LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

Detailed Lebanese & Lebanese Related LCCC English New Bulletin For October 04/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations
Who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven
Luke 12/10-12: And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’

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Titles For The Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 03-04/18

Beirut residents warned about a Hezbollah site in Whatsapp message/Daniel Salami/Ynetnews/October 03/18'
Hezbollah's deputy leader says he's 'not threatened' by PM's speech/Daniel Salami/Ynetnews/October 03/18'
Michael Aoun’s United Nations ethical flop/Makram Rabah//Al Arabiya/October 03/18
Syria’s S-300s are being integrated in Russia’s national nuclear C3 command and control system/DEBKAfile/October 03/18
Turkey: Erdoğan's International Juggling Circus/Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/October 03/18
UN illusion and stars of the international clinic/Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
Beyond the pageantry of the UN general assembly/Walid Jawad/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
Nuclear power fits with Saudi energy diversification plans/Dr. Malak Talal Al-Nory/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
The leftist enemy/Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/October 03/18

Titles For The Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on October 03-04/18

Beirut residents warned about a Hezbollah site in Whatsapp message/Daniel
Hezbollah's deputy leader says he's 'not threatened' by PM's speech/Daniel
Hezbollah thanks Aoun for stance on Lebanese sovereignty
Hariri Meets Aoun, Says They Agreed to 'Speed Up Govt. File'
Aoun meets Mashnouk, cables Iraqi counterpart
Tinenti to NNA: UNIFIL's area of operations calm, Israeli violations undermine efforts to reach permanent ceasefire
Aoun largely responsible for govt formation delay: Salam
Report: Netanyahu’s UN Claims Raise ‘Fear of War’
Lieberman Says Israel Has Information About More Missile Sites in Iran and Beirut
Berri Sees 'Glimmer of Hope' in Govt. Formation Process
Fenianos Says $18M Earmarked for Airport, SITA Malfunction Accidental
Liberation and Development bloc calls for swift government formation
Nasrallah Reportedly Calls Aoun as Raad Stresses 'Relentless Support' for President
Report: World Bank Tells Berri Economic Situation ‘Worrying’ in Lebanon
Geagea Urges Aoun to Act on Govt., Criticizes Bassil's 'Missiles Tour'
Kataeb's Students and Youth Department Launches New Social Initiative
EU-Lebanon meetings on human democracy, governance and justice
Michael Aoun’s United Nations ethical flop

Titles For The Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 03-04/18

Syria’s S-300s are being integrated in Russia’s national nuclear C3 command and control system
Russia completes delivery of S-300 system to Syria
What ‘Arab NATO’ would look like?
Pompeo: Iran behind threats directed against our missions in Iraq
Iraqi PM Designate Gets Challenge of Forming Government
Adel Abdel Mahdi, Iraq PM-Designate Shouldering Hopes Home and Abroad
U.N. Court Tells U.S. to Ease Iran Sanctions in Blow for Trump
Iran Says U.N. Court Ruling on U.S. Sanctions Shows Tehran is 'Right'
US slams UN court ruling on Iran ‘humanitarian’ sanctions
Turkey renews mandate for military actions against Kurds in Syria, Iraq
Turkish Troop Convoy Enters Syria Rebel Zone
Turkey Annual Inflation Hits 24.5% in September
Putin: All Foreign Troops Should Leave Syria
Putin Brands Poisoned Spy Skripal a 'Traitor' and 'Scumbag'
Assad Says 'Understanding' Reached with Arab States
Saudi Journalist and Govt Critic 'Missing in Turkey'
Saudi Journalist's Fiancee Seeks News after Disappearance
Amid Trade Spat, US-China Military Tensions Soar
Palestinian teen killed in Gaza border protest
Report: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait to sign financial support pact for Jordan
ISIS leader Baghdadi’s youngest son killed in Syria, reports claim
Trump: Saudi King Wouldn't Last 'Two Weeks' without US Support
Amnesty International slams ‘sickening’ execution of domestic and sexual violence victim in Iran

The Latest LCCC Lebanese Related News published on October 03-04/18

Beirut residents warned about a Hezbollah site in Whatsapp message
رسائل على الواتساب تحذر أهالي بيروت من مخازن أسلحة بجانب منازلهم

"إسرائيل" تهدّد أهالي الضاحية وتحذرهم عبر الواتساب!

Hezbollah's deputy leader says he's 'not threatened' by PM's speech
نعيم قاسم/خطاب نتانياهو لم يهددنا
Daniel Salami/Ynetnews/October 03/18'

http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/67850/ynetnews-beirut-residents-warned-about-a-hezbollah-site-in-whatsapp-message-%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%B1%D8%B3%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%84-%D8%B9%D9%84/

Thousands of Dahieh suburb locals receive mobile phone notifications warning them that Iranian-backed terror organization hides weapons storage compound in the area; messages advise Lebanese residents to 'proceed with caution'; Asharq al-Awsat newspaper implies Israel is responsible for incident.
Thousands of residents of the Dahieh suburb south of Beirut, an area controlled by Hezbollah, received anonymous mobile phone notifications warning them they live in close proximity to a weapons storage compound that has the potential of exploding at any moment, the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Wednesday, implying Israel is responsible for incident.
"Important message, near your home, a Hezbollah site has been established, proceed with caution,” read the mysterious Whatsapp message. According to the Arab newspaper, Israeli political sources refused to comment on the claim that Israeli intelligence is behind the messages.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the United Nations last week, identified three locations near Beirut airport where he said the Shi'ite group Hezbollah was converting "inaccurate projectiles" into precision-guided missiles.
Immediately after the prime minister’s speech at the UN General Assembly, the IDF released video evidence of what it said were Hezbollah rocket building sites in Beirut.
Netanyahu said in his speech that Hezbollah was acquiring the technical know-how from Tehran to convert non-precision missiles into precision missiles to hit Israeli cities with an accuracy level of 10 meters.
The IDF said Hezbollah also has other sites within and outside of Beirut where its members have been working to create an infrastructure intended to stockpile precision missiles in the future.
According to the military’s intelligence, one of the sites is located inside a Hezbollah soccer stadium while another is adjacent to the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.
One of the attempts to transfer machines designed to convert precision rockets from Syria to Lebanon was thwarted by the IDF in an attack on September 17 in Latakia, which resulted in the downing of the Russian spy plane by the Syrian army sparking an international crisis due to Russian military’s claims that the IDF bears responsibility for the incident. On Monday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, spoke to foreign ambassadors before taking them on a tour of the area mentioned in the prime minister’s UN speech, where Bassil reiterated that there were "many statements ... affirming the possession of accurate missiles by Hezbollah. However, this does not mean that these missiles are present in the vicinity of Beirut airport." he stressed in an apparent attempt to dismiss Netanyahu’s claims.
Bassil, a political ally of Hezbollah, said Israel aimed to "falsify facts concerning Lebanon and to vocalise lies that carry the seeds of a threat that does not frighten us, and that Netanyahu had used the platform of the UN General Assembly "to justify another aggression on a sovereign country like Lebanon,” he vented. *Reuters contributed to this report.

Hezbollah's deputy leader says he's 'not threatened' by PM's speech
نعيم قاسم/خطاب نتانياهو لم يهددنا
Daniel Salami/Ynetnews/October 03/18

Naim Qassem claims Lebanon's terror group is prepared to face 'Israeli aggression,' which he adds is unlikely to happen, and labels prime minister's remarks during UN General Assembly as 'unsuccessful show.Hezbollah's deputy secretary-general, Naim Qassem, said on Wednesday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's speech at the UN neither interests nor threatens the terror group.The remarks were made in response to the claims Netanyahu made during his speech at the UN General Assembly last Thursday when he identified three locations near Beirut airport where he said the Shi'ite group Hezbollah was converting "inaccurate projectiles" into precision-guided missiles.
"We are not interested in or threatened by Netanyahu's unsuccessful show,” the deputy leader stressed.
“We are fully prepared to deal with the Israeli aggression if it happens, even though we do not expect it, and it does not affect the hard work we put in to improve our preparedness and our weaponry," Qassem vented.
Qassem, who spoke at a conference in Beirut, also suggested the terror group’s resistance is what led to the May 2000 withdrawal of Israeli military forces from southern Lebanon.
"As we fought on the battlefield, those on the background chanted: ‘No, you can’t,’ but in the end we achieved victory after victory. It’s proven by the 2000 withdrawal and the 2006 liberation (Second Lebanon War-ed). The victory of the resistance axis is the victory of Lebanon,” he exclaimed.
Earlier on Wednesday, thousands of residents of the Dahieh suburb south of Beirut, an area controlled by Hezbollah, received anonymous mobile phone notifications warning them they live in close proximity to a Shiite terror group’s weapons storage compound that has the potential of exploding at any moment, the Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Wednesday, implying also that Israel is responsible for incident.
"Important message, near your home, a Hezbollah site has been established, proceed with caution,” read the mysterious Watsapp message.
According to the Arab newspaper, Israeli political sources refused to comment on the claim that Israeli intelligence is behind the messages.
Immediately after Netanyahu’s speech at UNGA speech the IDF released video evidence of what it said were Hezbollah rocket building sites in Beirut.
The IDF said Hezbollah also has other sites within and outside of Beirut where its members have been working to create an infrastructure intended to stockpile precision missiles in the future.
According to the military’s intelligence, one of the sites is located inside a Hezbollah soccer stadium while another is adjacent to the Beirut–Rafic Hariri International Airport.
On Monday, Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, spoke to foreign ambassadors before taking them on a tour of the area mentioned in the prime minister’s UN speech, where Bassil reiterated that there were "many statements ... affirming the possession of accurate missiles by Hezbollah. However, this does not mean that these missiles are present in the vicinity of Beirut airport." he stressed in an apparent attempt to dismiss Netanyahu’s claims.
*Reuters contributed to this report.

Hezbollah thanks Aoun for stance on Lebanese sovereignty
The Daily Star/October 03/2018/BEIRUT: Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hasan Nasrallah thanked President Michel Aoun for the positions he presented to the international community, which expressed a sense of sovereignty that "touched the hearts of the Lebanese," Hezbollah MP Mohammad Raad said Wednesday. Raad relayed his party leader’s comments to Aoun during a meeting of the Loyalty to the Resistance bloc at Baabda Palace, the state-run National News Agency reported. “The positions of President Aoun touched the hearts of the Lebanese and expressed the [convictions] on which we are based,” Raad said of the president's speech before the United Nations General Assembly in New York last week, affirming his bloc’s support for Aoun in efforts that preserve the country’s “strength and sovereignty.”“The president expressed his views on the sense of national sovereignty felt by the Lebanese [patriot], who wants his country strong and free, and to not be pushed over by any ... aggressor,” Raad was quoted as saying after the meeting. Hezbollah also “notes” the initiative taken by caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, which “rebutted the lies of [Israel] and revealed the truth to the public opinion,” Raad said. He was referring to a tour lead by Bassil Monday that took dozens of foreign ambassadors and diplomats to the Ahed stadium – alleged by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to be a site for Hezbollah precision missiles. Aoun in turn thanked the bloc for its stance and conveyed his greetings to Nasrallah, a statement from the presidency said. Aoun told Hezbollah's bloc that his speech at the U.N. aimed to confront countries with their responsibility toward "the problems Lebanon is facing, especially consistant Israeli agressions ... or the Palestinian cause that still remains without a solution after seventy years," the statement said. The Daily Star could not reach Raad for comment

Hariri Meets Aoun, Says They Agreed to 'Speed Up Govt. File'
Naharnet/October 03/18/Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri on Wednesday met with President Michel Aoun at the Baabda Palace to discuss the government formation process. “I'm very optimistic and I agreed with President Aoun on speeding up the Cabinet file because of the economic situation,” Hariri told reporters after the meeting. “We will hold a second meeting soon and things are positive,” the PM-designate added. “Listen to what I will say tomorrow,” Hariri went on to say, referring to his interview Thursday evening on MTV. Speaker Nabih Berri had earlier announced that he sees a “glimmer of hope” in the Cabinet formation process. Noting that there seems to be “a balance in concessions” regarding the government, Berri said “the response to the Israeli threats lies in forming the government as so

Aoun meets Mashnouk, cables Iraqi counterpart
Wed 03 Oct 2018/NNA - President of the Republic, General Michel Aoun, on Wednesday welcomed at the Baabda palace caretaker Minister of Interior and Municipalities, Nuhad Al-Mashnouk. Talks reportedly touched on most recent developments in the country.
On emerging, Minister Mashnouk voiced support to President Aoun's position in the face of the recent Israeli enemy's threats against Lebanon. "The response of the Lebanese State in this regard is excellent and this fact confirms more and more the need for the presence of an effective State, which is able to defend Lebanon's sovereignty and stability," Mashnouk said. On the Cabinet formation process, Mashnouk said President Aoun was still optimistic about a solution regarding the birth of the new government. On the other hand, President Aoun cabled congratulations to his new Iraqi counterpart, Barham Saleh, on his election, wishing him success in his new mission.

