LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
July 22/17
Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For Today
Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 10/38-42/:"Now as they went on their way, he entered a certain village, where a woman named Martha welcomed him into her home.She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he was saying. But Martha was distracted by her many tasks; so she came to him and asked, ‘Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to do all the work by myself? Tell her then to help me.’But the Lord answered her, ‘Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her.’"

For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication
Acts of the Apostles 15/,22-30/:"Then the apostles and the elders, with the consent of the whole church, decided to choose men from among their members and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They sent Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leaders among the brothers, with the following letter: ‘The brothers, both the apostles and the elders, to the believers of Gentile origin in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia, greetings. Since we have heard that certain persons who have gone out from us, though with no instructions from us, have said things to disturb you and have unsettled your minds, we have decided unanimously to choose representatives and send them to you, along with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have therefore sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will tell you the same things by word of mouth. For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to impose on you no further burden than these essentials: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what is strangled and from fornication. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell.’So they were sent off and went down to Antioch. When they gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter."

Question: "Do angels exist?"
GotQuestions.org?
Answer: The Bible speaks of angels as real, actual beings. However, Scripture’s depiction of angels is very different from the popular concept of them. The Bible describes angels as vastly powerful, intimidating, and mysterious creatures. They serve God for specific reasons and do not seem to be wandering or random creatures. While we don’t have a great deal of information about angels in the Bible, what’s available is enough to correct many common misconceptions. The word angel comes from the Greek word aggelos (or angelos), which most literally means “messenger.” In Old Testament Hebrew, these beings are called mal’ak, which means the same thing, “messenger.” Communication seems to be the primary function of angels in the Bible. Most references to angels involve their delivering some news or command on behalf of God. They are occasionally depicted as protecting certain people (Daniel 6:20–23) or nations (Daniel 12:1). However, there is no direct biblical support for the concept of a “guardian angel”—a single spiritual entity assigned to a specific person for purposes of protection or guidance—although such beings may exist. In modern times, common depictions of angels include things like halos, feathery wings, blond hair, harps, and white robes. Or chubby infants with tiny wings and shining eyes. In reality, the Bible gives no general physical description of angels. Only a few specific types of beings, such as cherubim and seraphim, are given direct visual details (Isaiah 6:2–6; Ezekiel 1:4–28). Only one angel, at the empty tomb of Jesus, is ever described as wearing a white robe (Mark 16:5). Scripture indicates that angels can take on a mundane human form (Genesis 19:1–4). That being said, most people in Scripture who encounter angels react with fear. Almost every time an angel appears to someone, the angel’s first words are “don’t be afraid!” (Luke 1:13, 30; 2:10; Matthew 28:5) Their presence can be so overwhelming that even apostles such as John had to be warned not to worship them (Revelation 19:9–10). This makes sense, given, the level of power ascribed to angels by the Bible. According to 2 Kings 19:35, a single angel killed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers in one night. As spiritual beings created to serve God, angels are not so much “cute” as they are powerful and otherworldly. Looking at the Bible, we can say that angels are literal beings. Biblical angels exist. The cartoonish versions of angels so often seen in movies and commercials, however, do not.
Question: "Do demons exist?"
Answer: The Bible speaks of demons as real, actual beings. However, Scripture’s depiction of demons is very different from the popular concept of them. The Bible describes demons as powerful but limited and ultimately defeated creatures. They are angels who followed Satan in rebellion against God (Revelation 12:3–4). The Bible doesn’t give many details about demons, but what it provides is enough to dispel typical myths. Demons are referred to by several alternate names, including “unclean spirits” and “evil spirits.” Some of the false gods that received human sacrifices are described as actual demons (2 Chronicles 11:15; Deuteronomy 32:17). Since demons are fallen angels, they possess the same level of power and influence as angels. However, Scripture seems to indicate that God has limited their abilities (2 Thessalonians 2:6–7). The Bible indicates that not all afflictions are due to demonic influence (Matthew 10:1; Luke 8:2). The vast majority of demonic influence is spiritual, not physical. Popular culture frequently depicts demons in monstrous form. This includes drooling fangs, sharp claws, leathery wings, and so forth. Or they are portrayed as shadows or ghosts. None of these have any biblical basis at all. In fact, the Bible never physically describes any fallen angel. As is the case with angels, demons are spiritual creatures with a primarily spiritual influence, so they are unlikely to have any set physical appearance. If they choose to take on a physical appearance, it actually makes more sense for them to choose something inviting rather than scary (2 Corinthians 11:14). So, demons are literal, actual beings. The demons described in the Bible exist. However, the oft-portrayed horror-movie and Halloween versions do not.

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 21-22/17
US envoy to Israe, David Friedman visits families of slain Druze cops/Ynetnews/July 21/17
Trump Kicks the Iranian ‘Can’ Down the Road/Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/July 21/17
Trump Just Came Very Close to Killing the Iran Deal/Eli Lake/Bloomberg//July 21/17
Sweden: A Failed State/Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/July 21/17
Backgammon and shallow perception of the world/Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/July 21/17
A critical look at NATO/Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/July 21/17
Saudi Palace Politics Gain Pace/Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/July 21/17

Titles For Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 21-22/17
US lawmakers want fresh sanctions on Hezbollah
Syrian, Lebanese troops join Hezbollah in major ground offensive
Hezbollah, Syria army launch offensive at border with Lebanon
Hezbollah Launches Operation to Clear Militants from Arsal Outskirts
Hezbollah, Syria army launch offensive at Syrian-Lebanese border
Lebanon Appoints New Ambassadors Based On Political Parties’ Quota
Mashnouq Convenes Extraordinary Security Council Meeting over Arsal Developments
Army Ups Security Measure, Shells Militants Fleeing into Arsal
Report: Kuwait Hands Lebanon Letter on 'Hizbullah Role in Terror Cell'
EU Ambassador Says LAF 'Sole Providers of Security' in Lebanon
Hariri to Begin U.S. Visit on Monday
Lebanese IT Expert Held in Iran Asks Hariri for Help
Police Make Drug and Border Infiltration Arrests
Araji: Military Institution the Sole Side Authorized to Defend Border
Geagea: Struggle to Continue till March 14 Victory, Disarmament of All Groups
Foreign Ministry: Diplomatic appointments filled 60% of vacant posts
Berri, Syrian Ambassador tackle overall developments
Bou Assi, Wrba tackle social cooperation prospects
Jarah confirms Army not part of Arsal battle

Titles For Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 21-22/17
Kuwaiti-Iranian Ties in Crisis after ‘Abdali Cell’ Flees Detention
Qatar: Emir Issues Decree Amending Terrorism Law
Abul Gheit: Yemen’s ‘Catastrophic Situation’ Caused by Coup’s Obstruction of Peace Efforts
Egypt says it is ‘shameful’ that Qatar not held accountable at United Nations
28 Syrian Regime Members Killed in Ambush near Damascus
Clashes intensify in Syria’s Idlib between rebel groups
Iraqi Kurds Seek Independence, Push for November Elections
Saudi Arabia, Iraq Agree to Reopen Border, Restore Intelligence Cooperation
Egypt security forces kill two suspected militants, ministry says
Jordan, Israel Seek to Find Compromise over Al Aqsa E-gates
Three Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Jerusalem
US envoy to Israe, David Friedman visits families of slain Druze cops
Libya: Haftar, Sarraj to Meet in Paris Soon
US Supreme Court: Grandparents, grandkids exempted from Trump travel ban
AFP, Washington Thursday, 20 July 2017/The United States Supreme Court dealt President Donald Trump’s travel ban
White House Spokesman, Trump Legal Aide Quit as Russia Probe Deepens

Latest Lebanese Related News published on July 21-22/17
US lawmakers want fresh sanctions on Hezbollah
Ynetnews/July 21/17/Democratic and Republican congressmen move to up sanctions against businesses, banks and countries that work with, or back the terror group, mete out punitive measures against its supporters. Republican and Democratic US lawmakers introduced legislation on Thursday seeking to increase sanctions on Hezbollah, accusing the powerful Shi'ite Muslim political group of violence in Syria and amassing rockets along Israel's border. The bill, an amendment to existing sanctions on the group, seeks to further restrict its ability to fundraise and recruit, increase pressure on banks that do business with it and crack down on countries, including Iran, that support Hezbollah. Among other things, it would bar anyone found to be supporting the group from entering the United States, require the president to report to Congress on whether Iranian financial institutions are facilitating its transactions and impose blocking sanctions on the group for criminal activities.  Officials in Lebanon have been worrying that US efforts to widen sanctions on Hezbollah could damage the country's important banking industry, because of the group's widespread influence in their country. They visited Washington to lobby lawmakers in May. But members of the US Congress and President Donald Trump's administration are eager to curb the influence of Iran and its allies in the Middle East. This week, the Trump administration slapped new sanctions on Iran. "These sanctions will severely limit Hezbollah's financial network and transnational criminal activities, as well as crack down its backers, most importantly Iran," Representative Ed Royce, the Republican chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, said in a statement.  Versions of the bill were introduced in both the House of Representatives and Senate, sponsored by Royce and Eliot Engel, the ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Senators Marco Rubio and Jeanne Shaheen, Republican and Democratic members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. There was no immediate word on when or if the legislation might come up for votes in the House of Senate.

