spread of corruption among the political class and lack of patriotism. He had also stood against sectarianism. No matter how perfect he is, the formation of any government coalition requires concessions.