Tinenti to NNA: UNIFIL's area of operations calm, Israeli violations undermine efforts to reach permanent ceasefire
Wed 03 Oct 2018/NNA - "The situation in the UNIFIL area of operations is calm and stable," UNIFIL spokesman Andrea Tinenti said in his chat with the National News Agency correspondent in Tyre. "Despite the statements we hear, the situation is stable and the mission is acting in full commitment to maintaining stability and a cessation of hostilities.""The security environment in southern Lebanon today is strategically different from the situation that prevailed 12 years ago, thanks to the joint efforts of the UNIFIL and its strategic partner, the Lebanese Armed Forces, and owing to the commitment of the parties to a cessation of hostilities," he told the NNA. On UNIFIL's position over the Israeli air violations, Tenenti said that "the UNIFIL reports all the violations to the UN Security Council, and all the Israeli flights are included in the periodic reports.""Condemnation letters are also addressed by the UNIFIL to the Israeli army over those aerial violations, with requests for immediate halt," he stressed. "These violations of Lebanese sovereignty undermine the cessation of hostilities and the efforts to achieve permanent ceasefire."Asked whether the UNIFIL feared any military action amidst talks of Israeli border activity, Tenenti responded: "UNIFIL continues to work closely with all the parties to help keep the area of operations stable. From the UNIFIL's point of view, and in the context of our mandate, the most important consideration is the continued commitment of the parties to a cessation of hostilities and to full cooperation with the UNIFIL."

Aoun largely responsible for govt formation delay: Salam
The Daily Star/October 03/2018/BEIRUT: Former Prime Minister Tammam Salam said President Michel Aoun is largely responsible for the delay in government formation, in remarks published by local daily An-Nahar Wednesday. Salam said the president must reject having a share in the Cabinet as long as his political party is represented. Aoun founded the Free Patriotic Movement, which along with its allies forms the Strong Lebanon bloc with 29 lawmakers. In the interview, Salam said he is not convinced of Aoun’s proposal of a majority government to break the deadlock. He said the country needs a government that attends to people’s concerns and the economic situation, and not one that pleases political parties. Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri is determined to form a national entente Cabinet that represents all the main political parties.
Salam said the success of a national unity government lies in the president’s impartiality. However, the president cannot be impartial when requesting to name ministers while he already has representation, he said. Salam added that he realizes the pressures Hariri is facing. He said obstructions by certain political parties are part of their strategy, after having intentionally disabled the country over the course of two and a half years to reach the presidency. Salam rejected talks of intentionally targeting the presidential term to cause its failure. Salam said there is no intentional targeting of the term. Several politicians have referred to Aoun’s presidential term as a “failure.” In another report by An-Nahar, on Monday, caretaker Education Minister Marwan Hamadeh said he had never seen worse than this presidential term and this caretaker government. Hariri was tasked with forming a government in May, but his efforts to do so have faced several hurdles as a result of competing demands from different political sides. Hariri presented Aoun with a draft formula on Sept. 3, which failed to break the deadlock when Aoun and the FPM rejected it. Salam’s Cabinet was formed under the auspices of former President Michel Sleiman on Feb. 15, 2014, about 10n months after his designation on April 6, 2013.

Report: Netanyahu’s UN Claims Raise ‘Fear of War’
Naharnet/October 03/18/Israeli claims that Hizbullah has secret rocket sites near the Beirut airport have “aggravated fears of an Israeli aggression against Lebanon,” as Lebanese officials strongly deny the claims describing them as “baseless,” the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat daily reported on Wednesday. President Michel Aoun said on Tuesday that Lebanon will confront any Israeli aggression, and that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allegations — made during an address to the U.N. General Assembly last week — were "baseless," calling them a "new Israeli threat to Lebanese sovereignty." Lebanese parties share fears of a war that Israel intends to initiate, it added. Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri raised concerns on Tuesday saying the claims and escalating rhetoric hide intentions to “shut down Beirut airport.”Member of the Strong Republic parliamentary bloc (Lebanese Forces party), MP Antoine Habshi told the daily: “We support the dissociation policy which can only be applied by distancing Lebanon from the regional axis policy.” A member of the Development and Liberation bloc, MP Mohammed Khawaja told the newspaper: “The Israeli threat already exists, although I do not see a war in the near term by virtue of available data, which constitute a deterrent elements to the Israeli war, which remains a permanent hypothesis.” Explaining that Netanyahu's claims “fall within the framework of a pressure war,” Khawaja said it is dangerous because it came from the top UN podium, placing them in the framework of “incitement against Lebanon.”Netanyahu had displayed an aerial shot of Beirut airport with the three alleged rocket sites labeled. Lebanese officials took ambassadors and reporters on a tour of some of the alleged sites on Monday, seeking to dispel the accusations. Netanyahu derided the tour as "propaganda" and said it skipped a nearby missile factory. Israel and Hizbullah fought a devastating monthlong war in 2006.

Lieberman Says Israel Has Information About More Missile Sites in Iran and Beirut
Agencies/Wednesday 03rd October 2018/Israel has information about other secret Iranian and Hezbollah facilities that have been established in Iran and Beirut, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Tuesday. "There's enough information and we will disclose it when the time is right," he said. Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the UN General Assembly that Hezbollah had established three missile storage sites in Beirut, all located in the vicinity of the country's airport. In response, Lebanon’s Caretaker Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil took foreign ambassadors and journalists on a tour to the alleged sites in order to refute Israel’s allegations. “It’s clear this was pure manipulation,” Lieberman said. “All I would suggest is that next time, they should bring journalists immediately rather than 72 hours later.”
on as possible.”

Berri Sees 'Glimmer of Hope' in Govt. Formation Process
Naharnet/October 03/18/Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri announced Wednesday that he sees a “glimmer of hope” in the Cabinet formation process, revealing that a meeting will be held later in the day between President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister-designate Saad Hariri.
Noting that there seems to be “a balance in concessions” regarding the government, Berri said “the response to the Israeli threats lies in forming the government as soon as possible.”

Fenianos Says $18M Earmarked for Airport, SITA Malfunction Accidental
Naharnet/October 03/18/Eighteen million dollars have been transferred by the Council for Development and Reconstruction for improvement works at Beirut's Rafik Hariri International Airport, caretaker Public Works and Transport Minister Youssef Fenianos said on Wednesday.
At a meeting he held at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, in the presence of a senior delegation from the World Bank, Fenianos noted that the latest baggage registration system failure at the airport was not “deliberate.”“This is something that happens at all airports in the world,” Fenianos added, clearing global operator SITA of any intentional misconduct.SITA is a multinational company providing IT and telecommunication services to the global air transport industry. Beirut's airport has recently witnessed a series of problems that involved congestion and an air-conditioning systems failure. It also witnessed a clash between security agencies over jurisdiction which forced the delay of several flights.

Liberation and Development bloc calls for swift government formation
Wed 03 Oct 2018/NNA - "Liberation and Development" parliamentary bloc on Wednesday underlined the dire need to speed up the formation of the government, in a bid to protect the country and reinforce its immunity in the face of recent threats. The bloc's words came in the wake of its periodic meeting chaired by House Speaker Nabih Berri, devoted to discussing most recent developments. The bloc stressed that the recent Israeli enemy's threats against Lebanon necessitate cementing national unity, as the most effective weapon in the face of these hostile menaces.
Reading out the bloc's statement on emerging, the bloc's Secretary General, MP Anwar Al-Khalil, said the recent hostile statements of the Israeli enemy officials aim to take advantage of the disintegrated Arab situation at this political juncture to attack Lebanon and avenge its victories, achieved thanks to resistance against occupation and aggression. MP Al-Khalil said that Israeli threats require the consolidation of national unity, being the most effective weapon against Israeli hostility. The bloc urged the Lebanese to deal seriously with these threats and to remain alert to confront any offensive, paved by the recent Israeli hostile statements.As such, the bloc stressed that these realities require the acceleration of the formation of the government in order to save the country from these menaces and consolidate its immunity.
The bloc also broached an array of parliamentary affairs.

Nasrallah Reportedly Calls Aoun as Raad Stresses 'Relentless Support' for President
Naharnet/October 03/18/President Michel Aoun held a meeting at Baabda Palace with members of the Loyalty to the Resistance Parliamentary bloc headed by MP Mohammed Raad, the National News Agency said on Wednesday. NNA said talks have focused on the most recent local and regional developments. Raad conveyed Hizbullah leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s “utmost appreciation of the President’s recent stances at the UN General Assembly meeting,” in New York last week. “The President has expressed stances that emanate from a national sense of sovereignty, which is equally felt by the Lebanese who seek a strong and free Lebanon, not a broken one,” Raad said. "The positions of President Aoun touched the hearts of the Lebanese,” said Raad reiterating his bloc's relentless support for the President, “especially in all that preserves the steadfastness, strength, and sovereignty of Lebanon." Later on Wednesday, LBCI TV reported that Nasrallah had held phone talks with Aoun to "applaud his latest stances, especially his speech at the U.N."

Report: World Bank Tells Berri Economic Situation ‘Worrying’ in Lebanon
Naharnet/October 03/18/Speaker Nabih Berri said on Wednesday that a World Bank delegation has raised concerns about the economic situation in Lebanon describing it as “critical” in light of a government formation delay, al-Joumhouria daily reported on Wednesday. “Some foreign officials seem worried about Lebanon. They are more concerned than Lebanese parties, that a government be formed,” Berri was quoted as telling his visitors. The Speaker said during his recent meetings with foreign officials, he sensed their “uneasiness regarding the Lebanese situation. They want us to address it before it aggravates out of control. Meanwhile we are deep in conflict and disagreements over (ministerial) shares and sizes,” said Berri. A delegation from the World Bank that visited Berri on Tuesday, highlighted “the critical economic conditions in Lebanon,” he stated. “They presented in figures the repercussions of the electricity file,” and other areas where money is being spent recklessly, added the Speaker.

Geagea Urges Aoun to Act on Govt., Criticizes Bassil's 'Missiles Tour'
Naharnet/October 03/18/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea has urged President Michel Aoun to “personally intervene” to facilitate the formation of the new government, as he criticized the tour that caretaker Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil has recently organized for foreign ambassadors in Lebanon.
“Overcoming the formation crisis requires the personal intervention of the president, who should give each party its legitimate right. I personally call on the president to take this step according to the results of the elections,” Geagea said in an interview with the Central New Agency published Wednesday. Commenting on Israel's claims about the presence of “Hizbullah missile sites” near Beirut airport and the Lebanese response to the allegations, Geagea warned that “the situation in the region is explosive and the international conflict is huge on several axes and fronts.”“Amid all of this, verbal responses and media stunts are not beneficial. The president and the prime minister must deal very carefully with what is happening and must warn all parties against taking any step that would pose the least risk to Lebanon,” the LF leader added, in an apparent reference to the Bassil-organized tour.Separately, Geagea confirmed that “the page will be turned on the past and a new chapter will be opened with the Marada Movement very soon,” describing the relation with the Kataeb Party as “normal.”