Syrian, Lebanese troops join Hezbollah in major ground offensive
France 24/July 21/17/The Syrian army and members of Lebanon's militant Hezbollah group launched a major ground offensive on Friday aimed at ending the years-long presence of hundreds of militants in a border area between the two countries. The offensive was widely expected after negotiations with militants to leave the area failed over the past days. The battle will be fought by Syrian troops and Hezbollah gunmen on the Syrian side of the border while the Lebanese army will likely fight against the militants on the Lebanese side. On Tuesday, Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri said the country's military is preparing a military operation to secure a lawless section of the border with Syria while Hezbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah hinted in a speech last week that a joint operation was in the works with the Lebanese and Syrian militaries to expel insurgents from the border area. Government-controlled Syrian Central Military Media reported that military operations began early Friday from two fronts on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal and the Syrian village of Fleeta. It said Syrian troops and Hezbollah fighters captured some areas from the militants and killed and wounded a number of extremists.
The rugged mountainous region is a stronghold of Syria's al-Qaida's branch, known as Jabhat Fatah al-Sham or Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as the Islamic State group and the Levant People's Brigades. Friday's fighting concentrated in areas controlled by JFS. Video released by SCMM shows Hezbollah's artillery pounding militant positions while drone footage showed smoke billowing from areas controlled by the militants.Lebanon's state-run National News Agency said the Lebanese army shelled an area on the border to prevent a group of militants from entering the Arsal area.
There will be concerns about civilian casualties if the militants infiltrate Arsal, which is home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled civil war in their country. The militant-held areas are surrounded from all sides leaving them with no place to withdraw to. Hezbollah says the border area has been used in the past to launch attacks deep inside Lebanon, including a wave of bombings since 2013 that have killed scores of people. In 2014, militants briefly stormed Arsal and captured more than two dozen Lebanese soldiers and policemen. Al-Qaida exchanged the troops it was holding while nine soldiers taken by IS fighters are still missing. (AP)

Hezbollah, Syria army launch offensive at border with Lebanon
Reuters, Beirut Friday, 21 July 2017/The Lebanese group Hezbollah and the Syrian army launched an offensive on Friday to clear militants from an area of the Syrian-Lebanese frontier, a commander in the military alliance fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad told Reuters. The operation is targeting insurgents from the Nusra Front group in the Juroud Arsal area on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal, and in areas of the western Qalamoun mountains in Syria, the commander said. A meeting is set to be held between the Red Cross and the Lebanese Army to coordinate the entry of displaced persons to Arsal. The barren Juroud Arsal area between Syria and Lebanon has also been a base of operations for Islamic State militants. Several thousand Syrian refugees are living in camps in Juroud Arsal. Hezbollah’s al-Manar TV said Nusra militants were being targeting in Juroud Arsal and in areas near the Syrian town of Fleita. The Lebanese army has deployed reinforcements on the outskirts of Arsal town in anticipation of the operation, aiming to prevent militants from fleeing into Lebanon, a Lebanese security source said this week. The Nusra Front was al Qaeda’s official affiliate in the Syrian civil war until last year when it formally severed ties to al Qaeda and renamed itself. The group now spearheads the Tahrir al-Sham alliance. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Tuesday the Lebanese army would carry out a carefully planned operation in the Juroud Arsal area, but there was no coordination between it and the Syrian army. In 2014, the Arsal area was the scene of one of the most serious spillovers of the Syrian war into Lebanon, when militants briefly overran the town of Arsal. The Iran-backed Hezbollah has provided Syrian President Assad with crucial military support in the war, a role that has drawn heavy criticism from its Lebanese opponents including Hariri.

Hezbollah Launches Operation to Clear Militants from Arsal Outskirts
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Lebanon’s “Hezbollah” and the Syrian regime launched on Friday an operation against militants on both sides of the border. Hezbollah’s Al-Manar television and its “War Media” social media channels carried announcements of “the start of a military operation to purge Arsal’s outskirts and Qalamoun of armed terrorists.”The operation has been anticipated for several weeks, and comes after Lebanese soldiers carrying out raids on Syrian refugee encampments in the area were met with suicide bombings and a grenade attack that left a girl dead and several soldiers wounded.Prime Minister Saad Hariri said earlier this week “the Lebanese army will carry out a planned-out operation in Arsal’s outskirts and the government gives it freedom (to do so).”Lebanese troops are not involved in the fighting in the mountainous border region, a high-ranking military source told Asharq Al-Awsat.“The army has no role in this war because its boundaries are inside Syrian territories,” the source said, adding “the military’s mission is to preserve Lebanon’s safety and the safety of the Lebanese and those residing in it.”The town of Arsal lies on the Lebanese side of the in-places ambiguously demarcated border. Around 45,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations live in the town, but more are believed to be living in camps on its outskirts, although their numbers have not been confirmed. But the military source told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Lebanese army is keen on protecting the refugees. The Qalamoun region lies on the Syrian side of the border across from Arsal. While much of it is now under regime control, pockets of rebel-held territory remain, particularly along the border. Hezbollah media outlets said the operation had been launched on two axes — from the Syrian town of Flita and from the southern part of Arsal’s outskirts, already under the group’s control. The operation comes as tensions rise in Lebanon over the presence of more than one million Syrian refugees. Lebanese President Michel Aoun warned this week against anti-refugee rhetoric in the wake of the attacks on troops in Arsal. After the raids, the Lebanese army arrested dozens of people, four of whom were subsequently declared to have died of pre-existing conditions while in custody.

Hezbollah, Syria army launch offensive at Syrian-Lebanese border
Reuters|/Ynetnews/July 21/17
Targeting insurgents from the Nusra Front group on the Lebanese-Syrian border, Assad military commander says Hezbollah and the Syrian army are launching a joint offensive to clear the area. The Lebanese terror group Hezbollah and the Syrian army launched an offensive on Friday to clear militants from an area of the Syrian-Lebanese frontier, a commander in the military alliance fighting in support of President Bashar al-Assad said. The operation is targeting insurgents from the Nusra Front group in the Juroud Arsal area on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal, and in areas of the western Qalamoun mountains in Syria, the commander said. The barren Juroud Arsal area between Syria and Lebanon has also been a base of operations for Islamic State militants. Several thousand Syrian refugees are living in camps in Juroud Arsal.  Hezbollah's al-Manar TV said Nusra militants were being targeting in Juroud Arsal and in areas near the Syrian town of Fleita.  The Lebanese army has deployed reinforcements on the outskirts of Arsal town in anticipation of the operation, aiming to prevent militants from fleeing into Lebanon, a Lebanese security source said this week.
The Nusra Front was al Qaeda's official affiliate in the Syrian civil war until last year when it formally severed ties to al Qaeda and renamed itself. The group now spearheads the Tahrir al-Sham Islamist alliance. Lebanese Prime Minister Saad al-Hariri said on Tuesday the Lebanese army would carry out a carefully planned operation in the Juroud Arsal area, but there was no coordination between it and the Syrian army. In 2014, the Arsal area was the scene of one of the most serious spillovers of the Syrian war into Lebanon, when jihadists briefly overran the town of Arsal. The Iran-backed Shi'ite group Hezbollah has provided Syrian President Assad with crucial military support in the war, a role that has drawn heavy criticism from its Lebanese opponents including Hariri.

Lebanon Appoints New Ambassadors Based On Political Parties’ Quota
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Beirut- The Lebanese government smoothly approved on Thursday the diplomatic appointments after political parties agreed on a quota that divides 74 embassies among their affiliated diplomats and supporters. The decision only faced a shy objection concerning the Future Movement and the Free Patriotic Movement’s decision to name eight non-staff members as diplomats. Foreign Minister Gebran Bassil received the highest share while his ally “Hezbollah” was left outside the diplomatic equation. Parliamentary sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Thursday: “As usual, Hezbollah is aware of his reality and did not ask for any share in the diplomatic appointments. Where will an ambassador affiliated with the party go, when Hezbollah is listed as a terrorist?” Following the cabinet session on Thursday, Information Minister Melhem Riachi said “the official announcement of the new ambassadors will be made in successive statements issued by the Foreign Ministry following the approval of concerned countries of the names of ambassadors.”The Cabinet appointed Ambassador Hani Shmeitli as Secretary-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ghadi Khoury as Director of Political Affairs, and Ambassador Kanj Al-Hajal as Director of Administrative and Financial Affairs. Ministerial sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that all parties were pleased with the shares they received during the diplomatic appointments, although Bassil particularly received the lion’s share by naming ambassadors in each of France, the US and Italy.
The other main capitals were divided among Lebanon’s leading political parties. The Future Movement received the highest number of embassies in the Arab countries, especially in the Gulf States, in addition to Lebanon’s missions in the UN and UNESCO. The Lebanese Forces was capable to name ambassadors in Geneva, Madrid, Muscat and Manama, while the Amal Movement of Speaker Nabih Berri received each of London, Tehran, Baghdad, Brussels and Kuwait. President Michel Aoun named an ambassador in Oman.

Mashnouq Convenes Extraordinary Security Council Meeting over Arsal Developments
Naharnet/July 21/17/Interior Minister Nouhad al-Mashnouq on Friday presided over an extraordinary meeting for the Central Domestic Security Council, hours after Hizbullah announced the start of a major operation to oust jihadists from the outskirts of the border town of Arsal. State-run National News Agency said the meeting was dedicated to “following up on the situation in the Arsal outskirts region and the possible repercussions on the Lebanese interior, as well as the measures that should be taken to protect civilians and means to combat incitement on social networking websites.” The council also “tackled issues that remained classified,” NNA said. Hizbullah's operation had been anticipated for several weeks, and comes after Lebanese soldiers carrying out raids on Syrian refugee camps in the area were met with suicide bombings and a grenade attack. That attack heightened tensions over the presence in Lebanon of more than a million refugees from the civil war across the border.

Army Ups Security Measure, Shells Militants Fleeing into Arsal
Associated Press/Naharnet/July 21/17/The Lebanese army on Friday upped its security measures in the northeastern border town of Arsal to keep militants from infiltrating into the town, as Hizbullah launched an offensive against jihadists in the border area, media reports said. Crossings between the town and its outskirts were blocked by the military forces to safeguard the town's residents, and prevent jihadists fleeing the shelling from infiltrating into the town, reports have said. The Army bombarded terror group members who attempted to flee from Wadi Zaarour, an area in the outskirts, into the town, the National News Agency said. The army's measures come in line with a military assault launched by Hizbullah against posts of militants in the outskirts. Hizbullah began an offensive on Thursday shelling militant posts in the outskirts of Arsal, as media reports said the group's long-anticipated “operation” against jihadists in the area had started. Media reports said that military operations began from two fronts on the outskirts of the Lebanese town of Arsal and the Syrian village of Flita. VDL (93.3) said that Lebanese flags were seen flown above encampments of Syrian refugees in Arsal, and that a state of calm prevailed in the town. It also said that Nusra has evacuated several of its positions and fortifications in the Wadi Hmeid area. The army later called on the Red Cross and other NGOs to help refugees get out of camps located near clash zones on the outskirts of Arsal.The offensive was widely expected after negotiations with militants to leave the area failed over the past days. The region is a stronghold of Syria's al-Qaida's branch, known as Fatah al-Sham Front, as well as the Islamic State group and the Levant People's Brigades.

