LCCC ENGLISH DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
April 05/2019

Compiled & Prepared by: Elias Bejjani

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Bible Quotations For today
Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat!
Isaiah 55/1-13: “Come, everyone who thirsts, to the waters! Come, he who has no money, buy, and eat! Yes, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which doesn’t satisfy? listen diligently to me, and eat you that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Turn your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a leader and commander to the peoples. Behold, you shall call a nation that you don’t know; and a nation that didn’t know you shall run to you, because of Yahweh your God, and for the Holy One of Israel; for he has glorified you.” Seek Yahweh while he may be found; call you on him while he is near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to Yahweh, and he will have mercy on him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” says Yahweh. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain comes down and the snow from the sky, and doesn’t return there, but waters the earth, and makes it bring forth and bud, and gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goes forth out of my mouth: it shall not return to me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing I sent it to do. For you shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing; and all the trees of the fields shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up the fir tree; and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree: and it shall be to Yahweh for a name, for an everlasting sign that shall not be cut off.” God is Sovereign: Life often feels confusing. If we’re experiencing a tragedy or great turmoil, we might begin to doubt that God is in control. But these words remind us that the Lord is sovereign … even in our pain, even in our troubles. Through it all, his love is transforming us, perfecting us, completing us. James MacDonald in Gripped by the Greatness of God, explains it this way: “God’s sovereignty is first painful, then slowly powerful, and over much time seen to be profitable. It is to be studied with great sensitivity for the experiences of others and deep reverence for the One who controls the outcomes of every matter in the universe”

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on April 04-05/19
U.S. Official Says Hezbollah Feeling the Strain of Sanctions
Report: Aoun Raised Bassil’s Nomination for Presidency with Putin
Geagea Says Israeli Body Handover Shows 'There's No State in Syria'
Govt. Forms Corruption Panel, Fails to Approve 'Fine Exemptions'
US Delivers 6 Drones to Lebanese Army
Series of Demos in Beirut ahead of Cabinet Session
Jaber: US-Lebanese Talks Not Linked to New US Sanctions on Hizbullah
Economy Minister Criticizes Salameh's 'Financial Engineering' Tactics
US Senate committee confirms Abizaid as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel to Ruling Authority: You Are Back, So Are We!
Metn Residents Blast 'Dictatorial' and 'Oppressive' Mentality Behind Power Project
Lebanon’s problems cannot be blamed on Syrian refugees

Titles For The Latest English LCCC Miscellaneous Reports And News published on April 04-05/19
Israeli Reports Covering The Returning Of The Remains Of Israeli Soldier,
Putin to Netanyahu: We found remains of missing soldier
A bittersweet operation: How ISIS and Russia played a role in returning a fallen soldier to Israel
Russian Military Elite honors Zachary Baumel in a grand memorial ceremony
Secret Burial Place, Intel Feat, and a 3rd Country: Behind the Retrieval of the Israeli Soldier's Body
Netanyahu Thanks Putin for Discovery of Soldier's Remains Missing in Lebanon
Congress Ends U.S. Support for Yemen war, Trump Veto Likely
Libya's Haftar Orders Forces to 'Advance' on Tripoli
U.S., Allies Warn against Military Offensive in Libya
Iran FM Says Europe Incapable of Bypassing US Sanctions
Iraq PM to make first official Iran visit on Saturday
NATO Anniversary Party Turns Ugly as US Rips Germany, Turkey
Algeria after Bouteflika: What Happens Now?
Egypt Urged to Reveal Whereabouts of Missing Deportees
UN Chief 'Deeply Concerned' by Military Movement in Libya
Turkey Says US Failed to Report True Content of Pompeo Talks

Titles For The Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 04-05/19
US Senate committee confirms Abizaid as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia/Joyce Karam/The National/April 04/19
Lebanon’s problems cannot be blamed on Syrian refugees/Mohamed/Chebaro/Arab News/April 04/2019
Putin to Netanyahu: We found remains of missing soldier/Ynetnews/Reuters/April 04/19
A bittersweet operation: How ISIS and Russia played a role in returning a fallen soldier to Israel/Ynetnews/April 04/19
Russian Military Elite honors Zachary Baumel in a grand memorial ceremony/DEBKAfile/April 04/19
Analysis/Secret Burial Place, Intel Feat, and a 3rd Country: Behind the Retrieval of the Israeli Soldier's Body/Amos Harel/Haaretz/April 04/19
Bouteflika’s ousting reminiscent of Mubarak/Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab News/April 04/2019
How international community can curb Iran’s ambitions/Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 04/ 2019
Brexit could be delayed until May as UK changes strategy/Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 04/2019
Nissan’s Ghosn arrested again in financial misconduct case/Associated Press/April 04/19
Russia's Military Must Leave Venezuela Immediately/Jiri Valenta/Gatestone Institute/April 04/19
The Mueller Waiting Game/by Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/April 04/19

The Latest English LCCC Lebanese & Lebanese Related News published on April 04-05/19
U.S. Official Says Hezbollah Feeling the Strain of Sanctions
Kataeb.org/Thursday 04th April 2019/U.S. Special Representative for Iran and Senior Advisor to the Secretary of State, Brian Hook, said that Washington's sanctions are "draining Iran’s support to its proxies", stressing that these groups have now less access to revenue. "For the first time in a very long time, they have less access to revenue to spread terror and militancy," Hook said in the U.S. State Department's press briefing. "In March, Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Lebanese Hezbollah, publicly appealed for donations for the first time ever. He has been forced to undertake unprecedented austerity measures," he noted. Hook pointed out that there are reports that some Hezbollah fighters are receiving half of their pay, and that others are only being paid $200 a month. Other Hezbollah employees report receiving 60 percent of their normal monthly salaries, he added. "A new analysis released last month by the Washington Institute corroborates these findings. Hezbollah has closed almost a thousand offices and paused hiring of new personnel. The report further concludes that Hezbollah itself attributes this belt-tightening to U.S. sanctions on Iran, which has historically provided the group with $700 million annually. That is 70 percent of Hezbollah’s entire budget," he elaborated. Hook said that Hezbollah is not alone in feeling the strain of American sanctions, adding that Iranian proxies in Syria and elsewhere are experiencing a lack of funding from Tehran. "Fighters are going unpaid, and the services they once relied upon are drying up. Last week The New York Times quoted a Shia fighter in Syria who said that, quote, “The golden days are gone and will never return. Iran doesn’t have enough money to give us.” "We are working with our allies and partners to make this the new norm," Hook affirmed. "We have acted with them to disrupt Iran’s illicit oil shipping operations. When we identified ships smuggling illicit Iranian oil for the Quds Force to support Hezbollah and the Assad regime, Secretary Pompeo dispatched diplomatic teams to work with our allies and partners to help prevent it. We have been working with countries on almost every continent to identify vessels of concern and disrupt their operations. More than 75 vessels involved in illicit activity have been denied the flags that they need to sail." Hook stated that the Iranian regime’s obsession with using Hezbollah to provoke conflict with Lebanon’s neighbors threatens the safety of the Lebanese people. "IRGC backing enables Hezbollah to use murder, terrorism, and corruption to intimidate other Lebanese parties and communities," he said.

Report: Aoun Raised Bassil’s Nomination for Presidency with Putin
Naharnet/April 04/19/During his meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow last week, President Michel Aoun has reportedly raised the “nomination of his son-in-law and Foreign Minister Jebran Bassil to the post of presidency in the next elections, asking for Putin’s support,” al-Joumhouria daily reported on Thursday. Diplomatic sources who spoke on condition of anonymity told the daily that the meeting between Aoun and his Russian counterpart, “included Bassil (Free Patriotic Movement chief), and Adviser Mireille Aoun, but excluded the Lebanese ambassador in Moscow.”“The meeting was supposed to include the Lebanese ambassador but Bassil has removed the name from the Lebanese attendance list, confining the meeting to himself and the adviser which made it almost a closed meeting not even permissible for an ambassador to attend,” said the sources. On the other hand, sources of the Free Patriotic Movement said “any talk about special agendas during Aoun's visit to Russia are merely unrealistic. Discussions have focused on Lebanon, the issue of the displaced and the Russian-Lebanese relations.”

Geagea Says Israeli Body Handover Shows 'There's No State in Syria'
Naharnet/April 04/19/Lebanese Forces leader Samir Geagea on Thursday commented on high-level Russian-Israeli cooperation that resulted in the repatriation of the remains of an Israeli soldier missing since the 1982 invasion of Lebanon. Addressing “the advocates of normalization with the Assad regime” and “those fighting for its return to the Arab League,” Geagea tweeted: “What will you say now after what happened, which proved that there is no state in Syria?”Earlier in the day, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the body was found by the Russian army and “Syrian partners.” Russia said it handed over the remains to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Putin five days before he is to seek a fifth term in office in a difficult election. Neither Russia nor Israel have given details on how or where the remains were found. Putin said only that Syria -- with which Israel has technically been at war -- participated in the operation. Netanyahu said he asked Putin two years ago to help in the search for the remains of the missing men. "You personally responded and gave the order to help in this holy deed," he said, thanking the Russian leader. Anwar Raja, a Syria-based official with the Palestinian militant group PFLP-GC, said Wednesday that insurgents had excavated graves in the capital Damascus last year in search of the remains of three missing Israeli soldiers. He said that their remains had been transferred to Syria after the 1982 battle.

Govt. Forms Corruption Panel, Fails to Approve 'Fine Exemptions'
Naharnet/April 04/19/The Council of Ministers on Thursday formed a ministerial panel tasked with devising a “national strategy for combating corruption,” as it failed to reach an agreement over fine exemptions for certain firms. At the beginning of the session which had 26 items on its agenda, Prime Minister Saad Hariri said “it is unacceptable to leak the Cabinet's agenda and discuss it through the media before it reaches the Council of Ministers.”“Most of the agenda was approved and some items were postponed for further assessment, most importantly the issue of exemption from financial fines,” Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah said after the session. He also clarified that “the issue is not about exempting companies or firms from certain fees but rather from fines, as happens upon the approval of all state budgets.”“The atmosphere was very good and most items were passed amid a calm debate,” Jarrah went on to say. Asked whether the Cabinet might hold a session over the electricity file on Friday, the minister said “there is a possibility” if the electricity ministerial panel finalizes the plan later on Thursday.