Kataeb's Students and Youth Department Launches New Social Initiative
Kataeb.org/Wednesday 03rd October 2018/The Kataeb's Students and Youth Department on Monday launched the social initiative project FLEETS, a carpooling mobile application that is designed for university students across Lebanon. The application is powered by Kunhadi, an association that has been striving to introduce a new culture of safe driving habits among the Lebanese community through road safety awareness among other activities. The application is mainly aimed at reducing the students' transportation cost, reducing traffic, saving parking spaces and reducing CO2 emmission. During the launching ceremony, Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel stressed that such an initiative alleviates the stress that the students have to endure on a daily basis due to the absence of a reliable public transportation system in Lebanon. "This is a practical initiative that we are putting forward to help solve the same old problem that the Lebanese, especially the youth, are experiencing," he added. "We have proved that we don't just speak about a problem, as we take action and don't hesitate to point out mistakes in order to seek the appropriate solutions."

EU-Lebanon meetings on human democracy, governance and justice
Wed 03 Oct 2018/NNA - The European Union (EU) mission announced in a statement issued this Wednesday that "the European Union and Lebanon have held high-level meetings in Beirut on October 2 and 3 dwelling on various topics, including human rights, democracy, governance, security and justice, within the framework of the EU-Lebanon Association Agreement concluded in 2006 and the partnership priorities agreed between the two parties in November 2016."Both sides agreed to strengthen their partnership so as to address common challenges, including those arising from conflicts in the Middle East. The parties undertook a full and frank political dialogue and committed themselves to strengthening their cooperation.

Michael Aoun’s United Nations ethical flop
Makram Rabah//Al Arabiya/October 03/18
Very few people look towards the United Nations and its various agencies with much optimism or hope , as this post WWII institution, despite its noble objectives, have failed time and again to rise to the challenges and shed its many bureaucratic and political limitations, thus rendering it futile.
Yet perhaps one of the major reasons for the failure of the UN is the lack of commitment of many of the member states and their leaders, who take to the United Nations pulpit ever year preaching morality and self-righteousness, while in reality adopting policies and measures that are counterproductive not to say malicious. The Lebanese President Michael Aoun’s recent excursion to New York to attend the 73rd Session of the UN General Assembly is a case in point. Aoun, born in 1935 ten years before the formation of the UN, addressed his peers last Wednesday urging them to take concrete measures to reform the UN, which in his opinion totally lacks transparency and balance. After distributing his wisdom, Aoun reminded his audience of the importance of respecting human rights, a matter that to Aoun Lebanon has upheld through its constitution and its various agencies chiefly amongst them the newly formed independent National Commission for Human Rights, Lebanon's National Human Rights Institution (NHRI), which includes a National Preventive Mechanism (NPM).This finally tuned and humanistic rhetoric however was merely the preamble to Aoun’s real intention, as he demanded the immediate return of the Syrian refugees who in his opinion and that of his allies Hezbollah have no pretext to stay in Lebanon, nor are they under any threat from the Assad regime, which is essentially responsible for their predicament. This was rather normal coming from Aoun who for years, with the assistance of his son-in-law and political heir Lebanese Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil, led the charge to normalize relations and whitewash the Assad regime both locally and abroad. While Aoun stanchly championed transparency and accountability at the UN, these two concepts are nowhere to be found at home with many allegations of corruption and cronyism
Xenophobic tactics
Through a combination xenophobic tactics both Aoun and Bassil, use these refugees as a scare crew to muster populists support from the Lebanese whose abysmal economic conditions prevent them from sharing what remains of a decaying failing state. Aoun was clear in his speech that he simply wants to get rid of the refugees even if this came at the cost of throwing them back into the fires of the Syrian conflict, which contrary to what Aoun and his allies Hezbollah peddle is far from over. Yet Aoun’s refusal to work with the UN and UNHCR is one of the major factors for the current horrible crisis especially that Bassil has toiled hard to antagonize and alienate these funding agencies accusing them of planning to naturalize the refugees and preventing them from willfully returning home. Realistically however Aoun’s UN speech leads to two main conclusions, either his speechwriters are out of touch with reality or simply that they maliciously choose to disregard Aoun’s abysmal term vis-à-vis all the demands he made throughout his speech. Despite Aoun’s flaunting the Human rights commission, who is yet to become active, many Syrian refugees have been subject to unlawful detention, torture and sometimes death by the Lebanese security agencies, who have yet to conduct a serious and transparent investigation to refute these allegations. While Aoun stanchly championed transparency and accountability at the UN, these two concepts are nowhere to be found at home with many allegations of corruption and cronyism surrounding the performance of his parliamentary bloc led by his son-in-law Gebran Bassil. Both Hezbollah and their main Christian ally Michael Aoun continue to peddle the Russian initiative for the return of the Syrian refugees as the only viable and serious plan. Ironically the Russian plan as well as Aoun political term and career bear many similarities chiefly amongst them is the fact that they both bequeath ethics and morals to the public while in fact practicing the opposite. Aoun heart might perhaps be in the right place, but leadership is above all measured by ones acts and their consequences, and thus no speech can whitewash Aoun’s history and what remains of his term, nor save Lebanon from its gloomy future.

The Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on October 03-04/18

Syria’s S-300s are being integrated in Russia’s national nuclear C3 command and control system
DEBKAfile/October 03/18
When Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Oct. 2 that the “unified” S-300 air defense systems in Syria will be installed in Syria by Oct. 20, he really meant its integration in the Russian homeland system. This element of his report to President Vladimir Putin is the key to the real import of Moscow’s response to the downing of its Il-20 spy plane on Sept. 17, for which Shoigu blamed Israel. DEBKAfile’s military and intelligence sources report that Putin seized on the disaster to establish in Syria an advanced air defense weapons system linked not only to the Russian Khmeimim Air Base in Latakia, but integrated in Russia’s own C3 command, control and communications system against nuclear attack.
This move is a strategic game-changer for American and Israeli operations in Syria. They are no longer taxed with staying clear of Russian and Syrian missile batteries in Damascus, but are facing their first direct contest with the air defense system which defends Russian cities. Shoigu seemed to offer details on the S-300s delivered to Syria. He mentioned 49 units of “radars, basic target acquisition systems, command posts and four launchers.” But he carefully omitted to reveal how the Syrian and Russian air defense networks were to be linked to the command and control center in Russia and exactly how they would function together. A critical question remains open: Is the Syrian S-300 system fully integrated in the Russian homeland C-3 or only partially?
The C-3 is pretty much an unknown quantity for Western intelligence since Russian military engineers have been working tirelessly on upgrades for some months. Israel military officers have wisely stopped boasting that their air force can easily handle the S-300s, having realized that the version of this anti-air system tested in Israeli war games in Greece and other places is more or less obsolete. It has been has been replaced by a far more sophisticated S-300 which is the version shipped to Syria in the last two weeks.
Moscow has therefore substantially raised the stakes of the military contest between Russia and the United States in Syria to a much higher level. Putin has chosen this arena to directly test Russia’s air defense capabilities against the US Air Force’s F-22 stealth plane and Israel’s US-made F-35 “Adir” super plane, to find out which comes out best.

Russia completes delivery of S-300 system to Syria
Reuters, Moscow/Wednesday, 3 October 2018/Russia has delivered an S-300 surface-to-air missile system to Syria, it said on Tuesday, in defiance of Israeli and US concerns that the arms sale would embolden Iran and escalate the Syrian war. Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu told President Vladimir Putin during a meeting broadcast by Rossiya 24 TV: “The work was finished a day ago,” adding that the system would improve the security of Russian military personal in Syria. Russia decided to supply the system after Moscow accused Israel of indirectly causing the downing of a Russian military jet near Syria in September. Israel voiced regret at the death of 15 Russian air crew while saying Syrian incompetence was at fault and that it was compelled to continue taking action against suspected deployments of Iranian-backed forces across its northern border. “We have not changed our strategic line on Iran,” Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s security cabinet, said on Tuesday. “We will not allow Iran to open up a third front against us. We will take actions as required,” he told Israel Radio. The White House previously said it hoped Russia would reconsider the move, which US National Security Adviser John Bolton called a “significant escalation” of Syria’s seven-year-old war.

What ‘Arab NATO’ would look like?
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 3 October 2018/Regional powers with the dominating projects, especially Iran, which supports militancy in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq and Yemen, is among the main threats facing “Arab NATO” alliance, the book by General Michael Flynn reveals. But the moot question is what “Arab NATO” would actually look like. As the talk about the “Arab NATO” idea increases, the importance of referring back to Flynn’s book – The Field of Fight: How We Can Win the Global War Against Radical Islam and Its Allies – increases.
The book classifies Iran as the Soviet Union in the second half of the 20th century, describing it as the main cause of all what threatens US. It also indicates that US alone without any coalition with the Middle East countries; would not be able to accomplish the mission.
Flynn also suggests establishing of the Arab Gulf and Red Sea coalition (GRSTO). On the other hand, news about “Arab NATO” suggest that it will be formed in January 2019 and will include GCC countries as well as Egypt, Jordan and US.
Besides armed radical Islam, the other threats mentioned in the book include the threat of nuclear weapon, with an explicit indication that the Iranian agreement with the international community regarding Tehran’s nuclear weapon; threatens the national US security.
General Flynn remained in the US administration for only 24 days, although his ideas were clear in the US president’s policy; in reviewing the nuclear agreement with Iran.
On July 23, 2016, US President Donald Trump tweeted recommending the book. Flynn suggests that that there is an international alliance hostile to America, including Russia, China, Cuba, Venezuela, Iran and Syria. Flynn suggests that the new alliance would include all Gulf countries, Egypt, Jordan and UD, adding that signatory members can invite any other country to participate.
The base ground of the alliance is to provide security for its members by signing a joint defense agreement under which all members of the alliance would take an action in case any member faced military attack. However, he also believes that this alliance should not be military only, but diplomatic and economic as well. Besides economic integration among its members it should launch joint projects in the field of energy. As for US’s contribution in the alliance, it is represented in the intelligence work, information, early warning systems, special operations, missile defense, and the use of air force. Although Michael Flynn was the first one who came up with the idea of the alliance, but it is not possible to consider what he suggested as the final vision of the alliance. We can only wait and see its final structure in January in addition to the fact that Flynn’s ideas became at stake, according to some analysts, once he signed a contract to work with Qatar. The contradiction comes from the fact that Qatar’s relations with the new NATO are now frozen and Flynn’s idea is based on these countries working together. Yet another contradiction is that Qatar remains the only country, which is aligned to Iran, which the “Arab NATO” seeks to target.