Report: Kuwait Hands Lebanon Letter on 'Hizbullah Role in Terror Cell'
Naharnet/July 21/17/Kuwaiti Ambassador to Lebanon Abdul Al al-Qinai on Friday handed Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil a letter containing a warning of a possible reevaluation of ties between the two countries in connection with an alleged Hizbullah role in the case of the so-called al-Abdali terror cell, media reports said. The letter asks the Lebanese government to “shoulder its responsibility towards Hizbullah” in order to “preserve the ties between the two countries,” the reports said. Al-Qinai had met with Prime Minister Saad Hariri on Thursday. Kuwait on Thursday expelled Iranian diplomats and closed some embassy missions after the emirate's top court convicted a "terror" cell of links to the Islamic republic, prompting Iran to threaten reciprocal measures. Kuwaiti authorities busted what they said was a "terrorism" cell with ties to Iran in August 2015 and seized large quantities of arms, ammunition and explosives. Cell members were convicted of working for Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Lebanon's Hizbullah. They were also convicted of smuggling explosives from Iran.

EU Ambassador Says LAF 'Sole Providers of Security' in Lebanon
Naharnet/July 21/17/Ambassador Christina Lassen, Head of the Delegation of the European Union to Lebanon, held talks Friday with Prime Minister Saad Hariri and stressed that the Lebanese Armed Forces and other state security and justice institutions are the “sole providers of security” in Lebanon. Lassen's remarks came hours after Hizbullah launched a major operation in the outskirts of the border town of Arsal to oust jihadist militants from the area. “In the context of reviewing the security situation at Lebanon's eastern border and the operations in Arsal, Ambassador Lassen reaffirmed the EU's commitment to support the Lebanese Armed Forces and other state security and justice institutions, as the sole providers of security, stability and order in the country while stressing the importance of abiding by international human rights law,” said a statement issued by the EU Delegation after the meeting. Lassen also welcomed Hariri's “announcement to publish the results of the still ongoing investigation on the death of four detainees in LAF custody.” Concerning the situation of refugees from Syria in Lebanon, Lassen expressed concern about the rising tensions and lauded “statements from the President and the Prime Minister denouncing recent attacks and divisive rhetoric.”

Hariri to Begin U.S. Visit on Monday
Naharnet/July 21/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri will on Monday begin an official visit to the United States during which he will meet with U.S. President Donald Trump, his office said Friday. The premier will also meet with a number of U.S. administration officials, House Speaker Paul Ryan, members of Congress and senior officials from the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, the office added. Hariri will be accompanied by Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil, Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh, the director of his office Nader Hariri and a number of advisers. Voice of Lebanon radio (93.3) later reported that Hariri had “left Lebanon for the United States.”

Lebanese IT Expert Held in Iran Asks Hariri for Help
Associated Press/Naharnet/July 21/17/Prime Minister Saad Hariri received a telephone call from Lebanese IT expert held in Iran, Nizar Zakka, asking him for the government's intervention to have him released from prison, Hariri's media office said on Friday. Zakka, who has been held in Iran for nearly two years, described the difficult conditions of his detention and his deteriorating health and asked the Lebanese government to intervene to obtain his liberation. Hariri told Zaka that his case is being followed up through the available diplomatic means. Zakka, who has permanent U.S. residency, went missing on Sept. 18, 2015, during his fifth trip to Iran. Two weeks later, Iranian state TV reported that he was in custody and suspected of "deep links" with U.S. intelligence services. Last September, Zakka was sentenced to 10 years in prison and handed a $4.2 million fine after being convicted of espionage by a security court. Zakka's family denies the allegations. His brother said he had been invited to attend a conference at which President Hassan Rouhani spoke of sustainable development and providing more economic opportunities for women. Zakka, who used to live in Washington, leads the Arab ICT Organization, or IJMA3, an industry consortium from 13 countries that advocates for information technology in the region.

Police Make Drug and Border Infiltration Arrests
Naharnet/July 21/17/State Security police arrested on Friday two suspects involved in the possession and selling of hash and narcotics pills, the National News Agency reported. Police in the southern town of Nabatieh, arrested the two suspects who were identified by their initials as Aa.B. and A.H. in the town of Bin Jbeil. The were caught on drug charges and referred to the related judiciary. The State Security has also arrested two Syrian nationals on charges of infiltrating into Lebanon's territory. They were referred to the General Security Directorate.

Araji: Military Institution the Sole Side Authorized to Defend Border
Associated Press/Naharnet/July 21/17/MP Assem Araji stressed on Friday that the Lebanese army is the sole side authorized to defend the country's border. “The army is the sole side authorized to confront armed groups and defend the border” said Araji, adding that “the military institution enjoys full (people's) support in order to preserve the security in Arsal and the safety of the displaced,” said Araji in an interview to VDL (93.3). Araji's comments came in line with a Hizbullah military operation aimed to “eliminate” militants entrenched in the outskirts of Arsal. He voiced fears that the fighting could trigger a “new wave of displacements into the Central Bekaa Valley.” Hizbullah launched a major ground offensive on Friday aimed at ending the years-long presence of hundreds of militants in a border area between Syria and Lebanon. The State-run National News Agency said that Syrian warplanes carried out around 15 air raids on militants posts early on Friday. The offensive was widely expected after negotiations with militants to leave the area failed over the past days. NNA said the Lebanese army shelled an area on the border to prevent a group of militants from entering the Arsal area.There will be concerns about civilian casualties if the militants infiltrate Arsal, which is home to tens of thousands of Syrian refugees who fled civil war in their country.

Geagea: Struggle to Continue till March 14 Victory, Disarmament of All Groups
Naharnet/July 21/17/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea announced Thursday that “struggle” will continue until the March 14 camp achieves “its final victory” and until the disarmament of Hizbullah and other armed groups in the country. “Some believe that the 'secret struggle' had started in 1994 and ended in 2005, but actually the secret struggle is still ongoing and it will not stop before March 14 achieves its final victory,” said Geagea at a Maarab ceremony to launch a book titled The Story of Secret Struggle, which documents the period during the presence of Syrian forces in Lebanon when the LF was banned and Geagea was in prison. “Some think that March 14 ended with the end of its organizational structure, but this is wrong, seeing as the cause will continue until we realize our dream of having a strong, effective state that extends its authority over all of Lebanon's soil,” the LF leader added. Referring to Hizbullah's armed resistance against Israel's 1978-2000 occupation of south Lebanon, Geagea noted that the 1989 Taef Accord that ended the civil war had “stipulated that the Lebanese state would be responsible for resisting any Israeli attack.” “But the (Syrian) tutelage authority contributed to the rise of the resistance in the South, and we are still suffering from that, but the struggle will continue until we get rid of all armed groups,” Geagea vowed. And addressing future generations, the LF leader advised them “not to endorse any agreement before knowing how it would be implemented.”“Until today, we are still paying the price of the Taef Agreement because it was implemented in a wrong way,” Geagea warned.

Foreign Ministry: Diplomatic appointments filled 60% of vacant posts
Fri 21 Jul 2017/NNA - The Foreign Ministry announced on Friday in a statement that the latest diplomatic appointments had filled 60% of the vacant posts, saying that the diplomatic corps had suffered for years from vacancies in missions and central administration posts. The Ministry considered the latest diplomatic appointments as the biggest one in the history of the Ministry, stressing the Ministry's commitment to the laws and regulations, as well as to the principles and criteria adopted by the diplomatic corps in formulating these appointments.On the other hand, the Ministry urged media outlets to be cautious in the dissemination of information, notably that "the distribution of any false information will adversely affect Lebanon's relations with foreign countries."

Berri, Syrian Ambassador tackle overall developments
Fri 21 Jul 2017/NNA - House Speaker Nabih Berri on Friday met at Ain Tineh residence with with Syrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Ali Abdul-Karim Ali, with whom he discussed the current developments. On emerging, Ambassador Ali said that talks dwelt on the current incidents in Arsal and Syria, in addition to the bilateral ties between the two countries. The Ambassador also sounded optimistic about the future of Lebanon and Syria, hailing the triumphs realized by Syria due to the resilience of its army, the competence of its leadership and the wide popular support around it.
On the other hand, Speaker Berri met with an Australian delegation of Lebanese origin, led by the Senate President of New South Wales, John Ajaka, in the presence of Australian Ambassador to Lebanon, Glenn Miles.
Talks reportedly dwelt on the Lebanese-Australian ties and the role of the Lebanese community in Australia.Later, Berri met with a delegation of the Supreme Judicial Council, led by Judge Jean Fahed.

Bou Assi, Wrba tackle social cooperation prospects
Fri 21 Jul 2017/NNA - Social Affairs Minister, Pierre Bou Assi, on Friday met at his ministerial office with the Austrian Ambassador to Lebanon, Marian Wrba, with talks reportedly touching on issues of mutual concern, and prospects of cooperation at the social affairs level. Talks also dwelt on aids provided by Austria in support of host communities and Syrian refugees.

Jarah confirms Army not part of Arsal battle
Fri 21 Jul 2017/NNA - "The Lebanese army will not be part of the battle that is taking place on the eastern border," Telecoms Minister, Jamal Jarrah, said in a statement issued on Friday. "The Army is deployed to prevent the infiltration of militants into the town of Arsal. It is also protecting the people and the camps of Syrian refugees," Jarrah added. He called on the residents of Arsal to stand by the army, which is endeavoring to eliminate danger from the town.