US Delivers 6 Drones to Lebanese Army
Beirut - Asharq Al-Awsat/Thursday, 4 April, 2019/The Lebanese army said Wednesday it has received six drones from Washington. The air force received the unmanned aircraft at Beirut’s Rafik Hariri International Airport, as part of the United States aid program dedicated to the Lebanese army and security forces. According to an army communique, the six drones are worth $11 million. “The US continues its steady delivery of equipment and training to the Lebanese Armed Forces,” a tweet from the US embassy has said.

Series of Demos in Beirut ahead of Cabinet Session
Naharnet/April 04/19/A series of protests were held in Riad al-Solh in Beirut ahead of a Cabinet session held at the Grand Serail. Civil Aviation applicants who have passed the entrance exams and are waiting for their employment have protested the delay in hiring them. Volunteers of the Civil Defense also protested their unemployment after an earlier Cabinet decree that pledged their full-time employment. Also, demonstrators gathered against the construction of the Bisri Valley dam, which environmentalists say will destroy rich biodiversity. The Cabinet has met at the Grand Serail to tackle 26 items on its agenda, amid tense economic conditions.

Jaber: US-Lebanese Talks Not Linked to New US Sanctions on Hizbullah
Naharnet/April 04/19/MP Yassin Jaber affirmed that a visit scheduled for a Lebanese parliamentary delegation to Washington next Sunday “is not related to reports about new US sanctions,” against Hizbullah, the Saudi Asharq al-Awsat newspaper reported on Thursday. The delegation will travel to Washington to participate in meetings organized by the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. It will include Jaber, the head of the parliament committee on Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, and MP Ibrahim Kanaan, the head of the Budget and Finance committee, along with other deputies. The delegation is expected to meet officials in the US Administration to give an overview of Lebanon’s political and economic situation. Jaber told Asharq al-Awsat that the visit would be an opportunity to hold meetings with US officials “to explain the Lebanese situation and discuss the region's affairs.”He said he has not obtained any information about any new package of sanctions against Hizbullah. The sanctions against those charged “are a permanent possibility,” he said. The MP stressed that Lebanon “insists that sanctions do not affect the whole country, and are limited to individuals targeted by these sanctions.”

Economy Minister Criticizes Salameh's 'Financial Engineering' Tactics
Naharnet/April 04/19/Economy Minister Mansour Bteish on Thursday lashed out at Central Bank Governor Riad Salameh's “financial engineering” tactics. “The country is rife with talk about the difficult economic situation and people are sharing reports about an expected collapse and they're only wondering about its timing!” Bteish said at a press conference. “Some officials are contributing to the spread of these reports,” the minister, who is part of the Free Patriotic Movement's bloc in government, lamented. Referring to recent remarks by Salameh, Bteish said: “The central bank governor considered the financial deficit as the source of all problems, calling for downsizing the public sector as an only condition for curbing this deficit.”“Is it only a problem of public sector? Shouldn't the state's financial and monetary administration be reconsidered?” the minister asked. He added: “So far we have not seen a comprehensive report that clarifies the operations that the central bank has conducted under the 'financial engineering' label. What are these operations? Why are they being conducted? What is the cost? Have they achieved their targets? And what is their impact on the economy and the treasury?”

Ministerial Panel OKs Electricity Plan, Cabinet to Meet Monday
Naharnet/April 04/19/A ministerial panel on Thursday adopted a plan proposed by the energy minister to resolve the country's chronic electricity problem, referring it to the Cabinet. LBCI television said the panel finished its meetings “without resolving a lot of points of contention.”“It decided to postpone them to a Cabinet session that will be held on Monday,” LBCI added. Ministerial sources meanwhile told MTV that President Michel Aoun and Prime Minister Saad Hariri will hold consultations ahead of the session. Information Minister Jamal al-Jarrah meanwhile told reporters that the plan seeks to “lower the technical wastage” of electricity, adding that electricity fees will be hiked when power supply reaches the 20-hour threshold. “The plan is comprehensive and it serves the main goal of slashing deficit and boosting production,” Jarrah said. “There are two choices for the tendering process and have left the decision to the government,” he added.

US Senate committee confirms Abizaid as Ambassador to Saudi Arabia
Joyce Karam/The National/April 04/19
New ambassador is a decorated commander who fought in six wars and led Central Command before retiring in 2007.
The US Senate foreign relations committee confirmed on Wednesday that retired general John Abizaid will be the first American ambassador to Saudi Arabia in more than two years. The committee voted unanimously on Wednesday to confirm Mr Abizaid’s nomination, almost a month after holding a hearing to debate it. The new ambassador will be the first for Washington in Riyadh since President Donald Trump took office. Mr Abizaid was nominated to the position in November. The US administration took two years to nominate an ambassador as senior advisers, including Mr Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, held discussions with Saudi Arabia. But since Secretary of State Mike Pompeo took his position last year, he has made it a priority to fill diplomatic vacancies.In his hearing, Mr Abizaid said: “In the long run we need a strong and mature partnership with Saudi Arabia. It is in our interest to make sure that the relationship is sound."Mr Abizaid is a decorated military commander who fought in six wars and led Central Command before retiring in 2007. He is of Lebanese-American descent and speaks Arabic. He is a known figure in the Gulf region having fought in Kuwait, Iraq and Afghanistan. During his 34 years of military experience fighting insurgency and guerrilla wars across Afghanistan and Iraq, Mr Abizaid was renowned for being able to thrive in chaos. He is also known for being blunt but warm in his conversations. Saudi Arabia will also be sending a new ambassador to the US. Last February, Riyadh announced the appointment of Princess Reema bint Bandar as its diplomatic representative to the US – the kingdom's first female ambassador. Among other names that the Senate foreign relations committee confirmed on Wednesday was the former envoy to Yemen, Matthew Tueller, as the new US ambassador to Iraq. The full Senate is expected to vote this week for final confirmation.

Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel to Ruling Authority: You Are Back, So Are We!
Kataeb.org/Thursday 04th April 2019/Kataeb leader Samy Gemayel on Thursday said that the party will carry out its role as an opposition force now that the new government has kicked off its work, warning of the ongoing bad performance and mismanagement that are jeopardizing the country. In a press conference held at the Kataeb's headquarter in Saifi, Gemayel criticized the contradictions and bickering that are marring the new government, stressing the need for the Cabinet members to be in harmony and solidarity. "Just like politics is based on partitioning, the economy and public finances are also based on partitioning," he said. "The problem is that the forces taking part in the ruling authority are dealing with economic issues based on partitioning, not on keenness to the country's welfare; their only concern is how to distribute the State's resources among them." The Kataeb leader blamed the absence of an economic vision and corruption for the growing current State deficit, blasting the ruling authority's recklessness in handling this alarming problem.
"How can a country that is on the brink of bankruptcy maintain outrageous squandering and random spending?" he asked. Gemayel also deemed the failure to abide by transparent tendering standards as the primary cause of corruption in the public sector, saying that it is time to stop the so-called consensual agreements whenever a State project is awarded to a company.
"The ruling authority's actions go against its pledges," he said.
"After all that was said about the need to apply transparent tenders, it is unbelievable that the government's agenda still includes arrangements made by mutual consent."Gemayel noted that the authority is even unable to assess the consequences of its own decisions, adding that the State deficit was estimated at 4.8 billion while it actually reached 6.1 billion. Moreover, he criticized the government's plan to exempt some major companies from taxes totaling $115 million, questioning the motives behind such a move at a time when the country needs to boost its revenues.
Gemayel deplored the ongoing absence of measures to curb tax evasion which is estimated at 4.9 billion/year, casting doubt over the State's ability to enforce a flawless tax collection nationwide amid an incomplete sovereignty given that there are still regions which the State is denied access to. "Sovereignty is key to control the borders, enforce equality and empower the Judiciary," he stressed. "How do you intend to curb tax evasion and quell violations while the State is still unable to impose its authority across the entire Lebanese territory?"Gemayel deemed the illegal hires that were carried out in the public sector before the 2018 parliamentary elections despite a hire freeze as one of the biggest corruption scandals witnessed in Lebanon.
"The country's economy has reached a critical phase that requires an in-depth study to eliminate hires that were based on election-related nepotism and favoritism. A survey must be conducted to determine the superfluous positions in the public sector," he said. "We repeatedly called for giving the pay hike granted by the salary scale law to those who really deserve it."Gemayel warned against imposing new taxes on the Lebanese, vowing that the Kataeb party will confront such a plan just like it did before. "You are responsible for the current financial conditions, not the people. Therefore, it is you who must solve the problem instead of throwing it on the people by imposing new levies," Gemayel said in an address to the ruling authority. "You are making the people pay for your bad performance, mismanagement, lavish spending and corruption," he stated. "You are back, so are we!"

Metn Residents Blast 'Dictatorial' and 'Oppressive' Mentality Behind Power Project
Kataeb.org/Thursday 04th April 2019/Residents of Mansourieh, Ain Saade, Beit Mery and neighboring Metn villages slammed the new power plan put forth by the Energy Ministry, voicing surprise at the insistence on installing the controversial high-voltage power lines over the area. The committee representing the residents said that the plan stipulates that security deployment would be beefed up in order to force the installation works, as it also requests the Army's assistance in order to prevent the residents from disrupting the process. The residents deemed this measure as "shameful", blasting the "dictatorial and oppressive mentality" that such a provision reflects. This approach is constantly being adopted to cover up "erroneous" and "unprofessional" decisions, the statement added. The residents stressed that it would be impossible for them to accept this plan, noting that world reports have cautioned against the health hazards of high-voltage power lines. The residents pledged to defend their health safety and that of their children, affirming that their stance is just. Protests have been staged in the area since 2011 to denounce plans for high-voltage power lines which, according to subsequent energy ministers, are needed to tackle the country’s electricity crisis as the project aims to connect a power plant in Mkalles to one in Bsalim.

Saba Criticizes Government's Plan to Exempt Big Companies from Taxes
Kataeb.org/Thursday 04th April 2019/Kataeb politburo member Charles Saba criticized the government's plan to exempt some major companies from a certain type of fine totalling $115 million; a move that is set to be discussed during the Cabinet session on Thursday. Later, it was reported that Prime Minister Saad Hariri withdrew the item pertaining to this issue from the meeting's agenda. "The authority forces have constantly opted for political clientelism," Saba wrote on Twitter, deeming such a decision as a "heresy". "These exemptions, which were supposed to be exceptional, have become the norm adopted by the ruling authority as a reward to violating companies, thus make them equal to those that pay their taxes," he added. "Is this the way to secure funds to the treasury?? Is it by the legalization of tax evasion that you want to build the state of institutions?" "Enough recklessness! Enough fooling the people! Everyone is now fully aware that you are responsible for the deficit that the country has reached!" Saba concluded in an address to the ruling authority.