Pompeo: Iran behind threats directed against our missions in Iraq
Staff writer, Al Arabiya English/Wednesday, 3 October 2018/US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday that Iran is behind threats directed against the United States diplomatic missions in both Iraqi cities of Baghdad and Basra. “Iran is the source of the current threat to the Americans in Iraq... Our intelligence is strong in this regard, we can see the hand of Ayatollah and his followers supporting these attacks on the United States,” he told reporters at the State Department. In a related context, he stressed that Tehran “used its funds to finance terrorism and militias in Iraq and the Middle East… Iran continues its malicious activity in the region.” Pompeo hoped that “the Iraqi government is not subject to Iranian dictates,” stressing that Washington will always stand “side by side with the Iraqi people,” expressing his hope that the Iraqi Prime Minister would honor his commitments to the Iraqi people. In another context, Pompeo considered the UN’s top court ruling to lift US sanctions on humanitarian goods for the Islamic Republic to be a “defeat for Iran.” Pompeo said his country had already taken measures to avoid harming Iran’s humanitarian needs and that the ruling “categorically rejected all unfounded demands by Iran” to lift US sanctions in a comprehensive way. He stressed that Iran is exploiting the International Court of Justice for political purposes. On another development, Pompeo said that the US administration was terminating a 1955 treaty reached with then ally Iran after Tehran cited Washington in an international court ruling against America’s sanctions policy, according to AFP. “I’m announcing that the US is terminating the 1955 Treaty of Amity with Iran. This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue,” Secretary of State Mike Pompeo told reporters, referring to the 1979 Islamic revolution. The US Secretary of State also considered that “Russia’s delivery of the S-300 system to the Syrian regime is a dangerous escalation.”Bolton says US pulling out of an amendment to the Vienna Convention Meanwhile, national security adviser John Bolton said the administration also was pulling out of an amendment to the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations that Iran or others, notably the Palestinians, could use to sue the US at The Hague-based tribunal. Bolton told reporters at the White House that the provision violates US sovereignty.“The United States will not sit idly by as baseless politicized claims are brought against us,” Bolton said. He cited a case brought to the court by the “so-called state of Palestine” challenging the move of the US Embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem as the main reason for withdrawing, according to the Associated Press.Bolton, who last month unleashed a torrent of criticism against the International Criminal Court, noted that previous Republican administrations had pulled out of various international agreements and bodies over “politicized cases.” He said the administration would review all accords that might subject the US to prosecution by international courts or panels.With Agencies

Iraqi PM Designate Gets Challenge of Forming Government
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/Veteran Iraqi politician and now prime minister designate Adel Abdel Mahdi Wednesday began the tough task of forming the next government, seeking to overcome sharp differences and unite fractious political parties. In a surprise move late Tuesday, new President Barham Saleh handed Abdel Mahdi -- seen as an independent -- the difficult responsibility only hours after being elected. It comes as several different blocs in the Iraqi parliament are jostling for power following the May elections -- in-fighting which had so far stymied the formation of a new government. The largest bloc traditionally appoints the prime minister and presides over the formation of the next government. But the exact contours of a new governing coalition are yet to be drawn. Outgoing prime minister Haider al-Abadi threw in the towel last month after deadly unrest in the southern city of Basra cost his fragile alliance the support of populist Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr. Sadr's list won the largest share of seats in the May polls. And after dumping Abadi, it swung behind the pro-Iran bloc led by Hadi al-Ameri's Conquest Alliance -- a coalition of anti-jihadist veterans close to Tehran. A spokesman for Conquest Alliance, Ahmad al-Assadi, told reporters late Tuesday that "the largest coalition resolved the issue by naming the prime minister" hinting his bloc had supported Abdel Mahdi's nomination, but without offering up any concrete evidence.
Power-sharing system
Iraq has a proportional system designed to prevent a slide back into dictatorship following the 2003 ouster of late dictator Saddam Hussein. The largely ceremonial role of president, now taken by the 58-year-old Saleh, has been reserved for the Kurds since Iraq's first multi-party elections in 2005. Under the power-sharing deal, the post of prime minister is held by a Shiite, while the speaker of parliament is Sunni Arab -- a post filled last month by Mohammed al-Halbusi. The 76-year-old Abdel Mahdi, a former Iraqi vice president, has proven political credentials and is seen in Iraqi circles as an independent. In a country long a political battleground between the United States and Iran as they fight for influence, he is regarded as a rare figure of consensus. An economist by training, he was once a senior member of a party close to Iran. But he has also won the backing of US and European leaders. In 2014, Abdel Mahdi took up the post of oil minister under Abadi before resigning two years later. Now he has just 30 days to navigate tangled Iraqi politics and form a government. If he fails, then another candidate will have to be chosen to pick up the baton. A Shiite and native of Baghdad, he is nonetheless credited with having good relations with a number of Kurdish leaders. This could be crucial, coming a year after a disastrous referendum in which Iraqi Kurdistan voted overwhelmingly for independence.
Kurdish ties
The vote triggered a punishing backlash from Baghdad, which imposed economic penalties and sent federal troops to push Kurdish forces out of oil fields vital for the region's economy. Under a tacit accord between the region's two main factions, the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, the PUK hold the federal presidency and the KDP the post of Iraqi Kurdistan president. But the Iraqi Kurdish presidency has been left vacant since KDP leader Massud Barzani's mandate ended following the September 2017 referendum that he championed. In a bitter dispute for power, Barzani had backed for president Fuad Hussein, his 72-year-old former chief of staff and veteran of the opposition to Saddam. But in a blow to Barzani, the post went to Saleh, a moderate who has served both as Iraqi deputy premier and Kurdish prime minister. He was part of an interim authority put in place by the United States following the 2003 invasion that ousted Saddam. He later became deputy prime minister under Nuri al-Maliki then returned to the Kurdish regional capital Arbil in 2009 to become head of the Kurdistan government. Meanwhile, results are also due late Wednesday after Sunday's polls for the Kurdish parliament.

Adel Abdel Mahdi, Iraq PM-Designate Shouldering Hopes Home and Abroad
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/Adel Abdel Mahdi, the veteran tapped to become Iraq's next prime minister, is seen as an independent capable of bringing together rivals on the country's fractious political scene. A Shiite and native of Baghdad, the 76-year-old has been handed the difficult task of navigating Iraq's tangled politics to form a government within 30 days. With a burly physique and a face framed by spectacles and a thin mustache, Abdel Mahdi is an economist by training who has served as oil minister. He will be able to call on years of experience as a regular on Iraq's diplomatic scene for the balancing acts he is expected for perform. Abdel Mahdi has the blessing of both Iran and the United States, a required consensus in the country caught between its two major allies who are foes. He also has good relations with many Kurdish leaders, a major advantage in normalizing ties with the autonomous region of Kurdistan whose people voted overwhelmingly to split from Iraq last year. The son of a minister of during Iraq's monarchy, which met a bloody end in 1958, Abdel Mahdi joined the Baath party, which brought Saddam Hussein to power in the late 1970s. He became a leading opponent of the dictator, first as a communist and then as an Islamist, before fleeing Iraq, only to return after Saddam's overthrow in the U.S.-led invasion of 2003.
'Heavy responsibility'
Abdel Mahdi later became a senior figure in the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council, a Shiite movement close to Iran. A member of the interim authorities set up by the U.S. military command who briefly served as finance minister, he became Iraqi vice president after the country's first multiparty elections in 2005. While he was vice president, he was lightly wounded in 2007 when a bomb exploded inside the public works ministry. In 2014, he was appointed oil minister under Haider al-Abadi, the man he is set to succeed as premier. He excelled in the role, deftly negotiating with Kurds over oil before resigning after two years. A francophone who attended university in France, he also has an excellent command of English. Abdel Mahdi will have to deal with many figures whose paths he has already crossed as he seeks to hammer out a new government. Among them is Hadi al-Ameri, the head of the Conquest Alliance close to Iran, former prime minister Nouri al-Maliki and populist Shiite cleric Moqtadr Sadr. Responding to a message of congratulations from Abadi, he showed he was wary of the task ahead, referring to it as "a heavy responsibility."

U.N. Court Tells U.S. to Ease Iran Sanctions in Blow for Trump
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/The U.N.'s top court ordered the United States on Wednesday to lift sanctions on humanitarian goods for Iran, in a stinging rebuke for the Trump administration which nonetheless made clear the decision would change nothing.
Tehran hailed its "victory" after the International Court of Justice ruled that sanctions reimposed after President Donald Trump pulled out of a nuclear deal put Iranian lives at risk. But the United States insisted it was already allowing humanitarian exemptions to sanctions and, accusing Iran of seeking a "propaganda" win, announced it was terminating a treaty on which the case was based. The judges at the court in The Hague ruled unanimously that sanctions on some goods breached the 1955 Treaty of Amity between Iran and the United States that predates Iran's Islamic Revolution. They called on Washington to "remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on 8 May to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities" as well as airplane parts and services, chief judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said. The court said sanctions on goods "required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran." U.S. sanctions also had the "potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran." Trump slapped a first round of sanctions on Iran in August after pulling out in May from the 2015 international deal aimed at curbing Tehran's nuclear ambitions, to the dismay of his European allies. A second round of punitive measures is due in November.
Iran hails ruling
Iran dragged the United States to the ICJ in July, and during four days of hearings in late August, its lawyers accused Washington of "strangling" its economy. Foreign drugs are now a rare commodity in Iran which is also dealing with a free-falling rial currency and price hikes. Official Iranian statements acknowledge the shortage and say imports of certain drugs are no longer subsidized. Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the court ruling "another failure for sanctions-addicted U.S. government and victory for rule of law." The foreign ministry said in a statement that the ruling was a "clear sign" that "Iran is in the right." But U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused Iran of "abusing the ICJ for political and propaganda purposes" and noted that the court did not reject U.S. sanctions more broadly. "The court's ruling today was a defeat for Iran. It rightly rejected all of Iran's baseless requests," Pompeo told reporters in Washington. He said that the United States was ending the 1955 friendship treaty, signed when Iran was ruled by the Western-oriented shah. "This is a decision, frankly, that is 39 years overdue," Pompeo said, referring to the time since the 1979 Islamic revolution transformed Iran from one of the closest U.S. allies to a sworn foe. "Given Iran's history of terrorism, ballistic missile activity and other malign behaviors, Iran's claims under the treaty are absurd," he said. The end of the treaty will have little direct effect but Iran has repeatedly cited it to seek claims against the United States, including when the U.S. Navy downed an Iran Air civilian flight in 1988, killing 290 people. Wednesday's ruling is in fact a decision on so-called provisional measures ahead of a final ruling which may take several more years, experts said. Decisions by the Hague-based ICJ, which rules on disputes between United Nations members, are binding but it has no mechanism through which it can enforce its decisions.
Iran, U.S. ignored rulings
In 1986, Washington disregarded the court's finding that it had violated international law by supporting the pro-U.S. Contra the ICJ's ruling rebels in Nicaragua. Iran in turn ignored the ICJ's ruling in 1980 to release hostages seized when revolutionary zealots took over the U.S. embassy.
Trump has repeatedly voiced disdain for international organizations that he sees as limiting U.S. sovereignty. Trump's national security adviser John Bolton recently threatened that the United States would take action against any judge from the separate International Criminal Court who pursues a case against U.S. troops in Afghanistan. Negotiated under his predecessor Barack Obama, Trump argues that the 2015 Iran deal gave Tehran money to support extremist groups and build nuclear-capable missiles. European allies have pledged to keep the agreement alive, with plans for a mechanism to let firms skirt the U.S. sanctions as they do business with Iran. Hearings in a separate Iranian case against the U.S. freezing of around $2 billion of Iranian assets to help American terror victims is due to start at the ICJ next week.

Iran Says U.N. Court Ruling on U.S. Sanctions Shows Tehran is 'Right'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/Tehran welcomed on Wednesday a ruling by the U.N.'s top court ordering Washington to suspend sanctions on humanitarian goods, as a "clear sign" that "Iran is in the right."The ruling by the International Court of Justice "once again shows that the U.S. government... is day by day becoming more isolated," the foreign ministry said in a statement. The U.S. "must...change into a responsible and normal country in the international community." The ministry said the crippling sanctions reimposed by Washington after it abandoned the landmark 2015 nuclear deal between major powers and Tehran were "illegal."As a result of the court's finding, "world public opinion and all independent countries will, with peace of mind, strive... to keep and carry out the JCPOA," it added, using the official acronym for the agreement. Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif called the court ruling "another failure for sanctions-addicted U.S. government and victory for rule of law.""Imperative for int'l community to collectively counter malign U.S. unilateralism," he added in a tweet.