Latest LCCC Bulletin For Miscellaneous Reports And News published on July 21-22/17
Kuwaiti-Iranian Ties in Crisis after ‘Abdali Cell’ Flees Detention
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Kuwait – Kuwaiti-Iranian ties have entered a new phase of tensions that have marred their history in recent decades. The tensions erupted in wake of the Kuwaiti government’s decision on Thursday to lower the number of diplomats at the Iranian embassy and expel some 15 Iranian diplomats. The development came in wake of the escape of 16 members of the “Abdali cell” from detention in Kuwait. The cell, comprised on 26 Kuwaitis and an Iranian, was part of a conspiracy to destabilize the country with the cooperation of Iran and Lebanon’s “Hezbollah” militant group. The escape has also reportedly prompted Kuwait to ask Tehran’s ambassador in the country to leave. Tensions between the two neighbors over this issue however date back to when the cell was initially discovered and not in the escape. It was first revealed to the public on August 13, 2015 and its primary suspect is Iranian diplomat Abdulreza Haidar Dahqani, who has been sentenced to death in absentia. He was working at his country’s embassy in Kuwait at the time of the discovery. Thursday’s developments marked the second chapter of this ongoing diplomatic crisis. There is speculation that the 16 suspects fled Kuwait to Iran by sea, even though the Kuwaiti Interior Ministry said on Wednesday that its official records indicate that they are still in the country.
Prior to this week’s developments, Kuwaiti-Iranian ties had witnessed periods of tensions and others of calm, but throughout these times the Islamic Republic was weaving spy cells inside the Gulf state. In February, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani made a brief visit to Kuwait. It was preceded by an official to Tehran by Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmed in June 2014. He had relayed to Iranian officials a Gulf message on a vision for political dialogue on condition that Tehran cease meddling in its internal affairs. In August 2015, the Abdali cell was arrested and the Interior Ministry seized 19 tons of ammunition from its possession, as well as 144 kgs of TNT, a number of rocket-propelled grenades, hand grenades, detonators and weapons. The most difficult phase of Kuwaiti-Iranian tensions occurred in the 1980s during the Iraqi-Iranian war. During this period, Kuwait witnessed a number of security incidents, which were openly and indirectly blamed on Iran. These included the December 1983 bombings of the French and US embassies and the Kuwait airport and the assassination attempt against the Emir of Kuwait in May 1985. Lebanese organizations were blamed for these incidents. A Bangkok-bound Kuwait Airways was hijacked in 1988 and the attack against Kuwaiti oil tankers in the Gulf also took place. Ties between Kuwait and Iran improved slightly after 1991 when Kuwait was liberated from the Iraqi invasion. They took a knock however in 2010 after Kuwait discovered an Iranian spy cell in its country. Later that year, it issued death sentences against four suspects, including two Iranians, on charges of spying for Tehran. Seven other suspects were also sentenced on espionage charges. In March 2011, Kuwait sentenced two Iranians and a Kuwaiti to death for belonging to an Iranian spy cell. Two other suspects were given life in prison in the same case. In wake of the development, Kuwait expelled in April 2011 a number of Iranian diplomats accused of espionage and it warned Tehran that this case will have “dangerous repercussions” on bilateral ties. Tehran has denied the accusations against it. In May 2013, a Kuwait court sentenced to life in prison four members of the so-called “Iranian Spy Cell”. Three of its members were acquitted. In January 2016, Kuwait summoned the Iranian ambassador and handed him a complaint in wake of the attacks against Saudi diplomatic missions in Tehran.

Qatar: Emir Issues Decree Amending Terrorism Law
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Dammam, Brussels- Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued on Thursday a decree amending some provisions of a law on combating terrorism, two weeks after Doha signed an accord with Washington on curbing terror financing. The decree, which was issued on Thursday, replaces a 2004 anti-terrorism law and includes definitions for the terms terrorist, crime, terrorist acts, terrorist entities, the freezing of funds and the financing of terrorism. In a related matter, Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir stressed that the Saudi kingdom’s stance from Doha is the result of Qatar’s backing and financing of terrorism and extremism. Speaking at a press conference in Brussels with his Belgian counterpart, Jubeir said: “Our demands from Qatar fall within the frame of international policies in the global fight against terrorism.” “Our policy is zero tolerance for terrorism and its sources of funding,” he added. Jubeir explained that Saudi Vision 2030 carries a strategic plan for the future of the kingdom. He pointed out that Saudi Arabia hosted the conference against terrorism with the participation of 50 countries. “We have strong relations with other countries and we cooperate with global intelligence against terrorism,” he said. “Qatar allows its media to spread hatred and incitement,” Jubeir declared, but hoped that Doha would respond and meet the demands to stop supporting terrorism. Regarding Yemen, the Saudi foreign minister said “we are always working to increase the aid allocated to Yemen,” adding “we expressed support for the efforts of UN envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed.”On Iran, Jubair said that Tehran “continues its attempts to interfere in the internal affairs of neighboring countries.”

Abul Gheit: Yemen’s ‘Catastrophic Situation’ Caused by Coup’s Obstruction of Peace Efforts
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Sawsan Abu-Husain/Asharq Al Awsat/July 21/17/Cairo- Aden- Arab League (AL) Secretary General Ahmed Abul Gheit said that coup militias in Yemen continued obstruction to a political settlement, namely solution proposals by the UN Special Envoy, is the prime reason for the country spiraling down in terms of humanitarian affairs. The AL chief blames the Houthis for Yemen’s “catastrophic situation” due to their establishment of their own government and not responding to political settlement initiatives and UN peacemaking efforts. The time has come for warring parties to reconsider their accounts and pay attention to the enormous suffering inflicted on Yemenis because of their policies which are based on a narrow and selfish view that has no place for the national interest, said the AL chief. More so, Abul Gheit warned on Thursday against the growing cholera outbreak in war-ravaged Yemen, urging the international community to respond to the pleas of UN organizations to control the epidemic. He also called on the world’s states and civil society organizations to urgently respond to the calls of the World Health Organization and the UN Children’s Fund (Unicef) to provide $22 million, out of which 16 million were immediately required, to contain the crisis. “It is necessary to work closely to contain the cholera epidemic and prevent its outbreak in more Yemeni provinces and cities to avoid a possible humanitarian crisis whose consequences may last for years to come,” said Abul Cheit in the statement.
As many as 362,545 suspected cholera cases and 1,817 related deaths have been reported in 91.3 per cent of Yemeni governorates and 88 percent of its districts, said a WHO report on July 19. Yemen has been suffering a civil war for about two and a half years. The war broke out in 2014 after Iran-aligned Houthi putchists –supported by armed loyalists of the ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh– overran the UN-backed transitional government led by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and took over the capital Sanaa. From March 2015 to March 2017, the civil war, ground battles, and air strikes killed over 10,000 Yemenis, half of whom are civilians, injured about 40,000 and displaced over two million, according to humanitarian agencies.

Egypt says it is ‘shameful’ that Qatar not held accountable at United Nations
Reuters, United Nations Friday, 21 July 2017/Egypt accused Qatar on Thursday of adopting a “pro-terrorist” policy that violated United Nations Security Council resolutions and described it as “shameful” that the 15-member body had not held Qatar accountable. “It’s crucial for the Security Council to make these countries that don’t respect these resolutions accountable,” Egyptian Deputy UN Ambassador Ihab Awad Moustafa told the council. “For example, the adoption by the Qatar regime of a pro-terrorist policy.”Moustafa told the council that Qatar “believes that the economic interests and the different political orientations will protect them from any accountability vis-a-vis the Security Council because it has violated the resolutions of the council.” “That shameful situation cannot continue,” he said. “This council’s resolutions must be effective, they must stop any violation.”

28 Syrian Regime Members Killed in Ambush near Damascus
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/London – Twenty-eight members of the Syrian regime were killed on Thursday and a number of others were injured in an ambush by one of the armed factions in the Eastern Ghouta region near the capital Damascus, announced the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Head of the London-based Observatory Rami Abdulrahman said that the ambush was staged when the regime forces were attempting to wage an attack. The forces came under attack by the Jaish al-Islam (Army of Islam) rebel group as they attempted to advance in the town of Al-Rihan, he added according to Agence France Presse. The Eastern Ghouta region is a major rebel stronghold near the capital and it has been the frequent target of regime operations. Abdulrahman said rebels opened fire on the regime forces as they entered an area where the opposition fighters had planted mines. He said the ambush was the deadliest incident for the regime in Eastern Ghouta since February 2016, when 76 of its members were killed in Tal Sawane. The Observatory predicted that the death toll from Thursday’s ambush will rise. The Syrian regime was not immediately available for comment, reported Reuters. Eastern Ghouta is in one of the four proposed “de-escalation zones” designated in an agreement reached by regime allies Iran and Russia and rebel backer Turkey in May. In recent weeks, regime warplanes have bombed the Ain Terma area that links Eastern Ghouta to the rebel-held parts of the Damascus neighborhood of Jobar.

Clashes intensify in Syria’s Idlib between rebel groups
AFP Friday, 21 July 2017/Clashes in Syria’s Idlib province between a powerful militant group and a key rebel faction intensified overnight, spreading to a border crossing with Turkey, a monitor and AFP correspondent said Friday. The running battles between Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), led by a former Al-Qaeda affiliate, and the Ahrar al-Sham have so far killed at least 65 people, including 15 civilians. The clashes erupted earlier this week, and quickly spread through the province, which is one of the last remaining bastions of opposition-held territory. Overnight, fierce battles raged in several parts of the province, including inside the Bab al-Hawa border crossing, which was previously fully controlled by Ahrar al-Sham. “The fighting is now inside the crossing. It has become a battlefield, with part of it under Hayat Tahrir al-Sham’s control, and part under Ahrar al-Sham’s control,” said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. An AFP correspondent in the province also reported heavy clashes on the outskirts of the town of Binnish and attempts by HTS to break into the village of Ram Hamdan. HTS and Ahrar once formed the backbone of the Army of Conquest that captured most of Idlib province from the government in 2015. But tensions between the two factions have been rising for some time and the latest clashes erupted in part over Ahrar’s attempts to fly the flag of the Syrian revolution in the provincial capital Idlib city. HTS is dominated by the Fateh al-Sham faction, which was previously known as Al-Nusra Front before dropping its official designation as Al-Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate. The clashes have been accompanied by sporadic demonstrations against HTS in several parts of the province, including in the town of Sarmada where the militants on Wednesday and Thursday opened fire on protests against them. On Wednesday, the fire killed a media activist participating in the demonstrations in the town. Both sides have set up new checkpoints, and the fighting has turned parts of the province into virtual ghost towns with residents staying at home for fear of being caught in the fighting. The Observatory said at least 15 civilians, including four children, have been killed in the fighting so far, including the media activist killed in the Wednesday demonstration in Saraqeb. Another 50 fighters from both sides have been killed in clashes and executions, the monitor said. More than 330,000 people have been killed in Syria since the conflict began in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

Iraqi Kurds Seek Independence, Push for November Elections
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Erbil- President Masoud Barzani, the leader of Iraq’s autonomous region of Kurdistan, has called a parliamentary and presidential election for November which could help ease a long-running political row as the Kurds push for independence from Baghdad. The elections will follow an independence referendum set for Sept. 25, a move that will strain Iraq’s federal unity and annoy neighbors Syria, Turkey and Iran, who also have sizable Kurdish populations. The political developments take place as Iraqi government forces push back ISIS militants from territory in northern Iraq, a campaign in which Kurdish peshmerga forces have played a vital role. The Kurdistan region last held a presidential election in 2009 and a parliamentary election in 2013. Barzani won the 2009 poll but has said he will not stand again. His term of office expired in 2013 and has been extended twice, during which time Kurdistan has suffered bouts of unrest and political disarray. The parliament has not met since October 2015. An aide to Barzani said the election was set for Nov. 1. “All concerned parties are committed to do the necessary work and will support and co-ordinate with the Kurdistan Higher Independent Election Commission and Referendum to implement this decree,” Erbil-based Rudaw TV quoted a decree as saying. Following the 2013 parliamentary election, Barzani formed a broad-based government led by his Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) with the Gorran (Change) movement holding a number of posts, including the parliamentary speaker. In an escalating political crisis, four Gorran ministers were removed from the cabinet in October 2015 and the speaker of parliament was barred from entering the capital. The KDP accused Gorran, which had demanded a reduction of Barzani’s powers, of orchestrating violent protests in which party offices were attacked. The Kurdistan parliament has not sat since. However, the KDP said this week it would drop its conditions for reconvening the parliament to help the independence referendum succeed, including allowing the speaker, Yousif Mohammed, to return. Earlier this month, Barzani told Reuters there was no turning back on the bid to achieve an independent Kurdish state, but he would pursue it through dialogue with Baghdad and regional powers to avoid conflict. Parties such as Gorran and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) all favor independence but not necessarily under the leadership of Barzani and the KDP.