Lebanon’s problems cannot be blamed on Syrian refugees
Mohamed Chebaro/Arab News/April 04/2019
As the world grapples with how to finally put an end to the Syrian conflict, no one has paid more dearly than the innocent citizens of Syria, whose government’s punishing bombardments have pushed them into exile.
More than half of Syria’s pre-war population — an estimated 12 million people — have fled villages, towns and cities that came under systematic bombardment by their own government, Russia, and Iran-allied militias. The uprising against Assad family rule was punished by air power, barrel bombs and even chemical weapons, while the world stood watching and only focused on Daesh, which had emerged from the Syrian and Iraqi conflicts.
I am not here to write about the plight of the Syrians and who caused the war or how it will end as it enters its ninth year, but I am writing to express shame at the failure of the world — including the UN — to find ways to resettle those Syrians and ensure their safety once back in their homes.Nothing is more difficult to stomach than some Lebanese members of government blaming Syrian refugees for all the ills that have befallen their nation.
At the height of the crisis across the border, Lebanon had welcomed more than 1.5 million Syrians, most of whom were registered with international, regional and even local aid agencies. Those agencies have spent millions housing, feeding and educating those powerless refugees. Surely an economic case could be made, as Lebanon received millions in return for their hospitality.
Lebanese President Michel Aoun, on a trip to Moscow last week, asked President Vladimir Putin to help focus international efforts to encourage the return of Syrian refugees to their country. Meanwhile, at a meeting with Russian lawmakers, Aoun said that Lebanon faces “a terrible economic fallout” from the Syrian crisis and expressed hope that Russia would help his country repatriate the refugees. A familiar-sounding communique after the meeting called on the international community to help create favorable socioeconomic conditions for the refugees’ return by helping Syria’s post-war reconstruction.
This is the crux of the matter — Russia and all the allies of Assad’s government want the international community to foot the bill and endorse the current status quo. They want to hand over reconstruction money to the Assad government to be funneled to various cronies without guarantees that all Syrians will be able to return to their homes without fear of punishment or retribution. And, of course, there has been no mention of the UN resolution that called for an internationally-backed transition process, where the various protagonists of the Syrian war find peace and share power. One can only interpret the Lebanese position in the context of Assad and his allies, Russia and Iran, and their failure to find the funds required for reconstruction due to their struggles with international sanctions. Some of these sanctions relate to the war in Syria, while others include the nuclear sanctions reimposed on Tehran, the sanctions on Russia after its annexation of Crimea, and sanctions against the Lebanese Hezbollah militia, which has meddled in neighboring countries and played a huge role in fighting alongside Assad’s forces in a bid to prop up the regime. Instead of serving the interests of regional or international powers that have become stuck in the Syrian mud and failed themselves and the Syrian people, the Lebanese leadership ought to focus on domestic matters
Over the past few years, some Lebanese municipalities have interned refugees and issued curfews. Others have blamed them for the country’s employment shortage and even accused Syrians of stealing the menial construction, agricultural and manual labor jobs that were traditionally done by other refugees, such as Palestinians, or workers from the Indian subcontinent and Africa.
As if to add insult to injury, Aoun’s son-in-law and Lebanon’s foreign minister, Gebran Bassil, announced while on a visit to Europe that his country wanted to follow the example of eastern EU states that have largely rejected refugees as a way of solving Lebanon’s Syrian refugee crisis. Bassil sympathized with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia’s refusal to accept refugee distribution quotas proposed by the EU in the wake of the 2015-16 migrant crisis, when more than 1 million people streamed into Europe, mostly from war-torn Syria.
He claims that the Syrian refugees’ presence has put Lebanon’s economy under duress, even though most of them depend on international aid, which in economic terms could be translated as inward investment in a country that is on the brink of economic failure due to internal discord, corruption and the misuse of generous international funds.
The International Monetary Fund has said recently that the Syrian refugees’ presence may have had an impact on rising unemployment rates and an increase in poverty due to a greater job competition, but that this is also an innate Lebanese problem as its citizens have traditionally shied away from low-paid manual jobs. Instead of serving the interests of regional or international powers that have become stuck in the Syrian mud and failed themselves and the Syrian people, especially those who have been displaced by the war, the Lebanese leadership ought to focus on domestic matters. They need to focus on how to reform the country’s balance of accounts and its money-making utility companies, which have been held hostage by mafia-like political leaders, uphold the rule of law, and reopen its doors for inward investment. The international community has earmarked billions to help Lebanon, but only if the country and its politicians clean up their act and show a bit of transparency.
• Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years’ experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy. He is also a media consultant and trainer.

Latest LCCC English Miscellaneous Reports & News published on April 04-05/19
تقارير من الصحف الإسرائيلية تحكي كيفية اعادة رفاة الجندي زكاري بوميل من سوريا بمساعدة الروس
Israeli Reports Covering The Returning Of The Remains Of Israeli Soldier, Zachary Baumel From Syria With Russian Help
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73527/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%8A-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A/

Putin to Netanyahu: We found remains of missing soldier
Ynetnews/Reuters/April 04/19
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73527/%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B3%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%8A%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%8A-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A/
Russia takes credit for the repatriation of deceased MIA Zachary Baumel, says it was a joint Syrian effort; Putin says he is happy the soldier will now get 'necessary military honors at home'
Russian President Vladimir Putin told Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday that Russian special forces troops in Syria had found the remains of a U.S.-born Israeli soldier Zachary Baumel, missing since 1982, allowing him to be finally buried. Speaking at talks with Netanyahu in Moscow, Putin was cited by Russian news agencies as saying that it had been a tough task to locate his remains. "Our soldiers together with Syrian partners established his resting place. We are very happy that they will be able to give him the necessary military honors at home," Putin was quoted as saying. Netanyahu thanked Putin for his country's efforts that culminated in the finding of Baumel's remains: “Two years ago I turned to you with a personal request – that you help us in finding the remains of our soldiers, including Zachary Baumel, out of the great shared values of comrades-in-arms and fellowship of soldiers,” said Netanyahu.
“You responded immediately. You said that you would act personally. You called on your people who did exceptional work,” the prime minister said. Baumel immigrated to Israel with his parents from New York in 1970. His disappearance during the First Lebanon War, along with two other soldiers who fought in the Battle of Sultan Yacoub, has long troubled Israel. Netanyahu made a televised statement Wednesday in which he called the mission to retrieve Baumel's remains the essence of the Israeli spirit. "This is one of the most moving moments of all my years as prime minister of Israel," he said.

A bittersweet operation: How ISIS and Russia played a role in returning a fallen soldier to Israel
Ynetnews/April 04/19
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20 sets of remains arrive in Israel after two years of work; Moscow facilitated operation initiated in Israel by Lieberman; only match so far is Baumel. The remains of Zachary Baumel, repatriated Wednesday 37 years he went missing during the First Lebanon War, were just one of 20 sets of remains that arrived in Israel as part of Operation Bittersweet Song. Despite hopes that some of the remains belong to Zvi Feldman and Yehuda Katz, two other soldiers who went missing during the June 1982 Battle of Sultan Yacoub, the forensic institute in Abu Kabir was only able to identify Baumel’s remains so far. One of the 20 sets of remains does not appear to belong to any of the Israeli MIAs. The operation was made possible by Israel’s close cooperation with Russia, a close ally of Damascus, and took two years to complete. Former defense minister Avigdor Lieberman, who enjoys close ties with Moscow, was the one who pushed for the operation, a major intelligence - operated feat, to take place. The operation came to a halt in mid September, when Israel’s relationship with Russia went sour over the accidental downing of a Russian military aircraft in Syria, that Moscow attributed to Israel and Israel, attributed to Syrian forces. It recuperated when the two countries’ relationship slowly went back to its track. After the diplomatic ordeal, Russia’s defense ministry spokesman said in a press conference that Israel has asked for his county’s help in an operation to seek the remains of missing soldiers. Israel declined to address the remarks.
According to reports in Lebanon’s Al Mayadeen news channel, Baumel’s remains were identified in the Yarmuq refugee camp near Damascus, following the withdrawal of Islamist terror group ISIS from the area. The Battle of Sultan Yacoub took place on the sixth day of the First Lebanon War, known in Israel is Operation Peace for Galilee. Israel suffered 20 confirmed losses in the battle, as well as dozens of wounded. Six soldiers were unaccounted for, including Feldman, Baumel, and Katz. The fates of the other three soldiers were later discovered: One was killed in the battle and buried in Syria, with his body being returned to Israel after the war; another was captured by the Syrians and freed two years later; and the third was captured by a terrorist organization and freed via a prisoner exchange deal that took place three years later.

Russian Military Elite honors Zachary Baumel in a grand memorial ceremony
DEBKAfile/April 04/19
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A special memorial ceremony for the missing Israeli soldier Zachary Baumel took place at the Russian Defense Ministry on Thursday, April 4, led by Russian Chief of Staff Gen. Valery Gerasimov in the presence of visiting Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu. This was the first known instance of the Russian High Command conducting a military ceremony with full trappings in honor of a foreign serviceman. Baumel had been missing for 37 years since the First Lebanon War until his remains were recovered and returned to Israel by the Russian army on Wednesday. DEBKAfile’s military sources note that the exceptional honor awarded by the Russian high command to Israel and its defense forces marks the strengthening of ties between Moscow and Jerusalem and their armed forces. It also ends their disagreement over the downing of the Russian IL20 spy plane over Syria last September. A guard of honor and Gen. Gerasimov in person greeted Netanyahu, who doubles as defense minister, and his companions at the gate of the defense ministry, when they arrived from talks with President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin. At the start of their conversation, Putin stressed that Zachary Baumel’s remains were found by Russian troops “with Syrian assistance” at the Yarmouk camp near Damascus, once occupied by Palestinian refugees. He promised that Russia would keep on searching for the two Israeli soldiers who went missing with Baumel, the late Yehuda Katz and Zvi Feldman. Conspicuous at the memorial ceremony was a casket containing Baumel’s last personal possessions. It was wrapped in an Israeli flag and flanked by two rows of Russian soldiers in full dress uniform. One held his photo. Netanyahu placed a wreath on the casket, before thanking Gen. Gerasimov: “This demonstration of honor and the sympathy of comrades-at-arms warms the heart and vindicates the principle that we must never leave anyone behind.” Zachary Baumel is to be laid to rest in Israel on Thursday night.