US slams UN court ruling on Iran ‘humanitarian’ sanctions
AFP/October 03, 2018/THE HAGUE: The United States criticised a top UN court decision on Wednesday ordering Washington to ease sanctions on Iran, saying the case was "meritless" and the court had "no jurisdiction". The court Wednesday ordered the United States to lift sanctions on “humanitarian” goods to Iran that President Donald Trump reimposed after pulling out of Tehran’s nuclear deal. "This is a meritless case over which the court has no jurisdiction," US ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra tweeted, shortly after a ruling at the International Court of Justice. But Hoekstra pointed out that the Hague-based tribunal "declined to grant the sweeping measures requested by Iran" and it was "a narrow decision on a very limited range of sectors." The International Court of Justice (ICJ) unanimously ruled that Washington “shall remove by means of its choosing any impediments arising from the measures announced on May 8 to the free exportation to Iran of medicines and medical devices, food and agricultural commodities” as well as airplane parts, judge Abdulqawi Ahmed Yusuf said. The court said sanctions on goods “required for humanitarian needs... may have a serious detrimental impact on the health and lives of individuals on the territory of Iran.” US sanctions on aircraft spare parts also had the “potential to endanger civil aviation safety in Iran and the lives of its users.”Trump slapped a first round of sanctions on Iran in August after pulling out in May of a historic deal aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, in a move welcomed by many Arab countries. A second round of punitive measures is due in November. The ICJ rules on disputes between United Nations member states. Its decisions are binding and cannot be appealed, but it has no mechanism to enforce them.

Turkey renews mandate for military actions against Kurds in Syria, Iraq
The Associated Press, Ankara/Wednesday, 3 October 2018/Turkey’s parliament has voted to extend by another year a mandate that allows the military to intervene in Iraq and Syria when faced with national security threats. The mandate approved Wednesday allows Turkey to send troops over its southern border to battle Kurdish rebels, ISIS group militants and other groups that Turkey views as terrorists. The vote comes as Erdogan has suggested Turkey could take steps to create “safe zones” across northern Syria, including in areas held by Kurdish fighters who are allied with the United States. Turkey has previously used the mandate, which it has renewed every year since 2014, for cross-border operations against the outlawed Kurdistan Workers’ Party, or PKK, in northern Iraq and to clear IS militants and Syrian Kurdish militia from border areas inside Syria.

Turkish Troop Convoy Enters Syria Rebel Zone
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/A Turkish military convoy entered rebel-held northwestern Syria early on Wednesday, an AFP correspondent reported, as the deadline for establishing a buffer zone between rebel and government forces draws closer. At least 40 vehicles, including trucks and armoured personnel carriers, were seen moving slowly south along a main highway under the cover of darkness. The troops they were carrying are expected to be deployed at "observation posts" Turkey has already set up in rebel-held areas of Idlib and Aleppo provinces. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based war monitor, said the vehicles were heading to Turkish monitoring posts, including in the southwestern parts of Idlib. There was no word from Turkey on any reinforcements to the area. It last sent a similar troop column into northern Syria just over a week ago. Wednesday's convoy entered as the deadline for implementing a Turkish-Russian accord on the future of Syria's last major rebel bastion draws closer. Last month, Moscow and Ankara agreed to set up a demilitarised zone ringing rebel territory to avert a threatened government offensive. All factions in the zone must withdraw heavy weapons by October 10, and radical groups must leave by October 15. It will then be monitored by Turkish troops and Russian military police. The region's dominant armed group, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), an alliance led by jihadists of Syria's former Al-Qaeda affiliate, has still not officially responded to the accord. Turkey's main rebel allies, the National Liberation Front, gave the deal a cautious welcome before objecting to its provisions for a Russian troop presence inside the zone. The NLF says it is still hammering out the details of the agreement's implementation with Ankara, and is wary that the current proposals would eat into their territory too much. In an interview aired Tuesday, Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem said he hoped the deal would prove to be a "step towards the liberation of Idlib."Muallem told Lebanon's Al-Mayadeen television he was confident in Turkey's ability to fulfil its side of the deal "because of its knowledge of factions" on the ground. Fighters from the area would be allowed to stay, he said, while those from other areas would go home and foreigners would leave through Turkey.

Turkey Annual Inflation Hits 24.5% in September
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/The annual inflation rate in Turkey rose to nearly 25 percent in September, official statistics showed on Wednesday, as the Turkish lira remains weak against the US dollar despite a sharp interest rate hike last month. Consumer prices accelerated to 24.52 percent in September from the same month last year, up from a 17.9 percent increase recorded in August, according to the Turkish statistics office (TUIK). The figure was substantially higher than the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 21.1 percent. The Turkish lira weakened to 6.0 against the US dollar, a loss of 1.5 percent on the day, after the data were released. The lira has lost over 37 percent in value against the greenback since the beginning of the year. Furnishings and household equipment saw the biggest gain, to 37.3 percent, TUIK said in a statement. Prices for transport rose 36.61 percent while those for food and non-alcoholic drinks climbed by 27.7 percent. The lira was hit hard by a diplomatic row between NATO allies Washington and Ankara over Turkey's detention of an American pastor for two years on terror-related charges. Amid continued concerns over domestic monetary policy and the government's steering of the economy, the lira weakened dramatically after Washington imposed sanctions on two Turkish ministers and doubled steel and aluminium tariffs in August. There was a brief reprieve last month when the bank increased its main policy rate -- the one week repo auction rate -- from 17.75 percent to 24 percent. After the monetary policy committee stunned markets with the hike, the bank said a "tight stance in monetary policy will be maintained decisively until inflation outlook displays a significant improvement". However, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has previously railed against interest rates, and said high rates cause high inflation. He also once described interest rates as "the mother and father of all evil".

Putin: All Foreign Troops Should Leave Syria
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/Russian President Vladimir Putin said Wednesday that Russian troops will leave Syria when the war is over if the Syrian government asks them to. Russia entered the Syrian civil war in 2015 to back its longtime ally President Bashar Assad, helping the government retake most of the territory held by rebels. Russia currently operates an air base and a naval base in Syria. The Kremlin has criticized U.S. military involvement in Syria, saying it is not authorized by the United Nations or by the Syrian government. Speaking at an energy conference in Moscow, Putin said that all foreign troops should leave Syria when hostilities cease. Asked if Russia would be willing to leave as well, Putin said Russia would withdraw its troops if the Syrian government asks it to.

Putin Brands Poisoned Spy Skripal a 'Traitor' and 'Scumbag'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday branded former double agent Sergei Skripal "a traitor" and a "scumbag", saying Moscow knew he had cooperated with foreign intelligence after his release in a spy swap. "He is just a scumbag," a visibly angry Putin told an energy forum in Moscow, referring to the ex-spy who Britain says was poisoned with a Soviet-designed nerve agent by members of Russia's military intelligence in March. "He is just a spy, a traitor to the homeland," Putin said in his toughest remarks about Skripal to date. "He was caught, he was punished, he spent five years in prison, we let him go, he left and continued cooperating with, providing consultations to (foreign) security services," Putin said. Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence colonel, was found guilty of passing state secrets to Britain and sentenced to 13 years in prison in 2006. He was pardoned and released as part of a spy swap with the West in 2010. However, Putin once again laughed off British charges that two members of Russia's GRU military intelligence service had sought to poison Skripal and his daughter Yulia with Novichok in the English city of Salisbury in March.
The Skripals survived but a British couple, Dawn Sturgess and Charlie Rowley came into contact with the same nerve agent near Salisbury months later and Sturgess died. Putin dismissed the crisis in relations with Britain that led to the largest expulsion of Russian diplomats from the West since the Cold War as a "row between security services." "As we know, spying, like prostitution, is one of the world's most important professions," Putin said, drawing applause from the audience. He again denied charges Russia was behind the poisoning, saying: "No one had to poison anyone there (in Britain)." "Sometimes I look at what is happening around this case and am simply amazed." Last month, Putin called for the two men suspected by Britain of seeking to assassinate Skripal to appear on television, and he claimed that they were civilians. In an eyebrow-raising interview with the Kremlin-funded RT channel, the two, who gave their names as Ruslan Boshirov and Alexander Petrov, said they went to Salisbury as tourists, prompting ridicule in Russia and abroad. Bellingcat, the British-based investigative group, said last week that "Boshirov" is in fact Anatoly Chepiga, a GRU colonel decorated with Russia's top award, the Hero of Russia. Moscow dismissed the report, saying "there is no proof", and the Kremlin said it would no longer discuss the subject with journalists.

Assad Says 'Understanding' Reached with Arab States
Associated Press/Naharnet/October 03/18/Syrian President Bashar Assad told a little-known Kuwaiti newspaper that Syria has reached a "major understanding" with Arab states after years of hostility over the country's civil war. The interview in the Al-Shahed newspaper, published Wednesday, is Assad's first with a Gulf newspaper since the war began in 2011. Assad doesn't name the Arab countries but says Arab and Western delegations have begun visiting Syria to prepare for the reopening of diplomatic and other missions. Soon the civil war will be over, Assad told the paper's publisher, allowing Syria to resume its pivotal role in the region. Syria's membership in the 22-member Arab League was suspended in the early days of the war and Arab countries later imposed economic sanctions after they failed to mediate an end to the war. Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council have openly supported opposition groups fighting to overthrow Assad since. Kuwait hosted a number of donors' conferences for aid to Syrians, but it also condemned violence blamed on the Syrian government. The interview comes on the heels of a surprisingly warm meeting between the Syrian foreign minister and his Bahraini counterpart on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly on Saturday. The meeting turned heads because it featured hugs between the two ministers. The encounter raised questions about whether the Gulf countries, most of them sworn enemies of Assad's ally Iran, are reconsidering their relations with Damascus as the war winds down. Assad, embattled for years, is emerging largely victorious after strong support from Russia and Iran. He now controls over 60 percent of Syria with strong Russian and pro-Iranian military support. Khalid bin Ahmed al-Khalifa, the Bahraini foreign minister, later told Saudi-run Al-Arabiya TV that it was not the first meeting with "my brother" the Syrian minister. But he said it was an unplanned meeting, while other planned ones weren't caught on camera.Al Khalifa said the meeting came at a time of serious Arab efforts to "reclaim" a role in resolving the Syrian crisis. "This meeting comes at this period that is witnessing positive transformations toward having an effective Arab role in the Syrian issue," al-Khalifa said in the Sunday interview with Al-Arabiya. "Syria is an Arab country. Its people are Arabs and what happens there concerns us before any other nation. It is not correct that regional and international countries are looking into the Syrian issue and not us."Al-Khalifa seemed to recognize that the Syrian government is here to stay. "The Syrian government is the Syrian government," he said. "We work with states — even if we disagree with them — and not with those who bring down those states."Assad praises Kuwait's position regarding Syria in the interview with Al-Shahed, calling its leader "a problem solver." Al-Shahed's editor in chief is one of the many members of the extended Kuwaiti royal family. The paper had been temporarily shut down twice in 2010, and 2014 for insulting the judiciary and the public prosecutor and for publishing false news. Its editor in chief was sentenced to three months in 2010.