Saudi Arabia, Iraq Agree to Reopen Border, Restore Intelligence Cooperation
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Baghdad – Saudi Arabia and Iraq agreed on Thursday to reopen the Aarar crossing, the only border crossing between the two countries, and to exchange security and intelligence information between them. The reopening of the border will facilitate the travel of Iraqi Hajj pilgrims, while the security and intelligence exchange is aimed at combating terrorism. The announcement was made during a press conference by Iraqi Chief of Staff Othman al-Ghanmi and his Saudi counterpart Abdulrahman al-Bunyan in the Iraqi capital Baghdad. The two sides stressed the importance of cooperation and coordination in security affairs. Al-Bunyan said that his visit to Iraq is part of efforts to set the foundation for improving ties between Riyadh and Baghdad on various levels. He stressed the importance of the exchange of intelligence in countering terrorism, underlining the need to monitor the 814 km-long mainly desert border between Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Iraqi Defense Minister Arfan Mahmoud al-Hiyali meanwhile hailed “Saudi Arabia’s role in supporting Iraq in its war against terrorism.”He said during talks with al-Bunyan: “The armed Iraqi forces have showed great courage in defending the nation and fought terrorism on behalf of the world.”For his part, the Saudi chief of staff hailed the role of the Iraqi forces in combating ISIS and “defending and liberating their land from those who have soiled it.”The two officials discussed bilateral ties and ways to develop them, especially on the military level. They also addressed the recent visits between officials from either country, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s talks in Jeddah on Tuesday with Iraqi Interior Minister Qassem al-Araji. The Iraqi official also met with Interior Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Saud bin Nayef. Iraqi Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi had also paid a visit to the Kingdom. On June 20, he met with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman bin Abdulaziz to address bilateral ties and regional developments. He had also held talks Crown Prince Mohammed, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense.

Egypt security forces kill two suspected militants, ministry says
Reuters, Cairo Friday, 21 July 2017/Egyptian security forces killed in a shootout two people suspected of being prominent members of the militant Hasm Movement, an Interior Ministry statement said on Friday. Hasm, a group that emerged last year and has claimed several attacks on security forces, said on Friday it had carried out a shooting on Thursday in Fayoum, a province about 60 km south of Cairo, that killed one policemen and injured three others. Egypt accuses Hasm of being a militant wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, an Islamist group it outlawed in 2013. The Muslim Brotherhood denies this.
Raid on hideout The interior ministry statement said security forces raided a hideout in Fayoum being used by the group, leading to a firefight that killed two members responsible for carrying out recent attacks. The statement did not say when the raid took place or whether the militants killed were responsible for Thursday's police shooting. This month, Egypt saw one of the worst attacks on its security forces in years, when 23 soldiers were killed after two suicide car bombs were detonated in North Sinai.

Jordan, Israel Seek to Find Compromise over Al Aqsa E-gates
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Ramallah – International contacts intensified on Thursday with the aim to reach a compromise over the removal of electronic gates at Al Aqsa Mosque and to reopen the compound to Palestinian worshippers. A Palestinian official, who spoke to Asharq Al-Awsat on condition of anonymity, said that the United States, the European Union, Turkey and Arab countries have all joined mediation efforts and gave advice to Israel on the means to resolve the issue. However, the official added that direct and intensive negotiations were held between Tel Aviv and Amman, as Israel manages the outer area of the mosque, while Jordan oversees the compound’s inner space. He noted that Jordan was committed to the need to remove the electronic gates entirely, rejecting all solutions such as keeping the gates and excluding specific groups of worshipers from inspection. On Sunday, Israeli police placed strict security measures at the entrances of the mosque, including e-gates and metal detectors to search worshipers, in response to an attack last week, which saw three Arab Israelis open fire at Israeli police officers near the compound. The new measures sparked a wave of anger among Palestinians, who refused to be inspected by the police and decided to pray outside the mosque instead.On Monday, Jerusalem witnessed violent confrontations that have left several Palestinians injured. Religious authorities, Islamic and Christian figures, as well as politicians and activists, have urged the residents of Jerusalem to march to Al Aqsa on Friday, in protest of the new security measures. In remarks on Thursday, Israeli Internal Security Minister Gilad Erdan defended the establishment of electronic gates, but acknowledged the existence of intensive contacts to ease the dispute, stressing his commitment to reach an appropriate “compromise”.
The Israeli Army has decided to place five additional military battalions on alert, among fears that Friday’s march would stir violence in the city. In this context, Director of the Al-Aqsa Mosque Sheikh Omar al-Kiswani said: “If the occupation forces are afraid for their safety, let them leave. Al-Aqsa belongs to the Muslims alone by a divine decree issued 1400 years ago.” Al-Kiswani warned the occupation forces against sparking violence on Friday, which he said might lead to the massacre of worshipers. On Thursday, a delegation of the World Council of Churches joined Palestinian worshipers who gathered near Al Aqsa to voice their solidarity with the Muslim community. Zogby al-Zoghbi, the council’s spokesman, denounced the establishment of e-gates and described it as a religious war. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority (PA) sent letters to the United States, European, Arab and Islamic countries, calling for their urgent intervention. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas spoke with his Turkish counterpart, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and asked him to pressure the United States and Israel to end the tension. Erdogan, for his part, contacted Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, urging him to resolve the crisis. However, Israeli media quoted sources close to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying: “Erdogan passed the prime minister and foreign minister Netanyahu and chose to talk to the president, who has no real authority in this case.” Also on Thursday, Palestinian Prime Minister Rami al-Hamdallah called on the European Union to take immediate and urgent steps to pressure Israel to stop its violations against the Palestinians and their holy sites. Hamdallah warned against the deterioration of the security situation due to the Israeli measures in Jerusalem, especially the ongoing violations against Jerusalemites. During his meeting with ambassadors and representatives of EU countries, he said that the PA would face all attempts to isolate Al Aqsa.

Three Palestinians killed in clashes with Israeli forces in Jerusalem
The Associated Press, Jerusalem Friday, 21 July 2017/The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported three Palestinians were killed by live bullets fired by the Israeli forces in clashes erupting on Friday after the prayers in Jerusalem. Twenty Palestinians were reported wounded and four arrested in the clashes between the Israeli forces and the Palestinians, reported Al Arabiya. An Israeli police spokesman says police are banning Muslim men under the age of 50 from Al Aqsa mosque ahead of feared mass protests over the installation of metal detectors there. The Israeli army provided reinforcements to the police to handle protests in Jerusalem.The clashes between the Israeli occupation forces and Palestinian protesters erupted in Qalandiya. Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said Friday that reinforcements are being deployed in and around Jerusalem’s Old City, where the walled shrine is located. He says: “Police and border police units mobilized in all areas and neighborhoods.” Muslim leaders have called for mass protests at Friday noon prayers. They urged worshippers to pray outside the shrine rather than submit to security procedures. Muslim leaders allege Israel is trying to expand its control there by installing the security devices. The United Arab Emirates and Jordan have called on the Israeli authorities to open Al Aqsa mosque to worshipers in Jerusalem and to respect the existing state of affairs in the city, an official Jordanian source said Friday. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman al-Safadi and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan agreed in a phone conversation Thursday evening that the Al-Aqsa Mosque should be opened immediately to worshipers.

US envoy to Israe, David Friedman visits families of slain Druze cops
Ynetnews/July 21/17
Paying condolence visit to families of officers who were murdered at Temple Mount last week, US envoy to Israel laments 'their precious sons were taken from them'; says all must be done to ensure no family suffers the same way. US Ambassador to Israel David Friedman paid a condolence visit Thursday to the families of the two police officers who were murdered last friday in a terror attack by three gunmen at the Lions' Gate at the Temple Mount. Hugging the families of Staff Sgt. Maj. Ha'il Satawi, 30, and Staff Sgt. Maj. Kamil Shnaan, 22, of Maghar and Hurfeish, respectively, Friedman told them: "We have to make sure that no family suffers like this."Satawi, 30 is survived by a three-week-old baby, Ramos, his wife Arin, his parents and three siblings. Shnaan, 22, was the son of former MK Shachiv Shannan. He was recruited seven months ago into the Israel Police where he served as a patrol officer in the Temple Mount Unit in the Jerusalem District. “While Israel is dealing with required security matters in order to return security to the Temple Mount, we cannot forget that 100 kilometers north of Jerusalem, two wonderful families are suffering,” Friedman said at the end of his visit. “Their precious sons, one of them a father to a three-week-old baby, were taken from them in a terror attack at one of the holiest sites in the world. The families should be in everyone’s prayers and we need to focus on ensuring that no other family should have a reason to suffer this way.” Friedman also echoed the worries expressed by the White House yesterday, stating that is was “very concerned” over the escalation of violence on the Temple Mount. “The US is very concerned about the situation on the Temple Mount and calls upon all the sides to find a solution that ensures safety and security at the site and preserve the status quo.” Thousands of Israeli police began taking up positions at the holy site following a decision taken Friday morning to keep recently installed metal detectors there for the time being in response to last Friday’s attack. While a number of other alternatives were considered, the police ultimately decided that the metal detectors were of paramount importance for maintaining security.