Analysis/Secret Burial Place, Intel Feat, and a 3rd Country: Behind the Retrieval of the Israeli Soldier's Body
Amos Harel/Haaretz/April 04/19
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Achievement is also a testimony to the extraordinary commitment Israeli society shows toward its fighters and fallen soldiers in an era of eroding solidarity. With the return of the body of Zachary Baumel, the battle of Sultan Yacoub – one of the Israel Defense Forces' toughest battles of the first Lebanon War – is back on the agenda. At the start of the war, a few hours before a cease-fire with Syria, an Israeli Armored Corps battalion was on its way to the Beirut-Damascus road when it was surrounded by Syrian forces. Other IDF forces came to rescue the trapped soldiers, and over the course of the battle, 20 soldiers were killed and dozens were wounded. The battle was considered a major IDF failure and a source of pride for the Syrian army. There were soon serious complaints about the IDF’s readiness for the battle and the way it was conducted. In their book, “The Lebanon Israel War 1982,” journalists Ze'ev Schiff and Ehud Yaari wrote that the army had intelligence about the scope of Syrian forces in the battle zone, including aerial photos, but the information didn’t reach the field. It was also claimed that the soldiers' mission had changed, but that change wasn’t conveyed to the field, either.
In the heat of battle, two Israeli tanks disappeared. The commander of one of them, Yehuda Katz, disappeared and is considered missing in action to this day. The second tank had four crew members: the commander, Hezi Shai, was captured by the Palestinian Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command and was returned to Israel three years later in the Jibril deal. The radioman, Arik Lieberman, was captured by the Syrian army and returned alive as well. The other two crew members, Zvi Feldman and Baumel, were missing in action until the announcement confirming Baumel’s death on Wednesday. Over the years, conflicting reports were published about the fate of the three MIAs. In 2004, the IDF chief chaplain sought to declare them fallen soldiers whose burial place was not known, but the soldiers' families resisted the move. From time to time the families were given false hope about the bodies being discovered, or received messages and hints from various sources. During the 1990s, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat gave part of Baumel’s dog tag to his father Yona. The PA claimed that members of Palestinian organizations who took part in the fighting in the Bekaa Valley buried the three after the battle. In 2003 there was a report from Lebanon that three skeletons were uncovered that might be the MIAs, but it was later determined that the skeletons were probably Palestinian.
The Syrian civil war raised hopes in Israel that the chaos there could be exploited to obtain details about the MIAs’ fate. In 2016, through Russian mediation, a tank was transferred to Israel, which according to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was one of those in which the three MIAs had been, but it was noted that it may not have been their tank but another that had operated in the sector. Last year it was reported that Russian soldiers were wounded in an attempt to locate the body of an Israeli soldier in an area controlled by the Islamic State, and that a Syrian rebel group was searching for the remains of the three to return them to Israel. Baumel’s father Yona died in 2009 after devoting his life to worldwide efforts to determine what had happened to his son. At the end of his life, he made harsh allegations against the IDF and the state. He accused them of deceiving the family, and said that they wanted to whitewash the affair and had argued there was no point in continuing the search since the three were dead. Yehuda Katz’s mother died in 2011, also without knowing what happened to her son.
Along with the two still missing from Sultan Yacoub, the IDF defines two additional soldiers as MIAs: Ron Arad, the navigator who was captured in Lebanon in 1986, and Guy Hever, an artillery soldier who disappeared in the Golan Heights in 1997. Unlike soldiers who are declared dead but whose burial place is unknown, families of MIAs do not observe shiva, the seven days of mourning, and they are not recognized by the defense establishment as bereaved families.
As of now there are around 100 soldiers whose burial place is unknown, most of whom were killed in the War of Independence. The most recent one is Oron Shaul, who was killed in the battle of Shujaiyeh during Operation Protective Edge in 2014 (Hadar Goldin, who was killed on “Black Friday” in Rafah, was declared dead but still missing). The status of such soldiers can change decades later. In May 2018, the burial place of Liebke Schaffer was discovered, 70 years after she was killed in the War of Independence, and in November the remains of Yakir Naveh, who was killed in a plane crash in 1962, were found in Lake Kinneret.

Netanyahu Thanks Putin for Discovery of Soldier's Remains Missing in Lebanon
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/The body of an Israeli soldier missing since the 1982 invasion of Lebanon was found by the Russian and Syrian armies, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday. Sergeant First Class Zachary Baumel had been listed as missing along with two other Israeli soldiers in a deadly battle with Syrian forces in a Lebanese village, and the return of his remains will bring to a close a highly sensitive case for Israelis. Putin made the revelation at a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is visiting Moscow five days before he is to seek a fifth term in office in a difficult election. Netanyahu, 69, is running in the April 9 vote despite facing potential corruption charges and experts said he hopes the Moscow visit would increase his chances of success on election day. "Our military together with Syrian partners found the place of his burial," Putin said of Baumel. "We are very happy that he will be able to receive the right military honors in his homeland." Netanyahu said Baumel would be laid to rest at a "very moving" ceremony in Israel later Thursday. "Zachary's friends and family will take part," he said, adding that his family had been "very touched." "His father is no longer alive, unfortunately," he added. "His mother is around 100 years old. Zachary also has a sister."Neither Putin nor Israel have given details on how or where the remains were found. Putin said only that Syria -- with which Israel has technically been at war -- participated in the operation.
- 'Risking their lives' -
Netanyahu's spokesman posted photographs on Twitter showing a ceremony in the Russian defense ministry handing over the remains to Netanyahu on Thursday. "Russia has handed over to Israel the remains of a member of a tank battalion, Zachary Baumel, missing for over 37 years," the ministry said in a statement. The Israeli army had announced Wednesday that the body had already been recovered and returned to the country. According to translated comments published on the Kremlin website, Netanyahu said "Russian fighters, risking their lives, brought Zachary's remains to Israeli territory." But Putin said Thursday: "The remains are with us and, in accordance to military tradition, we will send them to Israel with your participation." Putin said "it was not easy" for Russian special forces to find the remains. He added that "all the necessary genetic tests have been completed." He said he valued Netanyahu's "attitude to the memory of Red Army soldiers," adding that Baumel shared the same fate as thousands of Soviet soldiers who went missing during World War II.
'We will not forget this' -
Baumel, who was born in the U.S. in 1960 but immigrated to Israel, had been missing since what is known as the Battle of Sultan Yacoub in a Lebanese village of the same name near the Syrian border. Some 20 Israeli soldiers were killed in the fight. Tank driver Baumel and two other soldiers, Zvi Feldman and Yehuda Katz, had been listed as missing and presumed dead. The other two remain missing.Netanyahu said he asked Putin two years ago to help in the search for the remains of the missing men."You personally responded and gave the order to help in this holy deed," he said, thanking the Russian leader.
"We will not forget this act, it will go down in history."The return of the remains of soldiers missing in action is a highly important issue in Israel, which has fought repeated wars with its Arab neighbors since the state of Israel was established in 1948.

Congress Ends U.S. Support for Yemen war, Trump Veto Likely
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/The U.S. House voted Thursday to end military support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, dealing a bipartisan rebuke to Donald Trump and taking the historic step of curtailing a president's war-making powers.
The House of Representatives voted 247 to 175, with one congressman voting present, to approve a resolution that directs the president "to remove United States Armed Forces from hostilities in or affecting the Republic of Yemen" within 30 days.The text, which passed the Senate last month, now heads to Trump, who is expected to veto the legislation. The White House called the measure "flawed" and warned it would harm bilateral relations in the region, including with Saudi Arabia.

Libya's Haftar Orders Forces to 'Advance' on Tripoli
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/Libyan strongman Khalifa Haftar on Thursday ordered his troops to "advance" on the capital Tripoli, seat of the country's internationally-recognized unity government. "The time has come," Haftar said in an audio message released online by his self-proclaimed Libyan National Army.

U.S., Allies Warn against Military Offensive in Libya
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/The United States and its allies called Thursday for an immediate de-escalation of tensions in Libya and warned any military action would have consequences after strongman Khalifa Haftar ordered forces to advance on Tripoli. "Our governments oppose any military action in Libya and will hold accountable any Libyan faction that precipitates further civil conflict," said a joint statement by the United States, France, Britain, Italy and the United Arab Emirates. The governments said they were "deeply concerned" by fighting near Gharyan, some 100 kilometers (60 miles) from Tripoli, and "urge all parties to immediately de-escalate tensions.""At this sensitive moment in Libya's transition, military posturing and threats of unilateral action only risk propelling Libya back toward chaos," they said. "We strongly believe that there is no military solution to the Libya conflict." Haftar's self-styled Libyan Nation Army has amassed around Gharyan and, in an audio message, he said the time had come to advance toward the capital. Dozens of militias have fought for control of the North African country since a NATO-backed uprising toppled and killed longtime dictator Moammar Gadhafi in 2011. Haftar's forces have emerged as a key player, opposing the government in Tripoli and backing a parallel administration in the east.

Iran FM Says Europe Incapable of Bypassing US Sanctions
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said on Wednesday European powers were incapable of bypassing sanctions imposed on Tehran by the US after it withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal. Iran and six world powers agreed on a deal in 2015 that severely restricted Tehran's nuclear activities in return for sanctions relief and economic incentives. However President Donald Trump withdrew Washington from the deal -- technically called the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) -- last May, reimposing punishing sanctions on the Islamic republic.
The other parties to the nuclear deal -- Britain, China, France, Germany and Russia along with the European Union -- however insist they remain committed to making the deal work. "The Europeans at first viewed the JCPOA (nuclear deal) as an achievement, but maybe they were not prepared to, and certainly they were not capable of standing up against U.S sanctions," Zarif said in an interview with Khamenei.ir, the official website of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. "We will continue pressing the Europeans to implement their commitments. Europe must know that they cannot shy away from their responsibilities with a few statements and some unaccomplished plans," he added. Zarif, who was his country's chief negotiator in the negotiations leading to the deal, said that Iran would continue to pressure the Europeans to act on their obligations within the deal but added that "we never had any hopes" in them. Instead of the western powers the Islamic republic has turned to its traditional partners such as Russia and China, Zarif said, adding "the future of our foreign policy lies in that way."