Saudi Journalist and Govt Critic 'Missing in Turkey'
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/A veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical of the government has gone missing after visiting the kingdom's consulate in Istanbul on Tuesday, the Washington Post reported. Jamal Khashoggi, who writes opinion pieces for the Post, has not been seen since entering the consulate in the afternoon, according to his fiance who accompanied him but waited outside until it closed, the newspaper said. Khashoggi, a former government advisor who went into self-imposed exile in the United States last year to avoid possible arrest, has been critical of some of the policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. "We have been unable to reach Jamal today and are very concerned about where he may be," the Post's international opinions editor Eli Lopez said in a statement. "We are monitoring the situation closely, trying to gather more information. It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator."The US State Department said it was investigating. "We have seen these reports and are seeking more information at this time," an official said. Khashoggi has written pieces critical of some of the crown prince's policies and said that before he left the kingdom the Saudi government banned him from Twitter "when I cautioned against an overly enthusiastic embrace of then-President-elect Donald Trump". In a Global Opinions piece for the Post in September last year, Khashoggi wrote: "When I speak of the fear, intimidation, arrests and public shaming of intellectuals and religious leaders who dare to speak their minds, and then I tell you that I'm from Saudi Arabia, are you surprised?" Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on an RSF World Press Freedom Index, has promoted a modernization campaign since the 2017 appointment of Prince Mohammed as heir to the throne. But the ultraconservative kingdom, which won plaudits in June for finally lifting a ban on women driving, has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent.

Saudi Journalist's Fiancee Seeks News after Disappearance
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/The Turkish fiancee of a veteran Saudi journalist who has been critical of the Riyadh government was anxiously waiting for news Wednesday after his disappearance. Jamal Khashoggi, who writes opinion pieces for the Washington Post, has not been seen since entering the Saudi consulate building in Istanbul on Tuesday where he was to receive an official document for the couple's marriage. "I haven't received any news from him since 1 pm (1000 GMT) on Tuesday," 36-year-old Hatice said outside the consulate, which was sealed off by barricades. She said Khashoggi had left his mobile phone with her. "We want to know his whereabouts. Where is Jamal?" Hatice said, constantly looking at her phone, as journalists from local and international media also waited outside the consulate. Khashoggi, a former government adviser who went into self-imposed exile in the United States last year to avoid possible arrest, has been critical of some of the policies of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Riyadh's intervention in the war in Yemen. "We want him to come out of the consulate safe and sound," Hatice, who declined to give her family name, told AFP. "The same way as he came to Turkey."
Very concerned'
The Washington Post's international opinions editor Eli Lopez said in a statement on Tuesday that the newspaper was "very concerned" about Khashoggi. "We are monitoring the situation closely, trying to gather more information. It would be unfair and outrageous if he has been detained for his work as a journalist and commentator." The U.S. State Department said it was investigating the matter. Hatice appealed to the Turkish government to use all diplomatic channels to find her fiance. "It is a problematic country," she said, referring to Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia, which ranks 169th out of 180 on the World Press Freedom Index issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), has embarked on a modernization campaign since the 2017 appointment of Prince Mohammed as heir to the throne. But the ultra-conservative kingdom, which won plaudits in June for finally lifting a ban on women driving, has drawn heavy criticism for its handling of dissent. "He is a well-known writer, an internationally recognized writer not only in the United States but in Germany, Britain and the European Union," said Hatice. Khashoggi once said that before he left the kingdom, the Saudi government banned him from Twitter "when I cautioned against an overly enthusiastic embrace of then-president-elect Donald Trump."

Amid Trade Spat, US-China Military Tensions Soar
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/October 03/18/The bitter trade dispute between China and the US is increasingly spilling into the military domain, with a risky incident in the South China Sea highlighting the dangers of souring relations. In what the US Navy has called an "unsafe and unprofessional" encounter, a Chinese warship sailed within just 45 yards (41 meters) of a US destroyer Sunday as it passed by Chinese-claimed features in the South China Sea, forcing the American vessel to take evasive action. The close call capped days of tit-for-tat military moves that came as President Donald Trump ramped up his trade war with China. "The close encounter between the Chinese destroyer and the USS Decatur was the closest one yet," Timothy Heath, senior international defense research analyst at the RAND Corporation, told AFP. It "may reflect in part the growing US-China tensions. But it also appears to reflect a growing willingness by Beijing to test the Americans in the South China Sea," he added. Beijing reacted furiously after the incident, saying America's "freedom of navigation" operation threatened China's sovereignty and security, and damaged military relations between the two powers. The encounter followed a string of other military incidents. Last week, plans for a Beijing meeting between US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe fell through after China declined to make Wei available. Days earlier, China nixed a planned port visit of a US warship to Hong Kong, and canceled a meeting between the head of the Chinese navy and his American counterpart. That all came around the time US B-52 bombers took part in a combined operation with Japan over the East China Sea, and flew through international airspace over the South China Sea.
The Chinese defense ministry denounced the flyovers as "provocative" actions. Mattis this week acknowledged "tension points" between the US and China, but told reporters he did not "see it getting worse."
Code of conduct
The US and Chinese militaries in 2014 agreed on a code of conduct for unplanned encounters at sea, aimed at helping the two navies avoid mishaps. It was unclear whether Sunday's manoeuver came at Beijing's request -- or was initiated by the Chinese ship's captain --- but political motivations were likely a factor in forcing a close call. "With tensions elevated, China seems motivated to risk a possible collision as a means of intimidation. There is a real risk of miscalculation," Heath said. Trump's trade war has infuriated Beijing, as did his authorization of a $1.3 billion arms sale to Taiwan, which China considers a rebel province. Washington last week enacted new tariffs against China covering another $200 billion of its imports. And Washington has placed financial sanctions on China for its recent purchase of Russian Sukhoi Su-35 fighter jets and S-400 surface-to-air missile systems.
Earlier encounters
US-China military relations have been strained before. Military exchanges between the countries, including port calls, were temporarily suspended following a mid-air collision between a US EP-3 spy plane and Chinese fighter in 2001 off the south China coast that sparked a major diplomatic row. The Chinese fighter pilot was killed in the collision and the EP-3 was forced to make an emergency landing in China's Hainan Island, with the crew detained for 11 days before being released. Current military tensions are likely to persist, said Bonnie Glaser, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, as they suit Trump's political objectives. The president last week slapped $200 billion in tariffs on Chinese goods and has accused Beijing of interfering in the upcoming US election. "This looks like a strategy from the president," Glaser told AFP. "He just wants to double down on putting as much pressure on China as possible."Noting that such actions violated established rules, Glaser added the encounter in the South China Sea represented a "different level of interfering" in a US freedom of navigation operation.

Palestinian teen killed in Gaza border protest
The Associated Press, Gaza City, Gaza Strip/Wednesday, 3 October 2018/Gaza’s Health Ministry says a 15-year-old Palestinian has been killed by Israeli troops during a protest near a border crossing into Israel. The ministry said the boy died of a head injury after Israeli troops stationed at the Erez crossing shot him. An AP cameraman who witnessed the incident said the boy was hit by a tear gas canister. There was no immediate comment from the Israeli military. Thousands protested on Wednesday near the border as part of a months-long campaign organized by Gaza’s Hamas rulers demanding an end to an Israeli-Egyptian blockade. The militant group, which has controlled Gaza since 2007, has intensified protests recently as cease-fire efforts faltered. Israeli troops have killed 145 Palestinians during the demonstrations, including 31 children. A Gaza sniper killed an Israeli soldier in August.

Report: Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait to sign financial support pact for Jordan
Reuters, Dubai/Wednesday, 3 October 2018/The finance ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE will sign on Thursday an agreement to provide credit guarantees and grants to Jordan, state-run Kuwait News Agency reported on Wednesday. The agreement, which also provides for deposits by the Gulf Arab nations in the Jordanian central bank, will be signed in Amman, the agency said. The three Gulf nations in June pledged $2.5 billion to help the Jordan implement austerity measures, which had sparked massive protests. The protests have worried conservative Gulf states who fear instability in staunch US ally Jordan that has long backed their foreign policy positions could have repercussions on their own security. Jordan’s key role in protecting geopolitical stability in the Middle East already makes it one of the highest per capita recipients of foreign aid in the world, according to figures from USAID, the US aid agency.

ISIS leader Baghdadi’s youngest son killed in Syria, reports claim
Staff writer, Al Arabiya EnglishWednesday, 3 October 2018/The youngest son of ISIS mastermind Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is killed in a Russian airstrike in Syria, months after another of his sons died fighting for the extremist group in Syria, claimed media reports. On Sunday IraqiNews.com website quoted Jabbar al-Mamori, a commander in the paramilitary Popular Mobilization Forces as saying: “We received certain information that the youngest sons of ISIS chief Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in an airstrike conducted by Russia on a terrorist hideout in a Syrian village two days ago.”According to sources, al-Baghdadi has four sons from one wife and one son from another wife. The commander did not name Baghdadi’s son or give his age. The news comes a few months after ISIS said that Hudhayfah al-Badri, another of Baghdadi’s five children was killed fighting for the extremist group against Syrian and Russian troops at a power station in central Homs provinc. Baghdadi himself has been reported killed or injured on a number of occasions.
No reports about al-Baghdadi have been heard since September, 2017, when he urged supporters to wage attacks against the west and keep fighting in Syria and Iraq, according to Iraqinews report. In May an Iraqi intelligence official said that al-Baghdadi is understood to be hiding in Syrian territory close to the Iraqi border. ISIS declared a cross-border ‘caliphate’ in Syria and Iraq in 2014, seizing a third of Iraq during a sweeping offensive. The extremist group have since lost much ground to separate counter-offensives by Syrian and Iraqi forces as well as US-led operations, and the extremist presence is now confined to a few holdouts.

Trump: Saudi King Wouldn't Last 'Two Weeks' without US Support
Al Jazeera and agencies/ Wednesday 03rd October 2018/US President Donald Trump said close ally Saudi Arabia and its king would not last "for two weeks" without US military support at a rally in Mississippi on Tuesday. "We protect Saudi Arabia. Would you say they're rich. And I love the King, King Salman. But I said 'King - we're protecting you - you might not be there for two weeks without us - you have to pay for your military,'" the president said to cheers at the rally.Trump did not say when he made those remarks to the Saudi monarch, but they come amid increasing oil prices in the US. Saudi Arabia is the world's top oil exporter and the de facto leader of the oil producing bloc, OPEC, which has been criticised by Trump for high oil prices. Trump called King Salman on Saturday to discuss efforts to maintain supplies to ensure oil market stability and global economic growth, according to Saudi state news agency SPA. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman traveled to Kuwait last weekend to speak with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah, reportedly about increasing oil production. No further developments have surfaced from the Kuwait meeting but media reports said the Gulf crisis was also on the agenda of the talks. Speaking at the United Nations General Assembly in New York last month, Trump said OPEC members were "as usual ripping off the rest of the world". Oil prices are on the rise. A barrel of oil currently costs about $75, continuing a steady increase over the past year. The price per barrel was around $50 in October 2017. The average cost of a gallon (3.78 litres) of petrol in the US was $3 in May, according to AP. Despite the harsh words, the Trump administration has had a close relationship with Saudi Arabia, which it views as a bulwark against Iran's ambitions in the region.
Trump made Saudi Arabia his first stop on his maiden international trip as president last year, shortly before Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Qatar, alleging support of terror organisations and decrying what they see as its close relationship with Iran.
Qatar has denied the allegations. "We defend many of these nations for nothing, and then they take advantage of us by giving us high oil prices. Not good. We want them to stop raising prices, we want them to start lowering prices," Trump said. The US military was stationed in Saudi Arabia from the first Gulf War against Iraq in 1990 to 2003, when then Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld announced pullout. The presence of the US military in Saudi Arabia, home to the two holiest sites in Islam – Mecca and Medina – was strongly objected to by most of the world’s Muslim population, according to opinion polls published by Gallup in 2009. Qatar hosts the largest US military base in the region. Trump has also pressed other US allies, such as Japan, South Korea and Germany, to take more of the financial burden of their defence.