Libya: Haftar, Sarraj to Meet in Paris Soon
Asharq Al-Awsat/July 21/17/Cairo – The French capital will host next week a meeting between Marshal Khalifa Haftar, the commander of the Libyan National Army, and head of Libya’s UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) Fayez al-Sarraj, well-informed Libyan sources told Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper. The meeting falls within French attempts to bring the two officials together for the purpose of ending the Libyan crisis under the auspices of President Emmanuel Macron. While no official confirmation has been issued by Haftar or Sarraj, Libyan sources said France was waiting for the two sides to arrive in Paris to arrange the meeting.A statement issued by the French Foreign Ministry, commenting on the diplomatic initiatives announced by Macron on Libya, noted that Paris believed a solution to the crisis in Libya should be based on a political settlement involving all the different Libyan factions. The statement added that France would maintain its dialogue with the concerned Libyan parties and would “make sure that countries, which have influence in Libya, would join efforts to resolve the crisis as soon as possible.”Sarraj has recently proposed a new roadmap for resolving the Libyan crisis, including holding presidential and parliamentary elections by March next year; however, the Libyan parliament, which supports Haftar, criticized the initiative and questioned in turn the legitimacy of Sarraj government. “We have managed to sit down with a number of those who disagree with us or oppose our approach, and there are attempts to meet with others,” Sarraj said during a local meeting on Tuesday. The two officials have met twice since Sarraj took office at the end of December 2015. One meeting was held at Haftar’s military headquarters in eastern Benghazi, while the other took place in Abu Dhabi under Emirati mediation. On a separate note, in a new confirmation of Qatar’s involvement in supporting terrorist groups in Libya and interfering in the country’s internal affairs, Colonel Ahmed Al-Mesmari, a spokesman for the National Army, revealed that the army has footage of a Qatar Air Force aircraft shipping ammunition and weapons to the city of Misrata, west of the country. “Qatar has turned Libya into a big crime scene,” he said, adding that the army had found long-range surveillance cameras in the possession of terrorists. He also announced that the national army, led by Haftar, would provide evidence and documents to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which prove Qatar’s involvement in supporting terrorists, adding that Qatari flags were found in sites belonging to terrorist groups.

US Supreme Court: Grandparents, grandkids exempted from Trump travel ban
AFP, Washington Thursday, 20 July 2017/The United States Supreme Court dealt President Donald Trump’s government a fresh setback Wednesday, saying its controversial travel ban cannot be applied to grandparents and other close relatives of people living in the United States – for now.The court accepted a Hawaii federal judge’s ruling last week that the Trump administration had too narrowly defined what constitutes “close family relationships” to determine exceptions to the ban on travelers from six mainly Muslim countries – Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. That left in place Judge Derrick Watson’s wider definition, which includes grandparents, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and cousins of people living in the United States. But in its brief order, the court backed the Trump administration by staying the part of Watson’s ruling that would have expanded exemptions to its 120-day ban on all refugees. The order said the Supreme Court’s ruling is temporary, pending a federal appeals court’s review of the issues. The Supreme Court itself was partially the source of the dispute, having ruled in late June that the 90-day travel ban, aimed at better screening out potential security risks, can be broadly enforced for travelers from the six countries “who lack any bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the United States.”Days later, the government interpreted that to mean that only “close family” was exempted -- which it defined as the parents, spouses, children, sons- and daughters-in-law, siblings and step- and half-siblings of people in the United States. Hawaii, one of several states fighting the travel ban since Trump first announced it in January, filed a court motion arguing that grandparents and grandchildren were by all measures also “close family”. After Watson accepted that argument, the Justice Department appealed the issue to the Supreme Court, asking the court to make its own definition of “bona fide relationship” and “close family.” In its order Wednesday, the high court refused. Watson had also ordered the administration to exempt from its 120-day refugee ban any refugee who already has a relationship with a US resettlement agency. But the court overruled that, until a regional federal appeals court rules on the government’s appeal. Hawaii Attorney General Doug Chin welcomed the Supreme Court’s ruling on travelers. “This confirms we were right to say that the Trump Administration over-reached in trying to unilaterally keep families apart from each other,” he said in a statement. Added Omar Jadwat, director of the Immigrants’ Rights Project at the American Civil Liberties Union activist group: “Given an inch, the Trump Administration has tried to take a mile in implementing the ban. That is cruel, unnecessary, and unlawful,” he said in a statement. “We look forward to eradicating the entire Muslim ban, which is unconstitutional and repugnant to our most basic values as a country.” The White House and Justice Department had no immediate comment on the ruling.

White House Spokesman, Trump Legal Aide Quit as Russia Probe Deepens
Naharnet/Agence France Presse/July 21/17/White House press secretary Sean Spicer and a member of President Donald Trump's legal team resigned Friday in a one-two punch to a reeling administration, as pressure mounts from a broadening investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia. Spicer resigned in opposition to Trump's naming of Anthony Scaramucci, a Wall Street financier and longtime supporter of the billionaire investor-turned-president, as the new White House communications director, a White House official told AFP. Mark Corallo, who coordinated the Trump legal team's public response to the crisis over a probe into possible campaign collusion with Moscow, also stepped down, according to an email he sent to AFP. Spicer's press briefings -- often combative affairs with White House reporters -- became increasingly infrequent in recent months, with deputy spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders stepping in to address journalists, often in off-camera briefings. Sanders however was due to go in front of the cameras later Friday. Spicer's departure dramatically escalates the tensions within the administration over the direction the investigation is taking, and how the White House is responding. No reason was given for Corallo's departure, and Spicer so far has remained publicly silent. But the moves come after Trump waded into potentially perilous legal territory by warning investigators not to look into his family finances. In an expansive interview with The New York Times earlier this week, Trump appeared to make that a red line for special counsel Robert Mueller.Mueller is examining whether Trump or his aides colluded with Russia's apparent efforts to help tilt the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor. Trump has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, but has struggled to explain why his eldest son and key aides met Russian operatives who promised dirt on Hillary Clinton.
'Fundamental line' -
With the investigation apparently extending to financial transactions, U.S. media reported that Trump allies were looking into issuing presidential pardons and for ways to discredit Mueller's investigation. Trump himself has suggested that Mueller -— a widely respected former FBI director —- may have a conflict of interest. "There is NO basis to question the integrity of Mueller or those serving with him in the special counsel's office," said former attorney general Eric Holder. "Trump cannot define or constrain Mueller investigation. If he tries to do so this creates issues of constitutional and criminal dimension."
The White House has pointedly refused to rule out the possibility that Trump would fire Mueller -- an act that would prompt a political firestorm and perhaps a constitutional crisis. Trump has already fired his FBI director James Comey over the Russia investigation and lashed out at his own attorney general Jeff Sessions for recusing himself from the probe. Adam Schiff, the leading Democrat on a House of Representatives intelligence committee that is separately investigating Russian actions around the time of the election, also warned that Trump was wandering into dangerous territory.
"There is no doubt that Mueller has the authority to investigate anything that arises from his investigation into the Trump campaign's ties to Russia, including financial links," Schiff said. The top Democrat on the Senate's intelligence committee, Mark Warner, warned that pardoning anybody who may have been involved "would be crossing a fundamental line."

Latest LCCC Bulletin analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on July 19-20/17
Trump Kicks the Iranian ‘Can’ Down the Road
Amir Taheri/Asharq Al Awsat/July 21/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57206
Over the past six months, in one way or another, President Donald Trump has kicked several of the cans inherited from Barack Obama down the road. After several attempts at abolishing it, the so-called Obamacare has been kicked into legislative oblivion. Obama’s policy of courting the Castro brothers has been slightly modified but not scrapped. The Paris Climate Accord has been verbally dismissed but not definitely buried if only because it won’t become binding until 2020. The latest can to be kicked down the road is the so-called Comprehensive Joint Plan of Action (CJPOA), the curious press release which enumerates things that Iran must do about its controversial nuclear project in exchange for the temporary suspension of sanctions. On Monday, the US State Department informed Congress that the president would extend the waiver for suspending sanctions for a further three months. The department justified the decision by claiming that Iran had respected the letter of the CJPOA while violating its spirit. Trump’s extension of Obama’s favor for Iran comes exactly two years after the CJPOA was unveiled in Vienna and hailed by President Hassan Rouhani as “the greatest diplomatic victory in Islam.”
The truth, of course, is that Iran has violated both the letter and the spirit of the CJPOA.
For example, it has reduced the number of centrifuges enriching uranium but not overall productive capacity because new high-powered machines have a higher output than the older ones which are de-commissioned. In any case since Iran has no nuclear power stations that might need the enriched uranium as fuel one must assume that whatever uranium is enriched would be stockpiled for other purposes including nuclear warheads when and if the leadership wants them. To keep alive the fiction about needing uranium for fuel, Tehran periodically announces plans to build nuclear power stations with help from China or Russia. However, everyone knows that Iran doesn’t have the money to spend on such vanity projects and that neither Russia nor China is keen to invest in an economically insane project. A report prepared by the Iranian Ministry of Energy shows that nuclear power would cost at least 40 percent more to produce than power from natural gas of which Iran has plenty.
Another example concerns the stockpiles of “heavy water” that Iran has built over the years. The plutonium plant in Arak has been de-commissioned, temporarily blocking one of the two ways that Iran might have developed nuclear warheads. But what is Iran going to do with the reserves it has already built up? Under CJPOA these reserves must be sold on the world market. But what happens when you can’t find a buyer? To de-fang that question, Obama had promised to arrange for the stockpiles to be bought by US companies in case other buyers were not found. Two years later, there are no buyers around and it is unlikely that Trump could persuade American companies to buy the Iranian stockpiles which may or may not be up to their standards.
The CJPOA was never meant to solve the problem of Iran’s real or imagined nuclear ambitions. Nor was it meant to reaffirm the authority of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty which Iran has publicly admitted violating at least until 2003. It was meant as part of a broader strategy by Obama to “empower the moderate faction” in Tehran, help them win a greater share of power and, eventually and hopefully, modify the nastier aspects of Tehran’s behavior. Two years later, everyone knows what some of us knew from the start: There are no “moderates” within the Khomeinist regime and no chance of it significantly changing behavior dictated by its ideological DNA. This does not mean that the Khomeinists are incapable of changing their behavior. They do only when they have to. In Syria, for example, Tehran has lowered its profile not because it has become aware of the cost of its folly but because Russia has asserted itself as the master of ceremonies.
In Iraq, too, the liberation of Mosul has lowered Tehran’s profile if only because the Iraqi security forces, endorsed by the Shi’ite leadership in Najaf and backed by Sunni Arab tribal chiefs achieved victory. In Yemen, too, Iran has been reduced to second fiddle if only because the groups it sponsors, notably the Houthis, have all but failed in their war objectives. The mullahs have also been forced to eat humble pie on the thorny issue of Hajj. Having advanced 16 demands in order to resume pilgrimage by Iranians, they had to withdraw every single one of them. The mullahs also agreed that Iranian pilgrims be electronically tagged so that all their movements can be traced round the clock. The notorious march in praise of Khomeini, with the slogan “God Is One, Khomeini is the Leader” (Allah Wahed, Khomeini Qa’ed) will now take place in a tent outside the city in the desert. Tehran, of course, will take films to show on its TV to perpetuate the illusion that Muslims from all over the world worship the late “Imam”.With such panoply of diplomatic setbacks in the background, it is no surprise that the mullahs are clinging to CJPOA as their chief achievement.
Is Trump right in letting them cling on, at least for another three months?The answer must be yes if only because Trump does not seem to have fully studied the Iranian problem let alone devising an alternative policy. He has spoken of regime change as opposed to change of behavior without any evidence that the new approach is backed by concrete measures. In such a situation, it would make no sense to denounce the CJPOA and provoke a dispute with European allies without being able to offer them an alternative. In other words, kicking the can down the road was the least bad option.
However, the Iranian “can” will return in three months’ time, forcing Trump to choose between a new version of Obama’s failed strategy and a more effective way of dealing with what both he and Obama have described as “number one challenge to US national interests”.