Iraq PM to make first official Iran visit on Saturday
AFP, Baghdad/Thursday, 4 April 2019/Iraqi premier Adel Abdel Mahdi will travel to Iran on Saturday, a member of his office said, in his first official visit to the country rivaling Washington for influence over Baghdad. The US reimposed tough sanctions on Tehran’s energy and finance sectors last year but has granted Baghdad several exemptions to keep temporarily importing Iranian gas and electricity, crucial to Iraq’s faltering power sector. Abdel Mahdi, 77, has repeatedly said Iraq wants good ties with both the US and Iran. The prime minister would spend two days in the Islamic republic, a member of his office told AFP on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.A number of top officials have visited the Iraqi capital in recent months, including Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in March, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in January, and a host of Arab leaders.During his weekly press conference on Tuesday, Abdel Mahdi said he was planning trips to Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United States, without specifying dates. The premier has rarely traveled since coming to power in October, making his first trip abroad in late March to Egypt. There, he met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and King Abdullah II of Jordan to discuss economic and security cooperation among the three countries. Last month, Iraq’s speaker of parliament Mohammed al-Halbusi traveled to the US, where he said his country would need to rely on Iranian gas and electricity for another three years.

NATO Anniversary Party Turns Ugly as US Rips Germany, Turkey
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/Tensions soared Wednesday between the United States and two of its NATO partners, Germany and Turkey, marring a 70th birthday celebration for the alliance aimed at showing a united front against a resurgent Russia.Hours before foreign ministers from the 29-member Western alliance opened talks in Washington with a leisurely reception, Vice President Mike Pence delivered a stinging rebuke both to Germany over its level of defense spending and to Turkey for buying a major arms system from Russia."Germany must do more. And we cannot ensure the defense of the West if our allies grow dependent on Russia," Pence told a think-tank forum on the NATO anniversary. "It is simply unacceptable for Europe's largest economy to continue to ignore the threat of Russian aggression and neglect its own self-defense and our common defense," Pence said. President Donald Trump has repeatedly voiced annoyance that few allies in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization are meeting a goal set by the alliance in 2014 to devote two percent of GDP to defense. Germany last month announced that defense spending would slip to 1.25 percent in 2023.
Hungry for energy, Germany has also forged ahead with Nord Stream 2, a pipeline that will double the amount of gas it can import from Russia. "If Germany persists in building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, as President Trump said, it could turn Germany's economy into literally a captive of Russia," Pence told the event, held incongruously in a hip new music venue. Pence, however, promised that the United States "is now and will always be Europe's greatest ally" -- a tonal shift from Trump, who has loudly wondered whether it is worth defending smaller NATO members such as Montenegro. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said afterward that burden-sharing was about more than expenditure and that NATO was foremost "an alliance of values." Noting that Germany's history made military spending controversial, Maas pointed out that Berlin is the second largest troop contributor to Afghanistan and is constructing a new NATO command center in the city of Ulm. "We in Europe know that we cannot take our security for granted. We have to shoulder responsibility in order to continue safeguarding it, in our own interest," he said.
'Turkey must choose'
Western powers have also increasingly clashed with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's Islamist-rooted government, which has cracked down on dissent at home and threatened to strike US-backed Kurdish fighters in Syria. On Monday, the United States said it was suspending Turkey's participation in the F-35 fighter-jet program due to Ankara's plans to buy Russia's S-400 missile defense system, raising fears that Moscow could gain data to hone its hardware and shoot down Western aircraft. "Turkey must choose -- does it want to remain a critical partner of the most successful military alliance in the history of the world, or does it want to risk the security of that partnership by making reckless decisions that undermine our alliance?" Pence said. But Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu ruled out a change of heart, saying: "The S-400 deal is a done deal and we will not step back from this."
Cavusoglu said Turkey still backed NATO on core concerns and would never recognize Moscow's 2014 takeover of Crimea from Ukraine. "We have been working with Russia," he said. "But it doesn't mean that we are undermining the alliance and we agree with Russia on everything. There is no shift on our foreign policy." He later met with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who warned him of "potentially devastating consequences" if Turkey goes ahead with threats to strike Kurdish fighters in Syria.
No 'new Cold War'
The 70th anniversary comes amid rising concern over Russia, which has supported separatists in Ukraine and Georgia, sought to sway the 2016 US election and was suspected in a poisoning attack in England. NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, in an address to the US Congress, said the alliance wanted better relations with Russia -- but needed to prepare a strong defense. "We do not want a new arms race. We do not want a new Cold War. But we must not be naive," Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg appeared to soothe Trump during a White House meeting on Tuesday, crediting the US leader's tough rhetoric with pushing the Europeans and Canada to bolster their defense budgets by $100 billion between 2016 and 2020. Lawmakers repeatedly rose to standing ovations as Stoltenberg hailed the value of the alliance. "NATO has been good for Europe, but NATO has also been good for the United States," he said. "The strength of a nation is not only measured by its economy or the number of its soldiers, but also by the number of its friends. And through NATO, the United States has more friends and allies than any other power."

Algeria after Bouteflika: What Happens Now?
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/Mass protests may have pushed long-time Algerian leader Abdelaziz Bouteflika from power, but demonstrators look unlikely to let up, demanding sweeping changes to the political system.
With pressure far from dissipating, what happens now?
Constitutional roadmap
Algeria's constitution outlines a vague roadmap for political transition.
It stipulates that the speaker of the upper house of parliament, currently 77-year-old Abdelkader Bensalah, should act as interim leader. The Constitutional Council has noted the presidential "vacancy" and informed parliament, with its two chambers expected to meet soon. The interim leader has 90 days to organize a presidential election -- in two rounds -- and hand over power to the winner. He himself is barred from running. It is a quick turnaround made even trickier by a number of electoral deadlines. Once a date for the first round of polls is set, electoral hopefuls have 45 days to collect backers and submit their candidacies, which must be validated by the Constitutional Council.  A final run-off between the top two candidates is to be held 15 days after results from the first poll are announced.
Continued pressure
Algerians celebrated Bouteflika's resignation, but protesters have vowed to keep up the pressure, pushing to do away with the deposed leader's entire elite. Calls have multiplied on social media for the ouster of key officials nicknamed the "3B": Bensalah, the prospective interim president, along with Tayeb Belaiz and Noureddine Bedoui. Belaiz chairs the Constitutional Council, which regulates elections. Bedoui, appointed prime minister on March 11, served as interior minister for four years and was responsible, among other things, for organizing polls the opposition says were fraudulent.
Pure products of the regime, the men have faithfully served Bouteflika since he came to power in 1999. Protesters say the short deadlines laid out in the constitution make it difficult to amend an electoral code that favors powerful, "established" parties. Some 20 civil society groups representing a broad swathe of issues have called for continued mass demonstrations Friday to "maintain pressure", until the "departure of all officials of the regime" and the establishment of transitional institutions.
At a crossroads
For Isabelle Werenfels, a research associate at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs, Algeria is at a crossroads. "The immediate question is whether Algeria will stick to the constitutional process, with elections in 90 days, or whether there will be an effort to negotiate an extra-constitutional outcome," she said. For the moment, institutional mechanisms have been set in motion and the government has given symbolic pledges of openness to the press, the opposition and civil society. Some say Bensalah, a Bouteflika loyalist who frequently stood-in for the ailing leader after the latter suffered a stroke in 2013, may step down and make way for a more "acceptable" replacement. Others have called for the resignation of the Constitutional Court -- the only way to replace its members, who are seen as stalwarts of the Bouteflika era. Their successors, however, would still need to be appointed by that same system and the interim head of state does not have the constitutional power to reshuffle the government. Regardless, if the protests do not dwindle, it will be difficult to carry on with the constitutional process as it currently exists. "One option would be to name an independent and broadly accepted head for a transitional body," said Werenfels. But the jury is still out on who might make an acceptable choice for such a position.
Army's role
The key judge will likely be the army, whose intervention was decisive in Bouteflika's departure. The military has said it would "support the people until their demands are fully and completely satisfied." At the same time, it has insisted it only accepts "a process that guarantees the management of state affairs within the framework of the constitution." If mass protests do continue, how will the army react? "The fears are huge... of a face-off between the street and the military institution," said Hasni Abidi, who heads the Geneva-based Center for Arab and Mediterranean Studies. "There is no counterweight for the army today," he added. But the military "is not authorized or trained to handle a delicate transition", he said, calling to "immediately enter a round of negotiations, which is key to a smooth transition."

Egypt Urged to Reveal Whereabouts of Missing Deportees
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/Human Rights Watch on Thursday urged Egyptian authorities to reveal the whereabouts of at least five Egyptians deported home from Malaysia and Turkey fearing they may face "torture and ill-treatment". "Since Egypt has a dire record of systematic torture, forcible disappearances, and unfair trials of dissidents, it is imperative for the authorities to provide full legal access to these deportees," said Michael Page, HRW's deputy director for the Middle East and North Africa. Malaysian authorities said they deported six Egyptians and one Tunisian in early March over their alleged plans to carry out terror attacks in other countries. Ankara, which has strained relations with Cairo and is accused of being a haven for Egyptian Islamist exiles, has launched an investigation into the deportation of one man from Turkey to Egypt. The man identified as Mohamed Abdelhafiz had been sentenced to death in absentia over the assassination of Egypt's prosecutor general Hisham Barakat in a car bomb in 2015. In a statement released on Thursday, HRW said it had established the identities of four prisoners deported from Malaysia to Egypt and one from Turkey. All of them had Islamist backgrounds. The New York-based organisation said they were now "at serious risk of torture and ill-treatment in Egypt" and "could face severe torture and unfair trials". No official response has been provided from Egyptian authorities regarding the deported men to date. Following the military ouster of president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, authorities have cracked down on dissent, targeting thousands of Islamists as well as secular activists. Egypt specifically outlawed Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood deeming it a terror group in late 2013. Rights groups have consistently criticised Egypt's ongoing crackdown but the government insists the measures are necessary to maintain stability and counter-terrorism.