Amnesty International slams ‘sickening’ execution of domestic and sexual violence victim in Iran
Arab News/October 03/2018/LONDON: Amnesty International have responded to reports that a 24-year-old Kurdish woman was executed on Wednesday morning in Urumieh central prison in the country’s West Azerbaijan province, calling it “sickening.”Zeinab Sekaanvand was sentenced to death under ‘qesas’ (retribution in kind) in October 2014 after a trial before a criminal court in West Azerbaijan province, which convicted her of the murder of her husband. Amnesty International said the trial was “grossly unfair.”She was arrested in February 2012 at a police station where she confessed to the murder of her husband. She was held in the police station for the next 20 days where she said she was tortured by male police officers through beatings all over her body. She confessed that she stabbed her husband after he had subjected her to months of physical and verbal abuse and had refused her requests for divorce. She was only provided with a state-appointed lawyer at her final trial session, at which point she retracted her confession, telling the judge that her husband’s brother, whom she said had raped her several times, had committed the murder. She said that the judge told her that, if she accepted responsibility, he would pardon her.  Philip Luther, Amnesty International’s Research and Advocacy Director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement: “The execution of Sekaanvand is a sickening demonstration of the Iranian authorities’ disregard for the principles of juvenile justice and international human rights law. Zeinab was just 17 years old at the time of her arrest. Her execution is profoundly unjust and shows the Iranian authorities’ contempt for the right of children to life. The fact that her death sentence followed a grossly unfair trial makes her execution even more outrageous.
“Sekaanvand said that, soon after she was married at 15, she sought help many times from the authorities about her violent husband and alleged that her brother-in-law had raped her repeatedly. Instead of investigating these allegations, however, the authorities consistently ignored her and failed to provide her with any support as a victim of domestic and sexual violence. “After the murder of her husband, Zeinab Sekaanvand said she was interrogated under torture by male police officers without a lawyer present. During her final trial session, where she was allowed a lawyer for the first time, she retracted her earlier ‘confession’ that she had murdered her husband, saying that she had been coerced to make it. Despite this, the judge refused to order a further investigation and instead sentenced her to death.
“It appears the Iranian authorities are increasingly scheduling the execution of people who were children at the time of the crime at very short notice to minimize the possibility of effective public and private interventions. We are horrified by their continuous use of the death penalty against people who were under the age of 18 at the time of the crime, which is a violation of international human rights law. This is the fifth execution of a juvenile offender that we have recorded this year and we fear that it will not be the last unless urgent action is taken by the international community.
“We continue to urge the Iranian authorities to immediately establish an official moratorium on executions, commute all death sentences with a view to abolishing the death penalty, and prohibit the use of the death penalty against people below the age of 18 at the time of the crime.”
Amnesty International opposes the death penalty in all cases without exception regardless of the nature of the crime, the characteristics of the offender, or the method used by the state to kill the prisoner.

The Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on October 03-04/18
Turkey: Erdoğan's International Juggling Circus
Burak Bekdil/Gatestone Institute/October 03/18
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13064/turkey-alliances-russia-china
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Chinese President Xi Jinping are discussing more trade -- and in their local currencies, rebuffing the dollar.
As of now, Turkey sees the United States as an ungrateful ally and Russia is Turkey's new love affair. For Erdoğan, it is still "Russia time."
Germany needs Turkey's cooperation in halting the flow of Islamic jihadists currently stationed in Syria but who may always use Turkish territory to reach the EU. Turkey needs German technology, investment and money.
The continuous decline of democratic values and civil liberties in Turkey will remain a problem between Ankara and most Western capitals, including Berlin. During the recent state visit to
Turkey's President does it all the time. In 2009, then-prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan accused China of genocide for the deaths of hundreds of Uighur Turks. Less than a decade later, with his newfound "Eurasianism," Erdoğan's Turkey and President Xi Jinping's China are discussing more trade -- and in their local currencies, rebuffing the dollar .
In 2015, the Turkish Air Force shot down a Russian Air Force fighter jet along Turkey's troubled border with Syria. Russia responded strongly in 2016 by imposing punishing sanctions on Turkey. At the time, Erdoğan was courting Washington. In fear of further -- and even military -- punishments from Moscow, Erdoğan described Turkey's relations with Washington as a "strategic partnership."
A Turkish apology for the downed Russian plane eventually ended sanctions in 2016 and Erdoğan, once again, rediscovered his anti-Western, pro-Eurasian self. This time, Erdoğan described Turkey's relations with Russia as a strategic partnership. This strategic partnership will probably survive until Erdoğan will have to turn to his NATO partners after potential -- and possibly serious -- divergences with Russia over the future of Syria.
As of now, Turkey sees the United States as an ungrateful ally and Russia is Turkey's new love affair. Earlier this year, the Trump administration imposed tariffs on Turkish steel and aluminum at a time when Turkey's national currency had lost 40% of its value since the start of the year. The nominal NATO allies had found themselves in a multitude of geostrategic and other disputes, including Turkey's arrest of an America pastor on bogus terrorism and espionage charges (he is now under house arrest in Turkey).
For Erdoğan, it is still "Russia time." In August, Russia joined Turkey in shunning the dollar as the two countries formally opened talks for trade in their local currencies. In September, Erdoğan said that the reign of the dollar as global trade currency should come to an end.
Enter Germany. As recently as 2017, Erdoğan urged Germans of Turkish origin (of which there are about three million) not to vote for Chancellor Angela Merkel, and branded her governing coalition "enemies of Turkey." Erdoğan also accused Merkel's Germany of resorting to "Nazi practices". The piecemeal menu of Turkish-German disputes is in no way smaller than the Turkish-U.S. list; they just differ in their nature. Among these differences are Turkey's widening democratic deficit, Erdoğan's arbitrary one-man rule and the activities in Germany of a Turkish government-sponsored Muslim organization often accused of radicalization and anti-Semitism at some of its mosques. A German government decision earlier this year to suspend arms deliveries and technologies to Turkey only soured relations further.
In short, relations between two NATO allies could hardly have been worse. What would the Turkish sultan do with such a hostile, Christian country, which he often accuses of racism? Quickly put together an official visit and fly to Germany, a country with "Nazi practices" and an "enemy" of Turkey, of course.
"We want to completely leave behind all the problems and to create a warm environment between Turkey and Germany just like it used to be," Erdoğan said ahead of his September 2018 state visit. Why such restraint and pragmatic behavior from a man better known for his temper and crowd-pleasing nationalist, anti-Western, Islamist rhetoric? The Turkish economy is teetering; Erdoğan needs a steady flow of Western currencies (which he hates) into the economy before serial bankruptcies further cripple Turkish finances and risk his government ahead of local elections next March. He also needs German diplomacy to fix the turbulence in Turkey's relations with the U.S.
But Erdoğan is Erdoğan, and the political trajectory on which he wants Turkey to remain is too Islamist, too undemocratic and too harmful to Western interests. On his visit to Germany last month, he inaugurated a new Turkish mosque in Cologne. In Berlin, he accused the German government of harboring "hundreds, thousands of terrorists". The continuous decline of democratic values and civil liberties in Turkey will remain a problem between Ankara and most Western capitals, including Berlin. Erdogan's German host, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, said:
"As we discussed this morning in detail, I am, as president of this country, concerned about German citizens who are imprisoned in Turkey for political reasons, and I am also concerned about Turkish journalists, trade unionists, lawyers, intellectuals and politicians who remain behind bars ... today, a worryingly large number of people from Turkey are seeking refuge here in Germany from the growing pressure on civil society."
Turkey's relations with Germany will remain largely transactional. Germany needs Turkey to stick to a refugee deal it reached with the European Union in 2016. It also needs Turkish cooperation in halting the flow of Islamic jihadists currently stationed in Syria but who may always use Turkish territory to reach the EU shores. There are thousands of German companies in Turkey, and Germany is Turkey's biggest trading partner. Turkey needs German technology, investment and money. None of that, however, eliminates the conspicuous incompatibility between the democratic cultures of the two countries.
*Burak Bekdil, one of Turkey's leading journalists, was recently fired from the country's most noted newspaper after 29 years, for writing in Gatestone what is taking place in Turkey. He is a Fellow at the Middle East Forum.
© 2018 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

UN illusion and stars of the international clinic
Ghassan Charbel/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
Small nations are mistaken if they come to the United Nations with an illusion that the international clinic has supernatural medicine to heal their diseases. This is what experiences have proven. But the Organization’s inability to end all the conflicts in the cosmic village does not mean that it has lost its purpose. It is no secret that the health of the clinic itself depends on the consensus of its senior surgeons - the major states - to diagnose diseases and find means of treatment. As in any hospital, the conflict between doctors complicates the patient’s recovery and extends the sufferings. Despite the mix of successes with failures, the United Nations remains a reference, a haven and a platform. The presence of states in the United Nations is often a reflection of their presence on the international scene. The international organization has only the weapon of legitimacy to read through open crises. In the end, it is gathering the strong and the weak. This is why it can make wrong and correct decisions, it can hurt sometimes and be thoughtful other times. The United Nations cannot simply be an echo of the voices of the powerful. But it cannot ignore them either because it needs them whenever it wants to impose its prestige and obtain respect for its decisions. It borrows their strength and later suffers from their power.
With the holding of the 73rd session of the United Nations General Assembly, talks renewed about the organization and its effectiveness, crises which it has successfully resolved, and those that it failed to contain. The UN was born out of the rubble of World War II and out of a dream that the world would not fall again in a similar experience that could take the form of a destructive nuclear calamity. Experts in monitoring the performance of the visitors of the international organization considered Trump’s appearance as successful in terms of stealing the spotlight
Cuban missile crisis
Fortunately, the world did not fall into the big trap and acted with panic when the Cuban missile crisis almost exposed a frightening American-Soviet confrontation. Those familiar with that era insist that UN Secretary-General U Thant has helped resolve that crisis, although the spotlight has been directed towards other cooks. Diplomats, who have been addicted to following up the General Assembly sessions, remember that the United Nations went through difficult exams and succeeded, not only in staying alive, but also in emphasizing that it was needed.
Even those who are angered by the international organization because they have different views ultimately concede that there is no alternative in sight to the safety valve the organization represents or is trying to represent. It has witnessed the Cold War, intermediate wars through explosions of maps and civil strife. When it failed to solve the problems, it tried to limit the losses and ease the suffering. If the role of the international organization is to seek solutions, international tensions have sometimes turned it into an arena for attacks and counter-attacks. The long speeches of Fidel Castro were never lost in the memory of that generation.
These speeches were the reason for the decision to reduce the period dedicated to each speaker to only a quarter of an hour, after which a light signal is initiated to remind him/her of the time limit. But there was always a rebel, including Margaret Thatcher. The marathon speeches began with Krishna Menon, Nehru's foreign minister. The minister spoke so long that he fainted and collapsed; and when he woke up, he insisted on continuing his speech. There were other exciting shows. The General Assembly has seen Muammar al-Gaddafi exceed the time limit, then become angry and tear apart of the Charter of the United Nations. Idi Amin also claimed in one of his speeches that he was good at talking to crocodiles and making jokes with them. One should not also forget when Nikita Khrushchev began to riot and hit the table in front of him with his shoes. Until now, visitors ask about the place where the Soviet Prime Minister committed this precedent in the history of the UN.
General Assembly platform
Many stars have passed on the General Assembly platform, including Nelson Mandela, whose centennial was commemorated by the International Organization this year and welcome his effigy as a symbol of liberation and the end of racial discrimination... Also, Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat addressed the UN General Assembly and called on the world not to let the olive branch fall from the hands of Palestinian resistance. In this year’s session, the stardom has been decided since the opening. Wherever Donald Trump is, the spotlight follows. The Twitter general masters the rules of the game. An experienced boxer, he does not leave the ring. He strikes and receives blows. His Tweets are awaited daily in the world. The world has never seen a head of state running the most complex battles and crises through short sentences that quickly invade screens and social platforms.
From the General Assembly and the Security Council, Trump addressed the Americans and the world. It is a whole new way of dealing openly with international relations… A new way and a new dictionary. Using expressions suitable for Twitter, Trump spoke about the trade war with China, his achievements with North Korea, and the sanctions imposed on Iran over its nuclear and missile ambitions and its policy of destabilizing the Middle East. He used a whole new rhetoric even when addressing his European and Atlantic allies.
Experts in monitoring the performance of the visitors of the international organization considered Trump’s appearance as successful in terms of stealing the spotlight and confirming the continued presence of the United States in the first place. They said his performance has reminded them of Ronald Reagan’s appearance on the same platform. They also saw Trump succeed in imposing the actual agenda and make the Iranian issue at the forefront both in the assembly and its corridors. Washington’s warnings to the Europeans against easing Iran’s encroachment on sanctions suggested that the coming months would be rich with stances and tweets. Trump’s stardom does not eliminate the glamor of Vladimir Putin and his policy that made Sergei Lavrov’s interventions remind the world of the days of Andrei Gromyko, with some differences of course. Stardom itself does not negate the fact that any escalation in the trade war with Mao Zedong’s heirs will be greater than the ability of the international clinic to provide treatments.