Trump Just Came Very Close to Killing the Iran Deal
Eli Lake/Bloomberg//July 21/17
Under President Barack Obama this kind of thing was routine. Since the Iran nuclear deal was reached in 2015, every few months the State Department would inform Congress that the Tehran government was in compliance. Then Donald Trump was elected president. He had campaigned against the agreement, and many of the top aides he brought into the White House believed the Obama administration had turned a blind eye to Iran’s regional predations to secure a bargain that in the end was harmful to US national security. Nonetheless, Trump’s State Department in the spring certified Iran was in compliance. On Monday, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was supposed to certify Iranian compliance again. Talking points were sent to columnists. Senior administration officials briefed analysts on a conference call. The Treasury Department was set to announce new sanctions against a number of Iranians to soften the blow for the Republican base. Allies in Congress were given a heads-up. There was just one problem: Donald Trump. In meetings with his national security cabinet, the president has never been keen on Obama’s nuclear deal. What’s more, Iran’s regional behavior has only been getting worse since his inauguration.
So just as Tillerson was preparing to inform Congress on Monday that Iran remained in compliance with what is known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, Trump called it off, according to administration officials. He wanted to know his options and what would happen if Tillerson didn’t make the announcement.
And for a few hours on Monday afternoon, it looked like the White House was going to tell Congress it could not certify Iran was complying, without saying Iran was in breach of the pact. This would have triggered a 60-day period in which Congress could vote to re-impose the secondary sanctions lifted as a condition of the deal, or to strike it down altogether. The predicament, according to administration officials, was that Congress (not to mention the other signatories to the seven-party agreement) was not prepared. Trump had yet to even put forward a broader Iran policy. What’s more, the US intelligence community feels that Iran is pushing the edges, but overall is in compliance. Eventually, Trump walked back from the ledge, and the administration certified Tehran’s compliance. But White House and other administration officials tell me the president nonetheless is serious about cracking down on Iran for its regional aggression, and is leaning closer to those of his advisers who are pushing him to pull out of the agreement that defines Obama’s foreign policy legacy. In this sense, he is moving away from some of the most important members of his national security cabinet. Administration officials tell me that National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster and Tillerson have made the case that it was in the US national interest to certify Iran’s compliance. They argued that the deal is structured so that the US and its allies delivered the benefits to Iran up front. This included sanctions relief, a recognition of Iran’s right to enrich uranium, and removing Iranian companies and individuals from various sanctions lists.The Iranians, on the other hand, have to keep allowing inspections of their nuclear sites and limit their stockpile of low-enriched uranium over the lifespan of the deal, which expires in the next 8 to 13 years. Iran has already received much of the money that was frozen in foreign banks under the crippling sanctions that brought its representatives to the negotiations. So pulling out of the deal now would leave Iran cash rich and under no obligation to cap its nuclear stockpiles or allow international inspections.

Sweden: A Failed State?
Judith Bergman/Gatestone Institute/July 21/17
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10605/sweden-failed-state
The Swedish state, in true Orwellian style, fights those Swedish citizens who point out the obvious problems that migrants are causing.
When police officer Peter Springare said in February that migrants were committing a disproportionate amount of crime in the suburbs, he was investigated for inciting "racial hatred".
Currently, a 70-year-old Swedish pensioner is being prosecuted for "hate speech", for writing on Facebook that migrants "set fire to cars, and urinate and defecate on the streets".
The security situation in Sweden is now so critical that the national police chief, Dan Eliasson, has asked the public for help; the police are unable to solve the problems on their own. In June, the Swedish police released a new report, "Utsatta områden 2017", ("Vulnerable Areas 2017", commonly known as "no-go zones" or lawless areas). It shows that the 55 no-go zones of a year ago are now 61.
In September 2016, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Minister of Interior Anders Ygeman refused to see the warnings: in 2015, only 14% of all crimes in Sweden were solved, and in 2016, 80% of police officers were allegedly considering quitting the force. Both ministers refused to call it a crisis. According to Anders Ygeman:
"... we are in a very difficult position, but crisis is something completely different. ...we are in a very strained position and this is because we have done the biggest reorganization since the 1960s, while we have these very difficult external factors with the highest refugee reception since the Second World War. We have border controls for the first time in 20 years, and an increased terrorist threat".
A year later the Swedish national police chief is calling the situation "acute".
In 2015, only 14% of all crimes in Sweden were solved. In 2016, 80% of police officers were allegedly considering quitting the force. Nonetheless, Prime Minister Stefan Löfven (pictured above) refused to call it a crisis.
Sweden increasingly resembles a failed state: In the 61 "no-go zones", there are 200 criminal networks with an estimated 5,000 criminals who are members. Twenty-three of those no-go zones are especially critical: children as young as 10 years old are involved in serious crimes there, including weapons and drugs, and are literally being trained to become hardened criminals.
The trouble, however, extends beyond organized crime. In June, Swedish police in the city of Trollhättan, during a riot in the Kronogården suburb, were attacked by approximately a hundred masked migrant youths, mainly Somalis. The rioting continued for two nights.
Violent riots, however, are just part of Sweden's security problems. In 2010, according to the government, there were "only" 200 radical Islamists in Sweden. In June, the head of the Swedish Security Service (Säpo), Anders Thornberg, told the Swedish media that the country is experiencing a "historical" challenge in having to deal with thousands of "radical Islamists in Sweden". The jihadists and jihadist supporters are mainly concentrated in Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö and Örebro, according to Säpo. "This is the 'new normal' ... It is an historic challenge that extremist circles are growing," Thornberg said.
The Swedish establishment has only itself to blame for it.
Thornberg said that Säpo now receives around 6,000 intelligence tips a month concerning terrorism and extremism, compared to an average of 2,000 a month in 2012.
Some of the reasons for the increase, according to terror expert Magnus Ranstorp of the Swedish Defense University, is due to segregation in Sweden's no-go zones:
"... it has been easy for extremists to recruit undisturbed in those areas. ...the prevention measures have been pretty tame... if you compare Denmark and Sweden, Denmark is at university level and Sweden at kindergarten level".
Asked what the increase in people supporting extremist ideologies indicated about Sweden's work to combat radicalism, Interior Minister Anders Ygeman told the Swedish news outlet TT:
"I think it says little. This is a development we have seen in a number of countries in Europe. On the other hand, it shows that it was right to take those measures we have. A permanent centre against violent extremism, that we have increased the budget to work against violent extremism, that we have increased the security police's budget for three years."
There may be even more jihadists than Säpo thinks. In 2015, at the height of the migrant crisis, when Sweden received over 160,000 migrants, 14,000 of them who were told that they were going to be deported disappeared inside Sweden without a trace. As late as April 2017, Sweden was still looking for 10,000 of them. Sweden, however, has only 200 border police staff at its disposal to look for them. One "disappeared migrant" was Rakhmat Akilov, from Uzbekistan. He drove a truck into a department store in Stockholm, killing four people and wounding many others. He later said he did it for the Islamic State (ISIS). Meanwhile, Sweden continues to receive returning ISIS fighters from Syria, a courtesy that hardly improves the security situation. Sweden, so far, has received 150 returning ISIS fighters. There are still 112 who remain abroad -- considered the most hardcore of all -- and Sweden expects many of those to return as well. Astonishingly, the Swedish government has given several of the ISIS returnees protected identities to prevent local Swedes from finding out who they are. Two Swedish ISIS fighters who returned to Europe, Osama Krayem and Mohamed Belkaid, went on to help commit the terror attacks at Brussels airport and the Maelbeek metro station in the center of Brussels, on March 22, 2016. Thirty-one people were killed; 300 were wounded. Swedish news outlets have reported that the Swedish towns that receive the returnees do not even know they are returning ISIS fighters. One coordinator of the work against violent Islamist extremism in Stockholm, Christina Kiernan, says that "...at the moment there is no control over those returning from ISIS-controlled areas in the Middle East".
Kiernan explains that there are rules that prevent the passing of information about returning jihadists from Säpo to the local municipalities, so that the people who are in charge in the municipal authorities, including the police, have no information about who and how many returned ISIS fighters there are in their area. It is therefore impossible to monitor them -- and this at a time when Säpo estimates the number of violent Islamist extremists in Sweden in the thousands. Even after all this, the Swedish state, in true Orwellian style, fights those Swedish citizens who point out the obvious problems that migrants are causing. When police officer Peter Springare said in February that migrants were committing a disproportionate amount of crime in the suburbs, he was investigated for inciting "racial hatred". Currently, a 70-year-old Swedish pensioner is being prosecuted for "hate speech", for writing on Facebook that migrants "set fire to cars, and urinate and defecate on the streets". With thousands of jihadists all over Sweden, what could be more important than prosecuting a Swedish pensioner for writing on Facebook?
*Judith Bergman is a columnist, lawyer and political analyst.
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Backgammon and shallow perception of the world
Fahad Suleiman Shoqiran/Al Arabiya/July 21/17
One of the complicated matters, which have kept philosophers busy for years, is how men form convictions and ideas and formulate transforming or constant facts. Information is received by the brain and the issues one argues about are produced by a path that is relevant to the theory of knowledge.
Few days ago, I read an interesting chapter from the book “Arab mentality – violence is the master of judgments” for Fouad Ishaq al-Khoury, a Lebanese writer who takes keen interest in sociology. In the chapter entitled “Playing and ideology,” he analyzes the Arab mentality via backgammon considering it is an Arabic game and because “the arrangement of the backgammon board reflects a general universal organization to play the game. However, some think it is related to the general universal system as the board with its squared and open shape is a symbol of the earth’s endless perfection. The black and white bars carved in the wood are a symbol of night and day. The four angles which include the bars are a symbol of the four seasons while the 12 bars on each side represent the number of months a year. Khoury thinks games like the board game backgammon and the card game basra follow the same flat brain while other games like volleyball, tennis, basketball and football follow the hierarchical structure. Playing influences the ideology and exposes the mentality and the role of imagination in producing the truth. Wise men have been busy with the basic obviousness, which is considered the platform of formulating the truth, or the plurality of “paths of truth” as Martin Heidegger put it. Thus came philosophical concepts based on Aristotle’s logic and Greek ideas and on developed concept of wisdom in the East and of ideas that oppose myths from the 5th century until the 15th century. The axis of philosophical and theoretical work, which is related to truth, is the specific definition of the logic of the latter (the truth)
Heidegger’s theory
There are influential philosophies by Edmund Husserl and his students Herbert Marcuse, Emmanuel Levinas and Martin Heidegger. Heidegger was the most influenced by Husserl despite the political differences between them. Heidegger acknowledged to his teacher that he triggered his questions about existence.
There are sharp differences between Heidegger’s theory in time and space and Husserl’s phenomenalism that aims to answer the basic question of “how can objectivity become subjective?”This was clearly seen in his book “Ideas: General Introduction to Pure Phenomenology.” It was also seen through his debates of other philosophers’ theories about the production of truth, such as in his book “Logical Investigations.” The book has three parts in which Husserl discusses the debate about truth and its sequence of production. Husserl was armed with phenomenalism as he brought back the phenomena of awareness into the picture as they’re considered the mind’s activity and grace. To him, existence is what appears. Therefore, he went through previous philosophies and the roles which each philosopher assigned to his theory. He did so via logical research of the pure mind and by researching the obvious. While discussing the extent of psychology’s independence from logic, he set necessary questions which he called the questions of traditional conflict that are linked to determining logic. These questions are: Is logic a theoretical art or a practical one, i.e. it’s an industry? Is it independent from other sciences such as psychology or metaphysics? Is it a demonstrative and communal art? Or an inductive and empirical art? Despite the importance of these questions in the sequence of logic that will experiment truth, Husserl wittingly warns of being bias to traditional tendencies or of setting initial differences that influence them. The axis of philosophical and theoretical work, which is related to truth, is the specific definition of the logic of the latter (the truth). Therefore, the collective perception of the truth destroys any potential individual outlook of the world. The main goal of philosophical differences is to establish the factors of contrast and virtues of difference especially that facts are many – as many as philosophies and more. Defining facts have always obliterated the concept of “character” as Hegel puts it. The game – the backgammon, which Khoury mentioned – may be evidence to imagining existence and truth with its different paths and routes. And as Goethe put it: At the beginning no one is against anything as much as he’s against the errors he abandoned.
This article is also available in Arabic.

A critical look at NATO
Dr. Ibrahim Al-Othaimin/Al Arabiya/July 21/17
One day prior to the NATO summit with President Donald Trump, I visited the organization’s headquarters. I met some of the officials including Ambassador Saeed Al-Kabi, permanent ambassador of the UAE to NATO, as well as Mr. Nedal Al-Fallasi, Chargé d’Affaires of the UAE. They honored me with their time and gave me a great deal of information regarding the mechanisms of decision-making at NATO. They then took me on a tour of NATO headquarters, which dates back to the 1960s. According to the ambassador, the headquarters was an airbase used by the Germans during World War II. It was built in haste when NATO was forced to leave Paris upon the withdrawal of France from the organization in 1966. On the opposite side of the road, we saw the new NATO headquarters, which is a huge claw-shaped building constructed of steel and glass at an estimated cost of one billion euros. The conversation with the ambassador revolved around his view of the Istanbul Cooperation Initiative (ICI). He said that since its accession to the ICI in 2004, the UAE has made a significant contribution to NATO’s efforts in the establishment of peace and security in Afghanistan and Libya. In addition, it has played an active and effective humanitarian role in Afghanistan in support of international efforts in reconstruction, relief and the provision of services and education. In another vein, through its cooperation with NATO, the UAE has sought to benefit from the expertise of the organization in the development of education, training and practical cooperation. Hence, the ambassador believes in the importance of cooperation with NATO in various fields, including the exchange of technical and defense expertise, benefitting from the expertise of the organization in training and the exchange of information. NATO’s role changed from being a tool for collective defense to being a joint organization seeking to face threats undermining the security of member states
After the Cold War
Within the framework of my visit, I met with Mr. Nicola de Santis, Head of the Middle East and North Africa section at NATO. We had a long and enjoyable conversation on many issues of the organization such as the Trump administration, the upcoming NATO summit, the changing role of NATO after the Cold War, intervention in Afghanistan and Libya, and the ICI. De Santis noted that Trump has changed since being elected president. During his election campaign, he accused NATO of being an outdated organization, but he now calls for NATO to be maintained, describing it as a vital necessity to Washington and its European allies. As regards the changing role of NATO after the Cold War, de Santis confirmed that its role changed from facing the direct threat seen in the Warsaw Pact during the Cold War to the establishment of peace and security in Europe.
Thus, NATO’s role changed from being a tool for collective defense to being a joint organization seeking to face threats undermining the security of member states. However, he added that the primary mission of NATO, i.e. collective defense, is still in effect as seen in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks on the USA.
In response to my question regarding his view on the ICI, de Santis said that the initiative sent a positive message that peace and security in the Gulf region is essential to NATO, and likewise that peace and security in Europe is essential to the Gulf region. He said that, over ten years, relations with Gulf countries involved in the ICI have become stronger and deeper. De Santis said that, although Saudi Arabia and Oman are not yet part of the ICI, they have become closer to NATO. Attempts by the two states to be included in the ICI are still ongoing.

Saudi Palace Politics Gain Pace
Simon Henderson/The Washington Institute/July 21/17
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/?p=57216
A media revelation about King Salman preparing a video declaring it is time for Muhammad bin Salman to replace him could accelerate changes in order to preempt opposition from other royal quarters.
The leadership of Saudi Arabia, the world's biggest oil exporter and the self-professed leader of the Islamic and Arab worlds, is in the midst of radical, and perhaps contested, change. The thirty-one-year-old crown prince, Muhammad bin Salman (MbS), who is already king all but in name, could take the throne soon, perhaps within days. The Wall Street Journal has reported that a video was recorded in recent weeks in which the king says the time has come for MbS to become king. Such an announcement, according to "people familiar with the royal court," could be used upon the king's death or as a public abdication announcement. An unnamed royal court official was quoted as saying, "The king's health is excellent…" But he went on: "Any country that abandons its leader in his last days for a critical health condition is a country with no dignity and prestige."
Since 1964, one Saudi king has been deposed by the rest of the royal family, and another has been assassinated by a nephew, but most have died of natural causes, usually the consequence of old age. Abdication would be new, although it is allowed for in Saudi law for medical reasons. Despite the claim of the royal court official, King Salman, eighty-one this year, often appears confused and has a short attention span. He is given to repeating the same anecdote to visitors and needs a computer screen to prompt him on his talking points. When he last visited Washington, his entourage actually brought his furniture from one of his palaces to make his hotel suite feel familiar.
Both senior British and U.S. officials date this deterioration to before Salman became king in 2015, noting that even then he was no longer an ultimate decisionmaker. Why Salman's condition did not stop him from becoming king probably owes to the late King Abdullah's hope that another half-brother, Muqrin, then deputy crown prince, could replace Salman as crown prince. Muqrin would have acted as a placeholder until Abdullah's son Mitab, the then and still current minister of the national guard, could take over. Such a scheme was derailed when Salman sacked Muqrin three months after he became king.
The viciousness of Saudi palace intrigue is clear from reporting by the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times about the removal of Muhammad bin Nayef (MbN) from the position of crown prince in June, a move in which MbS was the driving force. MbN was separated from his bodyguards and close advisors, stripped of his cell phones, and denied access to his diabetes medication until he renounced his position and was videotaped giving the oath of allegiance to MbS. The deposed crown prince is now confined to his palace in Jeddah, guarded by men loyal to MbS. One explanation for the timing of the removal is MbN's known opposition to the current Saudi policy against Qatar, but the ostensible justification was reported to be his health. Some have speculated, here, that he is addicted to prescription painkillers and other substances. People who have met him say he displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder, probably a consequence of a near-death incident in 2009, when a suicide bomber detonated himself a few feet away.
The revelations about MbN's political demise, many apparently leaked deliberately by his supporters, have prompted speculation about the strength of opposition to MbS within the royal family. A recent cell phone video of his uncle, Prince Ahmad, the younger full brother of the king, showed a reception room with only two portraits displayed -- those of King Abdulaziz (Ibn Saud), the founder of modern Saudi Arabia, and King Salman. In a significant lapse of protocol, there was no portrait of the crown prince (MbS). The video showed that among the several princes in the room was national guard minister Prince Mitab bin Abdullah.
In the immediate term, short of abdication, the king could appoint MbS as prime minister -- he is currently deputy prime minister. Also likely is that Mitab bin Abdullah could be fired, perhaps through the absorption of the national guard into the main Saudi military, currently controlled by MbS, who is also defense minister. Both would be significant steps, with the latter challenging the autonomy of the national guard, which notionally protects the royal family from a military coup but also acts as a social welfare system for the Saudi rural tribes.
What is clear is that the meteoric rise of MbS continues, so far unchecked. While coping with the challenges of the war in Yemen, the crisis with Qatar, the regional rivalry with Iran, and his ambitious Vision 2030 scheme to transform the kingdom's economy, the Saudi crown prince is also breaking the mold on how the House of Saud organizes its succession procedures. The Saudi people and decisionmakers across the world are watching his progress intently.
**Simon Henderson is the Baker Fellow and director of the Gulf and Energy Policy Program at The Washington Institute, and coauthor of its 2017 Transition Paper Rebuilding Alliances and Countering Threats in the Gulf.