UN Chief 'Deeply Concerned' by Military Movement in Libya
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern Thursday over the risk of confrontation in Libya after forces loyal to a controversial strongman announced they were preparing to advance on Tripoli. "I am deeply concerned by the military movement taking place in Libya and the risk of confrontation," the visiting Guterres tweeted from the capital, which is controlled by a UN-backed unity government. "There is no military solution," he added. Dozens of militias have fought for control of the North African country since a NATO-backed uprising toppled longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011. But the self-proclaimed Libyan National Army of Khalifa Haftar has emerged as a key player, opposing the government in Tripoli and backing a parallel administration in the east. Haftar launched an offensive into oil-producing regions of southern Libya in January ostensibly aimed at wiping out "terrorists" and criminal groups. He has repeatedly expressed his intention to march on Tripoli. LNA spokesman Ahmed Mesmari said at a press conference on Wednesday that "preparations are on the point of being completed... to purge the west of terrorists and mercenaries". Unity government chief Fayez al-Sarraj called the move an "escalation" and urged Haftar's forces to "stop using the language of threats". He said he had ordered pro-government forces to prepare to "face all threats... whether from terrorist groups, criminals, outlaws and all who threaten the security of every Libyan city". The bellicose comments from Haftar's forces come as the United Nations prepares to convene a conference later this month to hammer out a roadmap for delayed parliamentary and presidential elections. "Only intra-Libyan dialogue can solve Libyan problems," Guterres said on Thursday. "I call for calm and restraint as I prepare to meet the Libyan leaders in the country." The rival leaders had agreed in Paris last year to hold elections before the end of the year, but that vote never materialised as Haftar's forces and the Tripoli government grappled for power. The UN has said Haftar and Sarraj agreed at a meeting in Abu Dhabi last month to make a new attempt to organise the elections.

Turkey Says US Failed to Report True Content of Pompeo Talks
Agence France Presse/Naharnet/April 04/19/ Turkey on Thursday accused the US State Department of making false claims after a meeting between top US and Turkish diplomats to discuss tense ties between the NATO allies.
Washington and Ankara are at odds over issues including US support for a Syrian Kurdish militia viewed as terrorists by Ankara and Turkey's purchase of a Russian missile system over US objections. Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held talks on Wednesday during the Turkish official's visit to Washington as part of 70th anniversary celebrations of the NATO alliance. The US State Department said Pompeo had warned Ankara of "devastating consequences" if Turkey launches an offensive in Syria and urged the "swift resolution" of legal cases involving US citizens and US mission employees under investigation in Turkey. Pompeo also pressed Causoglu about Turkey's plans to buy the S-400 missile defence system from Russia, which Washington has warned could put Ankara at risk of US sanctions, the State Department said in a statement. But Turkish foreign ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said on Thursday that the readout "not only fails to reflect the content of the meeting, but also contains matters that were not even raised during said meeting". It was not clear what "matters" Aksoy was referring to in his statement and foreign ministry officials were not immediately available for comment. Aksoy said similar problems had arisen after previous talks, and urged statements to be prepared with "greater care". Ties have been frayed recently by Ankara's purchase of Russian S-400 missiles, which US officials fear have technology that will allow Moscow to gather data from NATO aircraft. The US wants Turkey to instead opt to buy the US Patriot system. Washington responded earlier this week by suspending Turkey's participation in the F-35 fighter-jet programme, in which Turkey has invested over $1 billion. In a PBS Newshour interview broadcast on Wednesday, Cavusoglu said Ankara proposed "to form a technical working group and to examine" any US concerns over the S-400s. Cavusoglu said it was "unacceptable" for the US to insist Turkey could not buy a defence system from another country but would not sell any to Ankara either.

Latest LCCC English analysis & editorials from miscellaneous sources published on April 04-05/19
Bouteflika’s ousting reminiscent of Mubarak
Abdulrahman Al-Rashed/Arab News/April 04/2019
Before his resignation in 2011, former Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said he was not seeking to extend his presidential mandate, but would still remain in power for more than six months. Similarly, the resigning Algerian President Abdul Aziz Bouteflika also said he was not planning on running for a fifth term.
I would not dismiss the possibility that both presidents were sincerely considering leaving office before the last hour. The problem, however, is no one knows the meaning of the “right time” for leaving. In the Arab world, it is much harder to exit such an arena than enter it.
In both situations, the families of Mubarak and Bouteflika took the blame of planning to pass power on to relatives — the sons in Mubarak’s case and the brothers in Bouteflika’s case. This has provoked massive street protests in Algeria, and led to the army’s intervention due to fears over national security and order. Thus, both terms ended in a very tragic way unworthy of both presidents.
We are not quite sure if these accounts are true, but both former presidents were initially planning on running in the upcoming elections, despite their poor health. The intervention of family members was common knowledge, and the presidential terms in both cases were extended to more than what was acceptable in republics.
Well, would these ignominious changes have happened had Mubarak and Bouteflika declared their wish not to extend their terms? This is what I and many others believe, along with the possibility that a long term, accompanied by old age, is known historically to end either with deposition or death.
Indeed, we can see that Bouteflika is a political personality close to the hearts of most Algerians, as he took over the presidency of the country during a critical period, and led it from violence and bloodshed to peace.
Habib Bourguiba, the historical leader of Tunisia, ruled for 30 years, but his power began to be questioned in his last days of his presidential term. His pictures were even thought by the public to have been modified in order to make him appear in good shape. Eventually, his rule came to an end at the hands of his hand-picked prime minister Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, who ousted him and held him under house arrest for 13 years until his death. However, Ben Ali would later commit the same mistake; ruling for 20 consecutive years until, finally, being ousted by protesters.
On the other hand, we cannot underestimate the dangers of voluntary exits in the third world; where the relatives and entourage of the president may end up paying the price of conflicts and reprisals.
Indeed, we can see that Bouteflika is a political personality close to the hearts of most Algerians, as he took over the presidency of the country during a critical period, and led it from violence and bloodshed to peace. He could have ended his 20-year rule as a national hero — an icon for the present and a role model for the future generations — but, as soon as he announced his wish to run for a fifth term, citizens took to the streets to protest his decision.
Keeping in mind that running for a fourth term in 2014 was also widely criticized; the situation, unfortunately, reached the point where Bouteflika had to be ousted in his wheelchair, semi-helpless. It was probably necessary to save the country from his relatives’ behind-the-scenes “rule,” and the almost certain bloody conflict that would have followed. It is no use crying over spilt milk. All that Algerians can do now is look forward to a better future, since change has — at least — occurred without bloodshed, chaos or bitter conflicts. It is hoped that the rest of the transition phase will also run smoothly, in an atmosphere of unanimity, so the country will enter a new era.
*Abdulrahman Al-Rashed is a veteran columnist. He is the former general manager of Al Arabiya news channel, and former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al-Awsat. Twitter: @aalrashed

How international community can curb Iran’s ambitions
د. ماجد رافي زاده: كيف يمكن للمجتمع الدولي كبح طموحات إيران
Dr. Majid Rafizadeh/Arab News/April 04/ 2019
http://eliasbejjaninews.com/archives/73534/dr-majid-rafizadeh-how-international-community-can-curb-irans-ambitions%D8%AF-%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AF-%D8%B1%D8%A7%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%B2%D8%A7%D8%AF%D9%87-%D9%83%D9%8A%D9%81-%D9%8A%D9%85/
The leaders of Iran remain defiant as they insist on pursuing the regime’s dark hegemonic ambitions in the Middle East. Based on policies, operations and recent comments by the senior cadre of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, there is no indication the Islamic Republic is willing to alter its revolutionary ideals and military adventurism in the region, or its hard-line domestic and foreign policy objectives.
The Iranian regime continues to ratchet up its interventions in several countries in the region, including Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen. The heightened interventions are carried out through various strategies, ranging from dispatching troops to illicitly transferring arms and missiles to militias, shipping advanced weaponry to its proxies — such as Hezbollah and the Houthis — that can turn unguided rockets into precision-guided missiles, and influencing elections through corruption and the use of money.
Some politicians and policy analysts may recommend appeasing Tehran in order to confront it. But any informed approach that aims to counter Iran’s regional ambitions ought not to be anchored in pursuing appeasement policies toward the ruling mullahs.
The latest developments buttress the argument that the appeasement of a fundamentalist and revolutionary regime is totally counterproductive. A prominent example is the case of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which was reached almost four years ago. The world powers made significant concessions, such as lifting four rounds of UN economic sanctions on Iran, removing several individuals and organizations from the US sanctions list, increasing trade and business dealings with the Iranian government, and granting Tehran global legitimacy.
As the international community has witnessed, since these economic and political concessions were made, the Iranian leaders have been empowered and emboldened to further pursue their fundamentalist revolutionary principles.
One of the most effective strategies for confronting Iran’s ambitions at these critical times is to put pressure on several sectors within the theocratic establishment. First of all, economic sanctions must be precise and targeted. In other words, the financial venues through which funds flow into the Islamic Republic’s treasury must be disrupted. This includes squeezing the regime’s main revenue from oil exports, as well as detecting the front and shell companies Iran uses to carry out its illicit financial activities.
When the flow of money to the Iranian regime is interrupted, Tehran will have a difficult time funding its militia and terror groups in the region. Iran is hemorrhaging billions of dollars on its proxies. The IRGC and its elite branch, the Quds Force, will have to bear a significant part of this negative economic impact. In fact, the renewed US sanctions on Iran have already forced the country’s leaders to cut funding to some Syrian militia groups.
It is also important to point out that, when the regime’s economy is fragile and on the verge of collapsing, the Iranian people will be empowered to rise up against the theocratic establishment
It is also important to point out that, when the regime’s economy is fragile and on the verge of collapsing, the Iranian people will be empowered to rise up against the theocratic establishment. As the world has witnessed, since US President Donald Trump withdrew from the nuclear agreement and reimposed sanctions that were waived under the JCPOA, widespread protests and demonstrations have increased.
But Tehran will not feel the full effects of economic pressures as long as the US is acting by itself. That will not happen until other world powers, particularly the European countries, join Washington. The ruling mullahs would also be significantly pressured if a coalition of regional powers cut some of their major economic ties with Tehran. This would negatively affect Tehran’s legitimacy and put pressure on the European powers to halt their business dealings with Iran.
The second approach is to target individuals and institutions that are engaged in supporting terror groups, advancing Tehran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs, and committing crimes against humanity abroad. Iran has been increasingly engaged in assassinations and bomb plots on foreign soil. Governments can utilize the International Criminal Court, the UN, Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to hold the Iranian regime responsible and accountable. Additionally, the international community needs to draw more attention to human rights abuses in Iran.
Third is limiting or cutting diplomatic relationships with the Iranian regime. Tehran not only gains critical legitimacy by maintain diplomatic ties with world powers, but also the regime has been shown to use its embassies and consulates in foreign nations as an extended wing of the IRGC and the Ministry of Intelligence in order to carry out espionage or acts of terror. Finally, if the world’s leaders desire to counter Iran’s destructive and destabilizing behavior in the region, they ought to express their support for the Iranian people and their resistance against the ruling mullahs.
• Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is a Harvard-educated Iranian-American political scientist. He is a leading expert on Iran and US foreign policy, a businessman and president of the International American Council. Twitter: @Dr_Rafizadeh

Brexit could be delayed until May as UK changes strategy
Andrew Hammond/Arab News/April 04/2019
Angela Merkel visited the Republic of Ireland on Thursday ahead of next Wednesday’s special European Council summit of presidents and prime ministers on Brexit. The visit came amidst UK Prime Minister Theresa May’s latest U-turn to explore a cross- party deal on Brexit, and her decision to ask Brussels for a further extension of the so-called Article 50 process to May 22. The reason for Merkel’s important visit was a show of solidarity with Dublin amidst the continuing possibility that the UK could leave the Brussels-based club with no deal next Friday, unless the EU-27 unanimously offer an extension — albeit potentially of a different length to the one London now seeks. Merkel on Wednesday said: “I have always said I will fight until the last minute of the respective date for an orderly Brexit — that’s in the interests of Britain but is above all also in our interests.”
Despite this, a disorderly exit next week cannot be completely dismissed, even though the House of Commons passed on Wednesday the so-called Cooper amendment to try to eliminate this prospect. Yet, the news from London and Brussels has appeared brighter this week.
In what May called a “decisive moment for the future of these islands,” after a marathon seven-hour Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, she began a series of meetings on Wednesday with opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn. While these talks may go nowhere, the PM has signaled she may now be willing — almost three years after the original referendum — to bend on her previous “red lines” to secure a cross-party deal. May made it clear that she still does not want to compromise on a new Brexit referendum, or so-called People’s Vote. But she implicitly indicated she might, potentially, move toward a “softer” exit based around a customs union and/or a closer relationship with the European Single Market (short of the UK’s current full membership).
Those who voted to leave did so for diverse and sometimes divergent reasons, which makes fashioning support for an exit agreement very difficult.
This has infuriated those Brexiteers who will only countenance the hardest of exits from the EU. Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who could yet become May’s successor, asserted that “the prime minister and Cabinet have concluded that any deal is better than no deal, and this is truly a very bad deal indeed — one that leaves us being run by the EU.”What May also made clear, for now at least, is that she still wants the UK to leave the EU no later than May 22 so that the nation does not have to take part in next month’s European Parliament elections. This, however, creates a potential time bomb as, unless the UK participates in those ballots, it seems increasingly plausible that there can be no further Article 50 extension beyond May 22, whether or not a deal is agreed before then. In this sense, the Brexit can may not be able to be “kicked down the road” any further.
If the May-Corbyn talks collapse, May said she would facilitate a further round of indicative votes to try to forge a parliamentary consensus around a clear Brexit proposition. At the same time, she indicated her own withdrawal deal — which has already been voted down three times — will not be brought back for a fourth meaningful vote this week.
The apparent change in Brexit strategy by May has been cautiously welcomed in Brussels. President of the European Council Donald Tusk, for instance, tweeted on Tuesday: “Even if, after today, we don’t know what the end result will be, let us be patient.”
Yet, while Tusk was positive, others across the EU are skeptical that an additional short extension will be enough to forge the consensus ideally needed across the UK on Brexit. The EU-27 are well aware of continuing disagreement within the populace and political elites.
And, as Johnson’s comments underline, this is not just a leave versus remain debate, given the intra-faction disagreements even within those favoring Brexit. A challenge here is that those who voted to leave in 2016 did so for diverse and sometimes divergent reasons, which makes fashioning support for an exit agreement very difficult.
The continuing divisions within the electorate are underlined in polls that now generally show more people favoring EU membership than not, and the country split over whether maintaining full access to the European Single Market (akin to a Norway-style softer deal) or being able to limit migration (as a Canada-style harder deal would allow) should be the key objective.  In terms of May’s position as prime minister, she looks now to be secure at least until next week’s EU summit. Nonetheless, her critics, such as the maverick Johnson, are circling and biding their time before striking.
Her growing band of critics knows she remains in a politically precarious position, with massive Brexit challenges still unresolved. They are aware Parliament, and the nation at large, remains badly divided and could still be heading toward a disorderly exit with no withdrawal deal agreed on either April 12 or later in the spring. In this sense, this week’s latest political drama may have only kicked the can down the road, with the UK potentially remaining in Brexit gridlock for some time to come.
*Andrew Hammond is an Associate at LSE IDEAS at the London School of Economics

Nissan’s Ghosn arrested again in financial misconduct case
Associated Press/April 04/19
The allegations in the most recent arrest cover three money transfer operations from 2015 through last year.
TOKYO: Nissan’s former Chairman Carlos Ghosn was arrested Thursday morning for a fourth time by Tokyo prosecutors investigating him for alleged financial misconduct while leading the Japanese automaker.
Tokyo prosecutors said Ghosn’s arrest was on suspicion he diverted $5 million from funds that were being relayed from a Nissan subsidiary to an overseas dealership. Their statement said the money is suspected of going to a company Ghosn virtually ran.
Ghosn’s whereabouts following his detention were unclear. TV footage showed officials entering Ghosn’s apartment in Tokyo, and a car later going to the prosecutors’ office, barely a month after Ghosn was released on bail from the earlier arrests. A car with the same license plate was later seen entering the Tokyo Detention Center, where Ghosn spent more than three months following his arrest on Nov. 19.
A spokesman for Ghosn issued a statement in which he strongly declared his innocence. The spokesman would not be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter.
“My arrest this morning is outrageous and arbitrary,” Ghosn said in the statement. “It is part of another attempt by some individuals at Nissan to silence me by misleading the prosecutors. Why arrest me except to try to break me? I will not be broken. I am innocent of the groundless charges and accusations against me.”
Ghosn, 65, was first arrested on charges of under-reporting his compensation. He was rearrested twice in December, including on breach of trust charges. The multiple arrests prolong detentions without trial and are an oft-criticized prosecution tactic in Japan’s criminal justice system.
The prosecutors’ statement did not mention Oman, but the allegation appears related to the investigation by Nissan Motor Co.’s French alliance partner Renault about payments in Oman to a major dealership, some of which is suspected of having been channeled for Ghosn’s personal use.
Ghosn’s lawyer Junichiro Hironaka denounced the arrest, stressing that a rearrest during release on bail was unusual. His release on bail in March was unusually quick for Japan, where long detentions without convictions are routine
“This is an example of hostage justice,” Hironaka told reporters. “This is meant to hurt Mr. Ghosn and give more advantage to the prosecutors’ side.”
Nissan Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa expressed surprise about the arrest, although it had been rumored for days.
“So much can happen. I am shocked,” he told reporters as he left his home.
Ghosn’s family expressed worries about another detention, calling it in a statement, “solitary confinement as part of an attempt to force a confession.”
Ghosn has denied the accusations in the earlier charges. On the allegation of under-reported compensation at Nissan, he has said it involved payments that were never decided or that were to be paid in the future. He has also said Nissan never suffered losses for his personal investments and that allegedly dubious payments in Saudi Arabia were for legitimate services.
Ghosn had tweeted he would hold a news conference April 11, where he would tell “the truth” on what was unfolding. A condition for his release on bail included not using the internet, but it is unclear if the authorities are considering the tweet a technical violation.
“I am confident that if tried fairly, I will be vindicated,” he said in the statement Thursday. “I am determined that the truth will come out. I am confident that if tried fairly, I will be vindicated.”
The allegations in the most recent arrest cover three money transfer operations from 2015 through last year, according to the prosecutors.
Ghosn was a star in the auto industry, having steered Nissan for two decades from the brink of bankruptcy to one of the largest groups in the industry, allied with Renault and smaller Japanese partner Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
Nissan declined comment on the criminal proceedings. The company is a co-defendant on the under-reporting of compensation charges.
Hironaka said this week that at least two Nissan employees are cooperating with the prosecutors. Several other Nissan officials have been questioned by the prosecutors as part of the investigation.
The maker of the March subcompact, Leaf electric car and Infiniti luxury models is holding a shareholders’ meeting next week to oust Ghosn from its board. “Nissan’s internal investigation has uncovered substantial evidence of blatantly unethical conduct,” said company spokesman Nicholas Maxfield.
The maximum penalty upon conviction on charges of under-reporting compensation and breach of trust is 15 years in prison. It is unclear when Ghosn’s trial may begin. Preparations for trials in Japan routinely take months.

Russia's Military Must Leave Venezuela Immediately
Jiri Valenta/Gatestone Institute/April 04/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13994/russia-venezuela
Russia was considering deploying strategic bombers full-time in Venezuela, according to the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta, as reported by Moscow Times. The Russian media outlet also reported that an agreement had been reached between Moscow and Caracas to allow the deployment of Russian aircraft at a military base Venezuela's Caribbean island of La Orchila, where Russian advisers were dispatched in December.
It is urgent for Washington to act before Russia and Venezuela reach their imminent formal military agreement. At the same time, NATO membership should be offered to Brazil, a major ally, and economic aid should be provided to Columbia.
"[China and Russia] back Maduro to the hilt because they have much to lose if his leftist government falls. Both maintain crucial military facilities in the country... In recent months, China, the regime's largest creditor, has been digging itself in deeper. In September, Beijing extended Venezuela another $5 billion in credit. Russia has also loaned the country billions." — Gordon G. Chang, Gatestone Institute.
fter the landing of two Russian aircraft in Caracas on March 23 -- one an Ilyushin Il-62 passenger plane transporting 100 ground forces and the other an Antonov An-124 military cargo plane carrying 35 tons of materiel – U.S. President Donald J. Trump said that "Russia has to get out" of Venezuela.
In January, two months before this arrival of Russian military personnel and equipment in Venezuela, two Russian Air Force Tu-160 strategic bombers flying over the Arctic region near the North American coastline were detected and escorted out of the area by Canadian and U.S. Air Force jets.
Although it was not clear where these Russian bombers were headed, a similar incident had occurred a few weeks before, when two of the same type of Russian Tu-160 strategic bombers landed outside Caracas -- sorties indicating that these, too, were headed to Venezuela.
According to the Moscow Times, the Russian newspaper Nezavisimaya Gazeta reported earlier in December that Russia was considering deploying strategic bombers full-time in Venezuela. The Russian media outlet also reported that an agreement had been reached between Moscow and Caracas to allow the deployment of Russian aircraft at a military base on Venezuela's Caribbean island of La Orchila, where Russian advisers were dispatched in December.
The above moves are all part of Russia's open support for the beleaguered government of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, which the U.S. and dozens of other nations have declared illegitimate. These countries support the popular young chairman of Venezuela's National Assembly, opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who has claimed an interim presidency.
Most 21st century Russian invasions have been launched in order to bring about or prevent regime change. Putin invaded Georgia in 2008 to undermine President Mikheil Saakashvili, who had pushed aggressively for Georgia's entry into NATO and the EU.
Putin's 2014 invasions in Crimea and eastern Ukraine were a response to what viewed as an illegal and unconstitutional coup in Kiev, which removed Ukraine from the Kremlin's orbit. While intervening in the Syrian civil war, which began in 2011, ostensibly to save Syrian President Bashar Assad's rule, Putin also aimed at projecting Russian power into the eastern Mediterranean.
By late 2018, Putin had achieved both goals. Meanwhile, Trump -- heir to a covert war started by his predecessor, President Barack Obama -- decided to withdraw U.S. forces from Syria.
Putin's response was to defrost the conflict with Ukraine in the Azov Sea. Instead of attacking the port city of Mariupol, however -- as some had expected -- he turned his attention to the more timely crisis in Venezuela.
As it did for Syria's Assad, Russia has been providing the Maduro regime with economic and military aid. While Syria is an important energy-transfer state, Venezuela is an energy jewel: in fact, it harbors one of the world's largest oil reserves. Maduro's Venezuela is also part of what U.S. National Security Adviser John R. Bolton has termed the "troika of tyranny," the others being Cuba and Nicaragua.
The recent landing of the two Russian planes in Venezuela came a mere a few days after the Trump administration's special envoy to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, met with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryakbov in Rome. At that meeting, the two negotiators agreed to disagree over who was the real leader of Venezuela, Maduro or Guaidó. Ryakbov failed to mention, however, that Russia was about to dispatch military aircraft and manpower to Caracas.
Although this and other recent Russian moves in Venezuela are relatively minor at the moment, Moscow's intervention, if kept unchecked, obviously will grow as it did in Syria.
The same also applies to moves by Beijing. As Gordon G. Chang recently wrote: "[China and Russia] back Maduro to the hilt because they have much to lose if his leftist government falls. Both maintain crucial military facilities in the country... In recent months, China, the regime's largest creditor, has been digging itself in deeper. In September, Beijing extended Venezuela another $5 billion in credit. Russia has also loaned the country billions."
Meanwhile, two Leninist-turned-narcotics traffickers – the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the National Liberation Army (ELN) -- have been coordinating their activities with the Maduro regime, which is also backed by Iran.
It is therefore not sufficient for Trump to tell Russia to leave Venezuela. It is imperative for the U.S. to liberate the people of Venezuela -- in the throes of a major humanitarian catastrophe -- from Maduro's stranglehold. It is urgent for Washington to act before Russia and Venezuela reach their imminent formal military agreement.
President Trump should declare that no additional Russian and Chinese military planes and ships will be allowed to enter Venezuela, and, if legally possible, back up this announcement with an air and sea blockade. At the same time, NATO membership should be offered to Brazil, a major ally, and economic aid should be provided to Colombia.
Only a speedy, tough response can salvage what is left of the Monroe Doctrine, the basic premise of which is to keep extra-hemispheric hostile forces out of the U.S.'s strategic backyard.
A few weeks ago, when Maduro denied food and medical assistance to his starving people, the U.S. had a compelling enough reason, political considerations permitting, to invade Venezuela, even before the Russians got militarily involved. Delay, as Moscow's move constitutes a dangerous encroachment on U.S. national security, has made things both more complicated and more necessary.
While the Trump administration contemplates how to proceed further to prevent Venezuela from falling to Russia, it might recall the words of the late American diplomat George Kennan, best known for advocating the policy of "containment" to oppose Soviet expansionism after World War II.
Kennan, in a 1950 memorandum, summed up his view of how the U.S. should approach and keep Latin America from falling to the Soviets.
He wrote to the countries south of the border an "imaginary statement" that read, in part: "We hold out to you what perhaps no great power—no power of our relative importance in world affairs — has ever held out to neighboring smaller powers: the most scrupulous respect for your sovereignty and independence, the willing renunciation of the use of force in our relations with you, the readiness to join with you at any time in a large variety of forms of collaboration which can be of benefit to us both. But you will appreciate that the payoff for this unprecedentedly favorable and tolerant attitude is that you do not make your countries the sources or the seats of dangerous intrigue against us..."
*Dr. Jiri Valenta is a member of the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations in New York, and formerly served at the Brookings Institution and the Wilson Center for International Scholars in Washington, D.C. A former tenured associate professor at the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, he is presently a senior research associate at the Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies at Bar-Ilan University in Israel. The author of Soviet Intervention in Czechoslovakia, 1968, and other books, his publications include the BESA monograph, "Washington and Moscow: Conflict or Cooperation?"
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.

The Mueller Waiting Game
by Alan M. Dershowitz/Gatestone Institute/April 04/19
https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14005/mueller-report-waiting
We can reasonably expect that those investigators who favored accusing the President with obstruction will lay out their case against Trump. This raises the legal and ethical question of whether it is proper for prosecutors publicly to disclose the evidence and arguments against the subject of a criminal investigation who is not being charged.
The law cannot be ignored. The law requires the Attorney General not to disclose grand jury evidence without a court order. It also requires the non-disclosure of privileged material, including executive privilege, and of legitimately classified material. The public, and even Congress, will therefore have to wait until the Attorney General completes his legal review. The courts should not shortcut that review by enforcing subpoenas from partisan Congressional committees.
Remember that the report, however redacted, will be a one-sided document, based on uncrossexamined witnesses selected by prosecutors. No witnesses favorable to the subjects of the investigation will have testified before the grand jury. An investigation by a special counsel is not a search for objective truth. It is a search for incriminating evidence sufficient to charge.
Special Counsel Robert Mueller in Washington, DC, on March 24, 2019. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)
The waiting game is on as politicians and pundits try to read the tea leaves regarding the soon-to-be-released Mueller Report. We know the major conclusions: no criminal conspiracy between the Trump campaign and Russia; and no charges of obstruction by President Trump, based on a division of opinion among the investigators and a decision by the Attorney General and the Deputy Attorney General. What we do not know is how critical the report will be, especially with regard to obstruction. We can reasonably expect that those investigators who favored accusing the President with obstruction will lay out their case against Trump. This raises the legal and ethical question of whether it is proper for prosecutors publicly to disclose the evidence and arguments against the subject of a criminal investigation who is not being charged.
Let us subject that question to the "shoe on the other foot test." To do so, we must go back to the statement made by then-Director of the FBI James Comey after he completed his investigation of Hillary Clinton and her private email server. Assume, for purposes of this test, that Comey had simply announced the decision not to charge Clinton with any crime, but the Republicans had learned that he had submitted a report to the Attorney General giving the reasons for not charging her. There were rumors that the report was critical of Clinton's handling of her private server as careless, maybe even extremely careless. Assume further that the Republicans demanded the public release of that critical report.
Democrats would be outraged, insisting that all the public had the right to know was that a decision had been made not to charge her. The public did not have the right, nor did prosecutors have the authority, to disclose any other conclusions they may have reached about her non-criminal carelessness during their criminal investigation. The public certainly did not have the right to see grand jury testimony critical of Clinton.
So, what is different now that the shoe is on the other foot — now that it is the Democrats who want the public to see the same type of information against Trump they would not have wanted them to see against Clinton? The answer is that both sides of the political aisle repeatedly fail the "shoe test" in our hyper-partisan age of "anything is fair in gotcha politics." What is good for the goose is not good for the gander if they are with different political parties.
To be sure, both sides of the aisle want the Mueller Report released, and it will be released because the American people want to know what is in it. We are all understandably curious. Trump is our President and Mueller is our Special Counsel. So consistency goes out the window.
But the law cannot be ignored. The law requires the Attorney General not to disclose grand jury evidence without a court order. It also requires the non-disclosure of privileged material, including executive privilege, and of legitimately classified material. The public, and even Congress, will therefore have to wait until the Attorney General completes his legal review. The courts should not shortcut that review by enforcing subpoenas from partisan Congressional committees.
Even if the Attorney General refuses to release any part of the report, there would be no legitimate legal recourse because there is nothing in the law that mandates its public release. This is, of course, a moot issue because Attorney General William Barr will release a redacted version of the report relatively soon.
Patience, everyone. You will get to read the nearly 400-page report before long. It is unlikely to contain major bombshells or really new evidence of a dramatic nature. More likely, it will construct negative narratives based largely on what we already know. Remember that the report, however redacted, will be a one-sided document, based on uncrossexamined witnesses selected by prosecutors. No witnesses favorable to the subjects of the investigation will have testified before the grand jury. An investigation by a special counsel is not a search for objective truth. It is a search for incriminating evidence sufficient to charge. It should be read with that in mind.
When it is released, I will be writing an introduction to it that will accompany the Report that will be published by Skyhorse. So stay tuned for my take.
*Alan M. Dershowitz is the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law Emeritus at Harvard Law School and author of The Case against the Democratic House Impeaching Trump (Hot Books, January 2, 2019), and a Distinguished Senior Fellow of Gatestone Institute.
© 2019 Gatestone Institute. All rights reserved. The articles printed here do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editors or of Gatestone Institute. No part of the Gatestone website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied or modified, without the prior written consent of Gatestone Institute.