Beyond the pageantry of the UN general assembly
Walid Jawad/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
In September of every year, the Oscars of International Relations is held at the UN Headquarter in New York. The whos-who of global leaders wants to see and be seen by other heads of state. All converging here like clockwork. This is where the 120 leaders who once played follow-the-leader as children get to realize their sandbox games as adults. Each standing tall on the shoulders of their nation’s status in the world propped by national achievements, economic status, and military arsenal. Each of them projecting more than what their country is entitled to yet less than what they think they deserve. They are all stars in their own nations, but here they hope to rub elbows with the superstars. The powerful soak up the attention and relish their rockstar status amongst their peers.
The Game
In 1648, over long and arduous months in Westphalia, Europeans signed treaties to bring peace the religious wars of the day. It did, but more importantly, it was the moment of inception of the current international system. The Peace of Westphalia advanced the concept of sovereignty, in essence putting in motion the system of sovereign nation-states, which Trump reminded us of mere days ago. The Peace of Westphalia advanced the concept of sovereignty, in essence putting in motion the system of sovereign nation-states, which Trump reminded us of mere days ago. In his UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) address, the American president emphasized sovereignty as his guiding principle in rebuffing multinational collaborations “We reject the ideology of globalism and we embrace the doctrine of patriotism.” Nationalism under the justification of sovereignty has negative consequences, including marginalizing the role of the UN. Conversely, French president Francois Macron spoke to sovereignty saying, “I shall never stop upholding the principle of sovereignty ... even in the face of certain nationalism which we’re seeing today, brandishing sovereignty as a way of attacking others.” A diverging stance, one to harken back to the past while Macron recommits to forward movement. The failure of the treaties of Westphalia to keep the peace in Europe is not surprising. As war broke out within Europe during and after the Peace of Westphalia, so it did in the 20th century beyond the boundaries of the European continent. It is those two great wars that gave rise to the United Nations. The UN in its current form is the second iteration of the failed League of Nations – WWI gave us the League of Nations, and WWII rendered it obsolete. Sovereign nation states entered into an agreement to create the UN for the higher purpose of avoiding the next all-out global war. Resolving conflicts and keeping the peace are enshrined in the UN charter. But, the UN doesn’t have an inherent enforceable authority other than what the members assign to it. Member states continue to predominantly operate outside the narrow limitations of the UN rendering it ineffective as a proactive measure to stave off destructive conflicts.
MADness
The concept of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) is the current reality holding back a WWIII. The potential outcome of such a war, should it happen, is the self-annihilation of the human race. For the moment, citizens of the world can breathe nervously in the shadows of that real threat, no thanks to the UN.
Yet, the UN offers a platform for nuclear nations to present their concerns on the global stage, limiting the power struggles within the margins of the UN and its Security Council (UNSC). The effectiveness of the busy work and ensuing resolutions is in question. UN resolutions don’t achieve peace nor does it resolves conflicts. Many times, UN resolutions only create a pause in the conflict, this is in part due to the lack of enforcement capabilities within the UN structure. It is relying on the member states to send peacekeepers to the affected areas without any legal authority to use its full capabilities. As a result, conflicts are prolonged, and the status quo of unacceptable levels of violence and suffering persist. The list of intractable conflicts the UN is attempting to address through resolutions is long. We need not dig too far into the past to observe these effects. Good examples can be found in Iran, Syria, and Palestine to name a few relevant conflicts to the Middle East. Conflict resolution is such a lofty goal for the UN to guarantee in this era of weapons of mass destruction. An era where death is a result of pushing buttons in virtual reality shielded from experiencing the agony of ending a life and the stench of death.
Courage is not a quality that comes with fighting today’s wars, on the contrary cowardice is the prerequisite. Being too afraid to face one’s enemy makes a preemptive strike a more appealing choice.
Seeing eye-to-eye
Initial face-to-face interactions between leaders have caused transformative outcomes. “I looked the man in the eye. I found him to be very straightforward and trustworthy.” said former president George W. Bush in 2001 after meeting Russia’s Vladimir Putin. “We had a very good dialogue. I was able to get a sense of his soul; a man deeply committed to his country and the best interests of his country,” he concluded. Trump said of the North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un “A worthy negotiator ... a very worthy, very smart negotiator. We had a terrific day and we learned a lot about each other and our country’s.” Lavishing accolades onto the young leader in a press conference after their Singapore summit last June. These are examples of the power of personal connection in altering powerful geopolitical dynamics, which brings us back to the pageantry of the UNGA. The personalities of the leaders attending the annual UN spectacle play a much more decisive factor than meets the eye. Typical diplomatic channels between nations are advanced or hindered by the personal dynamics between the top decision makers. Gestures and demeanors, charm and charisma all come into play. Here is where the annual event offers a critical opportunity to leards. Some leaders lean toward the theatrical. Not surprising as the gathering inherently feeds a sense of flair for the dramatic. Some leaders are inspired to make fashion statements and on occasions toss papers in protest. Leaders walk away at the end of the annual assembly with a simple judgment; can I trust this person? Agreement doesn’t factor into this equation. Having trust is a prerequisite for any negotiation to take place particularly over serious disagreements. When trust is lacking, mediators and facilitators are charged with holding the parties honest during negotiations.
When trust is personal and organic between leaders, doubt and suspicion leading to fear and defensiveness are avoided. Perhaps the UN can advance its mission by creating more opportunities for world leaders to interact in an elite club-like atmosphere.
Conflict resolution stands a better chance when decision makers are present in a calm and relaxed atmosphere working through their nations’ conflicts trying to see eye-to-eye.

Nuclear power fits with Saudi energy diversification plans
Dr. Malak Talal Al-Nory/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
Saudi Arabia may be the region’s top hydrocarbon producer, but it is also one of the largest consumers of energy resources. The situation is such that the Kingdom is looking to diversify its energy mix in the face of rapidly growing demand for electricity to meet the country’s mounting energy needs. Nuclear power has emerged as one of the most viable options at a time when the Kingdom requires sustainable energy sources to drive its ambitious march to the future. Currently Saudi Arabia consumes over one-quarter of its oil production to power its electricity plants, according to World Nuclear Association estimates. Growing energy needs mean that much of the Kingdom’s oil production will be consumed domestically by 2030 if alternative options are not in place by then. Thankfully, Saudi Arabia has taken a step towards self-sufficiency in nuclear power at the right time as the world is looking to a future beyond hydrocarbons, and volatility risks associated with this depleting resource continue to rock global markets. The Kingdom plans to build two large nuclear power reactors as part of a program to deliver up to 16 nuclear power plants over the next 20 to 25 years at a cost of more than US$80 billion. Critics may be quick to point out that there are countries that are shutting down their nuclear energy plants and shifting towards other alternative energy sources. Before we look at such an aspect, it is important to understand that these are countries that are in a self-sustaining position with regards to the renewable energy sector with adequate technical knowhow and the availability of such resources, and are, therefore, well placed to replace their nuclear energy assets.
The country is blessed with year-round sunshine, which makes solar energy viable and fits in with its plans to diversify energy sources
Prioritizing renewable
It must be remembered that Saudi Arabia is also prioritizing its focus on renewable energy by establishing solar plants in the Kingdom. This country is blessed with year-round sunshine, which makes solar energy a viable option that fits in with the Kingdom’s plans to diversify energy sources. But this is an area with its own limitations as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned, as the Kingdom faces climatic and weather challenges such as dust storms and humidity, which could seriously undermine the efficacy of this seemingly attractive option. Nuclear energy, on the other hand, is best fitted to meet the current state of urgency as it is capable of meeting the Kingdom’s energy needs nonstop for the next 50 to 60 years, once a plant is commissioned. It certainly involves substantial investment but that is something that will eventually pay for itself. Then there are, of course, constraints such as those related to infrastructure and regulatory framework. Since this is an entirely new area that the country is stepping into, it would be expected that the Kingdom would adopt regulatory frameworks based on international best practices in these aspects. At this point of time, Saudi Arabia can learn from the experiences of countries such as the European nations, the US and Russia, which have well established and time-tested policies and regulatory frameworks on nuclear energy. These can be customized to meet the Kingdom’s requirements. The priority must also be to put in place risk plans, and training and knowledge enhancement platforms to secure a safe, secure and sustainable civil nuclear power program in Saudi Arabia.
This article was first published in Saudi Gazette.

The leftist enemy
Mashari Althaydi/Al Arabiya/October 03/18
The warning issued by Britain’s home secretary, who is ironically originally from Pakistan, against the leader of the leftist populist Labour Party, who hails from the heart of Britain, Jeremy Corbyn, is rightful even if it’s marred by the heat of partisan competition between the Conservative and Labour parties. Sajid Javid had launched a scathing attack on Tuesday against Corbyn and labelled him a “threat to national security” while asserting that he is not fit to be a prime minister. Javid made these statements while delivering a speech at the annual Conservative Party conference which was held in Birmingham. Conservative minister Javid said that it would be “downright dangerous” for Corbyn to get into Number 10, i.e. 10 Downing Street in London. "Imagine having someone in no.10 who has voted against vital counter-terrorism legislation. Someone who refuses to condemn the Kremlin over an attack on our soil. Someone who compared the actions of the US military, our closest ally, to Daesh. Who voted against banning Al Qaeda,” Javid added. Actually the threat of leftism in its sickly state does not only lie in the examples made by Javid against the leader of British leftism and populism. Corbyn has also staunchly defended the Iranian Khomeini regime, and he is a bitter enemy of Arab countries that reject the Iranian project, primarily Saudi Arabia. He also makes frequent appearances on Arabic-speaking or English-speaking satellite television channels in support of Iran.
The threat of leftism in its sickly state does not only lie in the examples made by Sajid Javid against the leader of the British Labour party. The case of Corbyn heavily sums up a manifold political malaise which “believes” in the mortality, permanence and support of hostility against the US and against politically conservative Arab countries, as he will not be himself if he does not hate. I know there are some politicians and media figures who make gains out of the Qatari-Brotherhood betrayal, which is considerable treason, but I am not talking about these. I am talking about the people of faith and those who hate their countries and their countries’ power. Corbyn has predecessors who took other paths to express hatred towards the British self. An example is the most famous traitor and spy of the 20th century, the Soviets’ agent, the communist, intelligence officer and prominent academic Kim Philby.Corbyn’s case is also an eye-opener to the global networks of leftism, even those that are less audacious and public, and which are active in the entire world in the media, political, artistic and civil spectrums against Arab interests.
They are enemies like the Brotherhood and Khomeinism.

Detailed Lebanese & Lebanese Related LCCC English New Bulletin For October 04/2018 Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

Detailed Lebanese & Lebanese Related LCCC English New Bulletin For October 04/2018
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani